MIC 2:4 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–11: The LORD will punish those who oppress poor people

This section is divided into two parts: 2:1–5 and 2:6–11.

In verses 1–5, the LORD accused people in Israel of doing evil: they were dishonestly taking property away from other people. He said that he would punish them.
In verses 6–11, Micah said that people had rebuked him for prophesying these things. And the LORD again said that he would punish the people of Israel.

If you use section headings in your translation, here are some options:

Use one heading for all of 2:1–11, using the above wording. Here are some other section headings for 2:1–11:
Land Robbers Will Lose their Land (NET)
Punishment for Those Who Abuse Their Power (CEV)
Israel’s Sins Are Condemned (GW)
Use one heading for 2:1–5 and another heading for 2:6–11. For example:
^1–5Judgment against Wealthy Oppressors
^6–11True and False Prophets (NLT)
^1–5The Evil Plans of People
^6–11Micah Is Asked Not to Prophesy (NCV)
Use one heading for all of chapter 2 (2:1–13). For example:
The Fate of Those Who Oppress the Poor (GNT)
Woe to Oppressors (NASB)

TN will use one heading for 2:1–11 and another heading for 2:12–13. Use a heading or headings that will be appropriate and acceptable for your language situation.

Paragraph 2:1–5

In this paragraph, Micah is the speaker in verses 1–2. He spoke about evil people who oppressed poor people. The LORD is the speaker in verses 3–5. He spoke to those evil people. He said that he would punish them.

2:4a–b

In 2:3b–c, the LORD is the speaker. Based on the quotation marks in some versions, there are two ways to interpret the identity of the speaker in 2:4a–b:

The LORD is still the speaker. There are no closed quotes at the end of v. 3. (BSB, NCV, NET, NIV, GNT)
Micah is now the speaker. The closing quotation mark (”) at the end of verse 4 shows that the LORD stopped speaking there. (CEV, NLT)

Most other English versions are ambiguous. They do not use quotation marks to show who is speaking.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). With either interpretation, the wording of the quote is the same.

2:4a

In that day they will take up a proverb against you

When that time arrives, people will make fun of you^(plur) by singing a song.
When that disaster happens to you, others will mock you: they will chant

In that day: Micah used this or a similar phrase in 4:6 and 5:10 (see also 7:11–12). The word day here means “a period of time,” not a literal 24–hour day. It refers to the time when the LORD will punish the nation. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

When that time comes (GNT)

When that happens (CEV)

At that time (NCV)

they: The pronoun they refers to people in general.See UBS (pages 156–158) for a summary of other views of who the pronoun they refers to. The NLT is the only English version that specifies who sings the taunt song. It has “your enemies.” Here are some other ways to translate this general reference:

Use the word “people.” For example:
At that time people will make fun of you (NCV)
Use a passive verb. For example:
On that day there will be heard this verse about you (REB)

Use what is natural in your language to refer to people in general.

will take up a proverb against you: In Hebrew, the word that the BSB translates proverb can refer to a proverb, a parable, a well-known saying, or a short poem or song. There are two ways to interpret this word:

It refers to a taunt song, a song that contains sarcasm and mocks the listener. For example:
On that day a satire shall be sung over you (NAB) (ESV, GW, NAB, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NLT, NRSV)
It refers to a song that is a mournful lament and expresses sincere sorrow. For example:
they will sing this song of despair about your experience (GNT) (CEV, KJV, NJPS, REB, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions and commentaries.Commentaries that support interpretation (1) include WBC, CBC, ABC, NAC, Hiller, Waltke 2007, and probably A&F. Commentaries that support interpretation (2) include KD, EBC, NICOT, and JFB. Although the words of the song sound mournful, the singers are not sincere. They intend to mock the listeners.

To take up a proverb means “to sing or chant some words.”

against you: The pronoun you refers to the wicked Israelites. (See 2:1–3.) People will sing a taunt song against them. This means they will sing to make fun of them.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

When that day comes, people will make fun of you. (GW)

In that day men will ridicule you (NIV)

2:4b

and taunt you with this bitter lamentation:

They will sing this sad song.
and pretend to wail sadly and mourn.

and taunt you with this bitter lamentation: In Hebrew, this verse part is literally “and lament with lamenting lamentation.” This means that the people will sing a very sad song. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

singing this song of despair about you: (NLT)

They will sing this sad song about you: (GW)

they will taunt you with this mournful song: (NIV)

The NIV makes it clear that people sang this sad song to mock the Israelites. They were not really sad. They just pretended to be sad.

