1:2

Verses 1:2a and 1:2b are parallel commands. Verse 1:2c gives the reason for the commands in 1:2a–b.

1:2a–b

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^a Hear, O peoples, all of you;

^b listen, O earth, and everyone in it!

Hear…listen: These parallel commands both mean “listen carefully” or “pay attention.” Micah used the same Hebrew word for Hear in 3:1, 3:9, 6:1, and 6:2.

all of you…and everyone in it!: These phrases emphasize and/or clarify the commands to “Hear” and “listen.”

1:2a

Hear, O peoples, all of you: In Hebrew, the first phrase is literally “Hear, peoples.” The second phrase, all of you, adds emphasis.The second phrase is literally “all of them.” Hillers (page 16) and Waltke 2007 (pages 45–46) both point out that normal Hebrew syntax uses third-person pronouns in modifying clauses following a vocative. Waltke notes that lack of the definite article in both parallel vocatives can be attributed to the “terse prophetic style.” It refers here to all the people groups or nations of the world. In some cases, these “people groups” may be described in terms of different languages. For example:

groups of people who speak mutually different languages

Many English versions supply a word such as “you” (NIV) or O to indicate that Micah is addressing the peoples directly and wants them to start listening to his words.

In some languages, it may not be natural to address people groups in this way. Here are some ways to address the people directly as well as to emphasize all of them:

All of you people must listen!

Listen, everybody!

In some languages, it may be necessary for a verb like “hear” to have an object. If that is true in your language, here are some ways to make an object explicit:

Hear this message…

Listen to what God says…

1:2b

listen, O earth, and everyone in it: The phrase and everyone in it is literally “and its fullness” or “and what fills it.”WBC (page 15) glosses the literal Hebrew text as “all her fullness.” JFB (page 688) has “whatever fills it.” BART glosses the construct noun as “what fills it.” There are two main ways to interpret this verse part:

1. Micah is using a poetic way to address all the people on the earth. For example:

   …listen, earth and all who live in it. (NIV11)

   …earth and everyone on it (NJB) (BSB, GW, NCV, NET, NIV11, NJB, NLT96, REB, GNT)Most versions listed under this interpretation use words such as “everyone” and “all who.” In the opinion of the TN editor, the NET “all inhabitants of earth” refers primarily to human inhabitants, but technically, according to Webster’s, an inhabitant is “a person or animal that inhabits some specified region, dwelling, etc.” So the NET rendering may include animals as well as people.

2. Micah is addressing the earth and all created things on it, including people, animals, mountains, trees, rivers, etc. For example:

   listen, O earth, and all it contains (NASB)

   Earth and everything on it, pay close attention. (CEV) (CEV, ESV. NAB, NLT, KJV, NASB, NJPS, NRSV)Most versions listed under this interpretation use words such as “everything” and “all that.”

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Many commentaries do not speak to this issue. Others make statements that could support either interpretation. NAC (page 48) clearly favors interpretation (1). It says: “The addressees are ‘all peoples,’ a reference to all nations, as shown by the parallel (more literally ‘those who fill the earth’).” KD (page 289–290) agrees with NAC, WBC, and Waltke 2007 that the phrase “those who fill with earth” supports the view that “all peoples” refer to all nations, not to all tribes of Israel, but he thinks that “the whole earth, and all creatures upon it, are to hear, because the judgment which the prophet has to announce to Israel affects the whole earth.” With this view, the command to pay careful attention must be understood as highly personified, since mountains and non-human creatures cannot literally “listen” to what the Sovereign LORD says in the more literal sense that peoples/nations can listen. There are at least two reasons:

1:2c

May the Lord GOD bear witness against you: In this verse part, Micah implied that the people should listen to the testimony that the Lord was about to give. Some of these words are found in 1:6–7.

There are textualThe MT, two different Hebrew manuscripts, and the LXX all differ in the way they understand the initial word (wihi) in this verse part. TN has focused on the main textual and interpretation issues rather than complicating the discussion. See Waltke 2007 (page 45) for more details. In addition to these textual issues, the LXX has “among you for a testimony” rather than “a witness against you.” The REB has “so that the Lord GOD…may bear witness among you.” The rendering “among you” is not supported by other English versions used in TN or by most scholars. and interpretation issues that affect the function of this verse part and its relationship to Micah’s commands in 1:2a–b to listen carefully. The Notes will discuss these issues together. Here are the main interpretations:

1. This verse part is a statement that the Lord GOD will testify against the people. For example:

   The Lord GOD will be a witness against you (NCV) (CEV, GW, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB, GNT)

2. This verse part is an indirect, third-person request. It expresses Micah’s prayer or desire that the Lord GOD will testify against the people. For example:

   and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you (ESV) (BSB, ESV, KJV, NABRE, NASB, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. In this context, this kind of jussive constructive (“and let…”) normally functions like an imperfect (non-past) verb.NICOT (page 266), WBC (page 15), and A&F (page 132) translate this clause as a jussive but give no justification. Waltke 2007 (page 45) and NET footnote (c) give reasons that support the majority of English versions. With both interpretations, it is implied from 2:1a–b that the people should listen carefully to the Lord’s testimony against them.

There is more than one way to interpret the relationship between Micah’s commands in 1:2a–b that the people listen and the statement in 1:2c that the Lord GOD would testify against them:

1. The connection is not explicit. It should be left implied. For example:

   Yahweh intends to give evidence against you (NJB)

   The Sovereign Lord will testify against you. (GNT) (BSB, CEV, GW, NCV, NET, NJB, NLT, GNT)

2. The statement in 1:2c gives the reason why Micah told the people to listen in 1:2a–b. For example:

   for I AM will become a witness against youWaltke 2007 (page 44).

3. The statement in 1:2c gives the purpose why the people should heed the commands in 1:2a–b. For example:

   that the Sovereign Lord may witness against you (NIV) (NIV, REB)

The Display will follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. It will leave the relationship unspecified. You may follow either interpretation (1) or (2). In many languages, a reason will be implied whether or not 1:2c is introduced with a word such as “for” or “because.”

One reason not to follow interpretation (3) is that a purpose word or phrase like “that” or “so that” may wrongly imply that if the people did not listen, the LORD would not testify.

Lord GOD: In Hebrew, this double name, ʿadonay yhwh, is used over 280 times in the Old Testament to refer to God. The word ʿadonay means “lord/master.” The word yhwh is God’s personal name.

Most English versions follow the tradition of using “LORD” instead of “Yahweh” (yhwh). Since it is awkward to have an expression such as Lord LORD, most English versions use one expression to indicate God’s authority and another one to translate his own name. For example:

Sovereign Lord (NLT)

Lord GOD (NCV)

Almighty Lord (GW)

See the note on “Yahweh, the LORD” in the Introduction.

bear witness against you: This phrase is usually used in a courtroom. It figuratively describes God as a lawyer who is presenting a case in a trial. Micah told all people to listen to the evidence that God will present. This evidence will prove that all people were guilty of doing evil.

In some languages, this courtroom language may be confusing, because God is the judge as well as the lawyer. If this is true in your language, you may want to use a more general expression. For example:

The Almighty LORD accuses/judges you

The Lord Yahweh will declare that what you have done wrong

the Lord from His holy temple: The word Lord here is ʿadonay, the same as in the first part of 1:2c. The Lord was in His holy temple when he spoke as a witness against the people. He would speak from that location.

This phrase contains implied information from the first part of 1:2c. In some languages, it may be more natural to make this information explicit. For example:

The Lord will be a witness from his holy temple. (GW)

Listen! He speaks from his holy temple. (adapted from GNT)

His holy temple: This phrase refers here to heaven, the LORD’s dwelling place, not to the temple in Jerusalem. In 1:3, Micah described God leaving “his place” (“his home” in the NJB) and coming down to the earth. So it is logical that the phrase His holy temple in 1:2c also refers to heaven, the place where God lives. If possible, do not specify in your translation that the temple is in heaven or in Jerusalem.

holy: God’s temple is called holy because it is special, set apart to be his dwelling place. In most languages, you will be able to use the same term for holy that you used for “holy temple” or “holy place” elsewhere in Scripture.

temple: The Hebrew word that is translated here as temple refers to a large magnificent building. In some OT passages, it refers to a palace, the home of a king. In this verse, where it refers to the home of the great king, God, there is little practical difference between “palace” and temple.NIDOTTE (#2121). According to TWOT (#493), the Hebrew word hekal is a loan from Sumerian/Akkadian that occurs 80 times. It “essentially represents a king’s dwelling quarters, i.e. a palace.” NIDOTTE clarifies that it refers to “palace” in only 15 OT passages. TWOT agrees that “God’s true temple and throne are in heaven” and lists Micah 1:2 specifically in support of that statement. Almost all English versions translate it as temple.Exceptions are the NET “his majestic palace” and NJPS “his holy abode.” Here are some other ways to translate “his holy temple”:

his holy house/home

the holy place where he lives

the special place that is set apart as his own home