OET interlinear MIC 1:5

1:5a–f

This verse has six poetic lines. The first two lines give the reason for the coming judgment of the LORD that is described in 1:4a–d. In 1:5a–b, 1:5b restates the meaning of 1:5a. In 1:5c–d, the question in 1:5c repeats the person named in 1:5a, and the answer in 1:5d corresponds to the capital of the nation that bears his name. The question in 1:5e unexpectedly includes Judah as the southern part of the nation of Israel as a whole, and the answer in 1:5f corresponds to the capital of that southern part:

^5aAll this is for the transgression of Jacob

^5band the sins of the house of Israel.

^5cWhat is the transgression of Jacob?

^5dIs it not Samaria?

^5eAnd what is the high place of Judah?

^5fIs it not Jerusalem?

1:5a–b

There are two main ways to interpret the underlined parts, transgression and sins, and the parts in bold print, Jacob and the house of Israel:

1. The parallel parts in these two lines refer to the same thing. The words “transgression” and “sins” refer to the same crime or offense. The names “Jacob” and “the house of Israel” refer to the same people. For example:

   All this will happen because the people of Israel have sinned and rebelled against God. (GNT) (CEV, NCV, NIV, NJB, NLT, GNT)Versions such as the NCV, NIV, and NJB have been listed here, because they do not connect the parallel parts or lines with the word “and” in a way that normally indicates two separate things.

2. The parallel parts in these two lines refer to different things. The words “transgression” and “sins” seem to refer to different crimes or offenses. The name “Jacob” refers to the people of the northern kingdom, and “the house of Israel” refers to the people of the southern kingdom. For example:

   All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the nation of Israel. (NET) (BSB, ESV, GW, KJV, NAB, NASB, NET, NJPS, NRSV, REB)With the possible exception of the NLT96, which may be ambiguous, the other versions listed here do connect the parallel parts or lines with the word “and” in a way that normally indicates two separate things.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).It is true that Micah referred to the capitals of the northern and southern kingdoms in 1:5c–d, but the names “Jacob” and “house of Israel” in 1:5a–b do not clearly refer to those two kingdoms. It is more likely that both names refer to all of Israel, that is, all the Jews, both north and south. Micah used the name “Jacob” in ten other places in his book. In several verses, he used the names “Jacob” and “Israel” as parallel terms (besides 1:5, see also 2:12; 3:1; 3:8; 3:9). In these other verses “Jacob” and “Israel” do not refer to the northern and southern kingdoms, but rather both refer to all of the Jews. Many commentaries follow this interpretation.Commentaries agree that the name Israel is another name for Jacob. UBS, JFB, NICOT, and A&F support the view that Israel and Judah are used together to represent the entire nation of Israel. Waltke 2007 and NAC prefer the view that the first mention of Israel refers specifically to the northern kingdom, whereas the mention of Judah links the southern kingdom to the nation as a whole. Here are some other ways to translate 1:5a–b:

^5aAll this is because of the crime of Jacob, ^5bthe sin of the House of Israel. (NJB)

^5aAnd why is this happening? Because of the rebellion of Israel—^5byes, the sins of the whole nation. (NLT)

1:5a

transgression: In Hebrew, this word means “disobedience of a law” or “rebellion against a king or other leader.” In this verse, it refers to the fact that the Jews had transgressed (disobeyed) God’s laws. They had rebelled against the LORD. In some languages, it may be better to translate this with a verb. For example:

All this has happened because Jacob’s descendants have rebelled against the LORD.

Jacob: Jacob is the name of Abraham’s grandson whom God later renamed Israel (see Genesis 35:10). The name Jacob here represents all of Jacob’s descendants, the people of Israel.Micah used the name Jacob to mean the people of Israel ten other times in his book. Besides here in 1:5a, see 1:5c; 2:7; 2:12; 3:1; 3:8; 3:9; 4:2; 5:7; 5:8; 7:20. It does not refer to the man Jacob himself.

Here are some ways to translate the name Jacob:

Jacob’s descendants

Israel (GNT)

the people/nation of Israel

1:5b

and the sins of the house of Israel: See the note above on 1:5a–b. The word sins is a general word. It restates the more specific meaning of “rebellion” in 1:5a. In some languages, it may be better to translate 1:5b as a separate sentence. For example:

Yes, the people of Israel have sinned.

the house of Israel: The word house here means “nation” or “people.” Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the Israelites

the people of Israel

the nation of Israel (NCV)

1:5c–f

These four lines are rhetorical questions that made the audience think about the nature and cause of the rebellion of the Israelites. For Micah’s original hearers and readers, these rhetorical questions were vivid and emphatic. The four questions occur in two pairs. In each pair of questions, the second question answers the first question by asking another question that expects the answer “Yes.”