General Comment on 2:4a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these verse parts. For example:

When that happens, this sorrowful song will be sung about you: (CEV)

When that time comes, people will sing this sad song to ridicule you:

2:4c–f

(combined/reordered)

“There is nothing left! Yahweh has taken away our inherited land and other property and has divided/allotted it among our captors/enemies.”

This part of the verse contains the words that people sing to make fun of their fellow Israelites. In their song, they pretend to express their own sorrow.

2:4c

‘We are utterly ruined!

They will say, ‘We^(incl) are completely ruined!
Here is what they will sing: ‘Our situation is terrible!
They will ridicule you^(plur) by pretending to be you. They will sing/say: ‘We have nothing left!

We are utterly ruined!: The situation they referred to is that an enemy army had captured their city and taken possession of their houses and lands.

We: The people who sang this song used the pronoun We. They pretended to be the defeated Israelites. If your language has both inclusive and exclusive pronouns, you should use an inclusive pronoun here.

utterly ruined: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “Ruined we are ruined.” This is an emphatic way to say “We are ruined.” Here are some other ways to express this emphasis:

We are finished, completely ruined! (NLT)

Our ruin is complete (NAB)

We have been stripped of everything (NJB)

Ruined! Completely ruined! (CEV)

2:4d

He has changed the portion of my people.

The land that Yahweh caused my/our^(incl) people to inherit, he has given to others.
Yahweh has given to others the land that belonged to my/our people.
Yahweh took the property that we inherited away from us^(incl).

He has changed the portion of my people: The subject pronoun of 2:4d refers to the same person as does the subject pronoun of 2:4e–f. There is more than one way to interpret this subject:

It refers to the LORD. For example:
^4d the Lord has taken away my people’s land (NCV) (BSB, CEV, GW, NASB,The NASB translates “He” with a capital letter in 2:4e, indicating that it refers to God. NCV, NLT, NRSV, GNT)
It refers to an unidentified “they,” probably Israel’s enemies. For example:
^4d they sell off the property of my people. ^4eHow they remove it from me! ^4fThey assign our fields to the conqueror. (NET) (NET)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions and commentaries.Commentaries that support interpretation (1) include UBS, JFB, WBC, NICOT, EBC, KD, A&F, NAC, and TOTC. No commentaries support interpretation (2). Waltke 2007 (page 102) says that “the subject is impersonal.” On page 103, he says that the land is “allocated to tyrannical Assyrians,” but he does not identify the subject of the impersonal subject “they.” Hillers (page 31) has “our fields are allotted…” Here is another way to indicate the subject in 2:4d and in 2:4e–f:

^4dThe Lord gives our people’s possessions to others. ^4eHe takes them from us. ^4fHe divides our fields among our captors.” (GW)

Some versions translate 2:4d–f with no explicit actor. These versions include the NAB, NJB, NJPS, and REB. For example:

“^4dOur fields are portioned out among our captors, ^4eThe fields of my people are measured out, ^4fand no one can get them back!” (NAB)

Some versions simply use the pronoun He in 2d–f, leaving the referent of this pronoun ambiguous. These versions include the ESV, KJV, NIV, and RSV.

has changed: In Hebrew, this word can have several meanings, including “changes,” “exchanges,” and “alters.” Scholars do not agree on the exact meaning of this sentence. But the basic meaning is clear: “The LORD has caused the land that used to belong to ‘my people’ to belong to others.” Here are some other ways to translate 2:4d:

The Lord gives our people’s possessions to others. (GW)

…our people’s land changes hands. (REB)

portion: This word refers to property. The property usually includes inherited land. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

land (GNT)

possession (NIV)

property (NET)

of my people: The phrase of my people refers to the people of Israel. Here is another way to translate the phrase “portion of my people”:

land that belonged to my people

2:4e

How He has removed it from me!

Amazing! He took it away from me/us^(incl).
I/We cannot understand this! Yahweh has taken my/our land away from me/us.
He really did that! He took it all away!

How He has removed it from me!: In Hebrew, the word How is an exclamation. This sentence is like a rhetorical question. The singer is shocked or amazed that the LORD would do this. He can hardly believe it. Here are some other ways to express this amazement:

Yes, he has taken it away from me (NCV)

Incredible! He has taken my land away from me!

I am shocked/amazed! The LORD has taken my land away.

He: The pronoun He refers to the LORD, as it also does in 2:4f.

it: The pronoun it refers back to the phrase “the portion of my people” in 2:4d.

me: In Hebrew, this pronoun is singular, as is “my” in 2:4d. As in 2:4d, it refers to the people of Israel, so many versions translate it as “us.”

2:4f

He has allotted our fields to traitors.’”

He gave/assigned our^(incl) fields to those who took us captive.”
Yahweh has given our farm lands to our enemies who defeated us.”
He/Yahweh divided our land and homes among our enemies/conquerors.”

He has allotted our fields to traitors: There is more than one way to interpret the group of people among whom the LORD has allotted the fields and other property:

It refers to a group of Israel’s enemies that has conquered them and made them captives. For example:
The Lord has taken our land away And given it to those who took us captive.” (GNT)
Yes, he has taken it away from me and divided our fields among our enemies!’ ” (NCV) (GW, NAB, NCV, NET, NJB, NRSV, GNT)
It refers to a group of traitors or renegades that have betrayed Israel. It is possible that they are traitors in a spiritual sense (ESV & NASB have “apostate”) because they have turned away from the true God in order to worship idols. For example:
He has given our fields to those who betrayed us. (NLT)
To the apostate He apportions our fields. (NASB) (BSB, CEV, ESV, NASB, NIV, NJPS, NLT; REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most commentaries.Commentaries that support interpretation (1) include Waltke 2007, TOTC, UBS, JFB, ABC, A&F, and NAC. Commentaries that support interpretation (2) include NET note, WBC, NICOT, and EBC. Waltke 2007 (page 103) notes: lǝšôḇeḇ (to the obstinate), an adjectival form of šûb used substantively, means “treacherous, backslider.” Although it often refers to “treacherous and willful apostates” within Israel, it also refers to willful and refractory peoples outside the covenant, as in Jer 49:4 (of the Ammonites) and here (of the Assyrians). NAC (pages 64–65) says: “Their enemies will divide up their land. The Lord will take it away from the scheming land-grabbers in Israel. He will give their fields to the treacherous Assyrians (see Isa 33:1).” KD’s and Hillers’ description of these people does not fit neatly with either of the other two categories. KD (page 299) calls them “the heathen.” Hillers (page 31) calls them “groups of people whom the wealthy and powerful of Micah’s time would regard as religiously inferior.” The KJV does not identify or hint at any particular group. It has “he hath divided our fields.”

has allotted: In Hebrew, this phrase literally means “to divide or apportion.” It means that God gave or assigned their various fields to other people. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

our fields are portioned out (NAB)

my people’s land has been divided up (NJB)

…has taken our land away And given it… (GNT)

our fields: The word fields refers especially to farmland. It refers to the same kind of inherited property that was referred to by the word “portion” in 2:4d. It included homes and other property as well as land.

traitors: Here is another way in addition to the GNT and NCV (quoted above) to translate this word:

the conqueror (NET)

The quote ends at the end of this verse part. If in your language a direct quote ends with an expression such as “that is what he said,” you may want to use a similar expression at the end of verse 4. For example:

That is what those people will sing to make fun of you. ” That is what the LORD said.

General Comment on 2:4c–f (pronouns)

Different first-person pronouns are used in the four lines of this song: “we” in 2:4c, “my” in 2:4d, “me” in 2:4e, “our” in 2:4f.

The first and last are plural and the middle two are singular. In Hebrew poetry, it is common to change from one kind of pronoun to another, but in some languages, it may be unnatural or confusing. It is also unnatural in English, so some versions change the pronouns “my” and “me” in 2:4d–e to “our” and “us.” All the first-person pronouns are then plural. For example:

^4c“We are completely ruined. ^4dThe Lord gives our people’s possessions to others. ^4eHe takes them from us. ^4fHe divides our fields among our captors.” (GW)

Consider doing something similar if it will be preferable in your language.

General Comment on 2:4c–f (combine/reorder)

These three lines are about the LORD taking away the people’s land and giving it to others. In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these lines. For example:

^4cWe are completely ruined! ^4d–eThe Lord has taken our land away ^4fAnd given it to those who took us captive.” (GNT)

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.

OET interlinear MIC 2:4

Hebrew word order