MIC 2:5 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.

2:5

Therefore, you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.

Therefore, when the land is distributed among Yahweh’s people at a future time, you^(plur) will not get any of it.
And so, when Yahweh’s people return from exile and they cast lots to divide the land, no one will give you any land.
Therefore because of your wicked deeds, when Yahweh’s people come back to this country, and divide up the land, no one will give any land to you.
Therefore I, Micah tell you that none of you wicked people will receive any of the land which Yahweh will give to his people in the future.

In 2:4, the LORD was the speaker. He quoted a “taunt song” that the enemies of the Jews sang. Here in 2:5, Micah is the speaker.

Some versions, such as the BSB and GNT, begin a new paragraph here. The Notes will keep the same paragraph along with the NRSV and some other versions. You may do whatever is more natural in your language.

Therefore: This word introduces another conclusion or result of 2:1–2, which described the deeds of wicked people. Micah here described another thing that would happen to those wicked people.

you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot: This clause probably refers to the time after the Jews returned from exile.Apart from NAC, all the scholars who commented on the time issue indicated a preference for a time following the Jews’ return from exile or in the more distant eschatological future. These commentaries include Mays, UBS, WBC, KD, ZIBBC, TOTC, and Waltke 2007. At that time, the descendants of the wicked people described in 2:1–2 will not receive any of the land that is distributed. The GNT makes the specific time period explicit. It has:

So then, when the time comes for the land to be given back to the Lord’s people, there will be no share for any of you. (GNT)

The NET also has the following footnote:

When judgment passes and the people are restored to the land, those greedy ones who disregarded the ancient land allotments will not be allowed to participate in the future redistribution of the land.

Other versions follow the Hebrew and indicate future time in general. Here are some other ways to do this:

Therefore no one will assign you land in the Lord’s community. (NET)

And so you will never again own property among the Lord’s people. (CEV)

That is why none of you in the Lord’s assembly will draw lots to divide your property. (GW)

will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot: Long ago, Joshua led the Jews into Canaan. They conquered the land, and then they divided the land to each tribe and to each family. They did this by casting lots to decide who would get each piece of land. (See Joshua 14:1–5; 18:8–10.)

the assembly of the LORD: This phrase refers to the Israelites. They were the people whom God had chosen to be his special people. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the Lord’s people (GNT)

the Lord’s community (NET)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

לָ⁠כֵן֙

for=so/thus/hence

The term translated as Therefore indicates that what follows is a future result of the redistribution of their land. Use a connector in your language that makes this clear. Alternate translation: [As a result,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מַשְׁלִ֥יךְ חֶ֖בֶל בְּ⁠גוֹרָ֑ל

divide line by,lot

Micah assumes that readers will know that casting a measuring line by lot refers to the way the tribes received the land in [Numbers 26:55](../../num/26/55.md). Since Yahweh had promised Abraham the land as an eternal inheritance, Micah knew they would some day return from exile and the land would once again be divided up, but those who Yahweh is judging here will not be a part of that. You could say that explicitly as in the UST if that would be helpful to your readers.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

בִּ⁠קְהַ֖ל יְהוָֽה

in,the_assembly_of YHWH

Micah is using the possessive form to mean the assembly that belongs to Yahweh, that is, when his people gather once again to divide up the land after returning from exile. If a speaker of your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could express this idea in another way. Alternate translation: [among Yahweh’s people]

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 2:5

Hebrew word order

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

Paragraph 2:1–5

2:5

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