1:5c–d

What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria?: There are at least three ways to interpret the meaning of the first question:

1. It means “What (or who) is the cause of Jacob’s transgression?” or “Who is to blame for his crime?” For example:

   Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? Samaria, the capital city itself! (GNT) (CEV, NLT, GNT)

2. It means “What transgression did Jacob commit?” or “What did Jacob do to transgress God’s laws?” For example:

   What is Jacob’s crime? Isn’t it Samaria? (GW) (BSB, GW, KJV, NAB, NASB, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NRSV, REB)

3. It means “What (or where) is the place of Jacob’s transgression?” For example:

   What is the place of Jacob’s sin? Isn’t it Samaria? (NCV) (NCV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It is the best way to understand the Hebrew text,The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as What is usually translated as “who.” JFB (page 586) says that the Hebrew is literally “Who is the transgression of Jacob?” and means “Who is its cause?” KD (page 427) says that this question means “Who is the author of Jacob’s transgression?” and it is supported by a majority of commentaries.Commentaries that support the first interpretation (the cause of the crime) include KD, UBS, JFB, WBC, NAC, and Waltke 2007. EBC supports the second interpretation (the nature of the crime). Commentaries that support the third interpretation (the place of the crime) include NICOT, A&F, and perhaps Hillers.

Here are some other ways to translate interpretation (1):

Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? Samaria, its capital city! (NLT)

Samaria has led Israel to sin (CEV)

If you decide to follow interpretation (2), here are two possible ways to translate it:

How have Jacob’s descendants rebelled? Look at the people in Samaria!

In what way have Jacob’s descendants rebelled? The people in Samaria are an example!

1:5c

What is the transgression of Jacob?: The phrase transgression of Jacob is the same phrase that Micah used in 1:5a. If possible, translate this phrase in a similar way.

1:5d

Is it not Samaria?: There are at least two ways to answer this question. These ways may not follow the unrelated interpretation choices followed for 1:5c.

• Use another rhetorical question that expects a “yes” answer. For example:

  It is the people in Samaria, isn’t it?

• Use a statement. For example:

  Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! (NET)

  It is the people who live in the city of Samaria!

Samaria: Micah used the name of this city here to refer to the people (or rulers) who lived there. Samaria was the capital city of the northern kingdom. The northern kingdom was usually called Israel. Some English versions make this information explicit. For example:

Samaria, the capital city itself! (GNT)

1:5e–f

And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?: Before we consider the textual issue, note that the Hebrew text here uses the plural “high places.” Most English versions use the singular high place, because the second question specifies Jerusalem.

There is a textual issue with the first question:

1. The Masoretic Text (MT) uses the Hebrew word translated as “high places.” For example:

   What is Judah’s high place? (NIV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, GNT)

2. The LXX (Septuagint) uses the Greek word “sin.” For example:

   And what is the sin of the house of Judah? (RSV) (NAB, NJB, REB, RSV)

It is recommended that you follow the first option along with most versions and commentaries.

1:5e

And what is the high place of Judah?: There are at least two ways to interpret this rhetorical question. They correspond to the first and third choices in 1:5c–d.

1. It means “Who is responsible for the high places in Judah?” This question can be sub-divided into two related questions: “Who worships idols at the high places?” and “Who/What causes the people to worship idols at the high places?”See the UBS Handbook for more details. For example:

   Who is guilty of idolatry in Judah? (GNT)

   …pagan altars at Jerusalem have made Judah sin (CEV) (CEV, GNT)

2. It means “Where…” or “In what place are the high places of Judah?”

   What is Judah’s place of idol worship? (NCV) (BSB, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJPS, NLT, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation. It is the best way to understand the Hebrew text. It also corresponds better with the recommended interpretation for 1:5c.The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as what is almost always translated as “who.” in the Old Testament.

If you decide to follow interpretation (2), here are two possible ways to translate it:

And what are the shrines of Judah but Jerusalem? (NJPS)

What is Judah’s worship place? Isn’t it Jerusalem? (GW)

high place: In 1:3b, Micah used the phrase “high places of the earth” to refer to the tops of hills and mountains. But here in 1:5e, Micah used high place to refer to a place where people worshiped idols. Here are some other ways to translate the Hebrew word for high place:

center of idolatry (NLT)

pagan worship centers (NET)

Judah: The name Judah refers to the southern kingdom.Micah used the name “Jacob” in 1:5a. He used the name “Israel” in 1:5b. He used “Jacob” in 1:5c. So the people who heard or read his prophecy probably expected him to use the name “Israel” again in 1:5e. But instead, he used the name “Judah.” The people in Judah considered the people in the northern kingdom (Israel) to be rebels against God. They were not surprised that God would punish the northern kingdom. But they thought that God loved the people in Judah and that he would never punish them. Here are some other ways to translate this name here:

the nation/people of Judah

1:5f

Is it not Jerusalem?: Jerusalem is the capital city of Judah. Here are some ways to translate this rhetorical question: