MIC 4:9 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:9–13: The people of Jerusalem will suffer exile in Babylon, but in the future the LORD will deliver them from their enemies

In this section, the LORD spoke about the future. He said that he would punish his people. He would cause their enemies to take them as captives to Babylon. But the LORD also promised that in the future he would regather his people. He would make them a strong nation, and he would rule over them.Scholars analyze the structure of 4:9–5:15 in different ways. The Notes will list only a few of the analyses here; some of them have only minor variations. A&F (page 394) posit five sections, each beginning with ʿaṯṯâ “now” (4:9–10a, 10b, 11–13, 14; 5:1–3) [5:4–5, 6, 7–9, 10–15]. In this analysis, 4:11–13 forms the center unit, with two units on either side. WBC (vol. 32, pages 11–12) has 4:9–10,11–13; 5:1–4, 5–6, 7–9, 10–15. NICOT (page 257), NAC (page 42) and Waltke 2007 (page viii) have 4:9–10, 11–13; 5:1–6, 7–9, 10–15. TOTC (page 150) and Waltke 1993 (page 598) has 4:9–13; 5:1–6, 7–9, 10–15.

In this section, as in the previous section, Micah quoted the words of the LORD and also sometimes referred to the LORD in the third person.

The Notes have divided this section into two paragraphs. If a separate paragraph heading will be helpful for your readers, here are some possible headings for each paragraph.

^9–10Why the Israelites Must Go to Babylon (NCV)

^9–10Current suffering and captivity, but future rescue

^11–13Her Enemies to Be Crushed on the Threshing-Floor (NJB)

^11–13Jerusalem will completely destroy its enemies

Paragraph 4:9–10

In this paragraph, Micah told the people of Jerusalem what would happen in the future. Enemies would capture Jerusalem and take away the people as captives to Babylon. The king, who was their counselor, would be unable to help them (4:9a–4:10e). After that, God would rescue his people (4:10f–g).

4:9a–d

(combined/reordered)

Why do you^(plur) inhabitants of Jerusalem cry out loudly and writhe like a woman who is suffering pain from giving birth to a child? Are you afraid because you have no wise king to rule you?

In this verse, Micah prophesied that the people of Jerusalem would cry in fear, because their counselor, the king, would be unable to help them. In the BSB, Micah’s prophecy consists of three rhetorical questions (9a, 9b, and 9c–d):

^9aWhy do you now cry aloud?

^9bIs there no king among you?

^9cHas your counselor perished

^9dso that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?

The last two questions (9b and 9c–d) suggest an answer to the first question: The people will cry aloud, because the king, who is their counselor, cannot help them.

Micah may have used these rhetorical questions for more than one purpose: to get the people’s attention, to make them aware of what they were doing, to show sarcasm or to give rebuke. As with other rhetorical questions, these questions may be translated with another rhetorical question or with a statement.

4:9a

Why do you now cry aloud?

¶ Listen now to my words, O city of Jerusalem: Why are you^(sing) crying so loudly?
¶ I ask you people of Jerusalem: What is the reason that you^(plur) are shouting loudly in fear?

Why do you now cry aloud?: Here are some ways to translate this rhetorical question:

OK now, let me ask you this: Why are you crying so loudly?

O people! Think about the reason that you are crying loudly.

you: In Hebrew, the pronoun here is feminine singular. It refers to the phrase “Daughter of Zion” in 4:10a. But that phrase is a figure of speech for the people who live in Jerusalem. So in many languages it may be clearer to translate you using a plural form.

now: This word refers to a future time, not to the present. Some versions do not translate this word. For example:

Why do you cry out so loudly? (GNT)

The CEV also omits this word. It addresses Jerusalem directly to introduce the rhetorical question:

Jerusalem, why are you crying? (CEV)

cry aloud: Some versions make explicit a reason why the people were shouting. For example:

But why are you now screaming in terror? (NLT)

Why are you now crying out in distress? (REB)

4:9b–c

(combined/reordered)

Does this city have no king who can give good advice?
Do you^(plur) not have a king in your city who can counsel/advise you?

Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished: There are two main interpretation issues in these two rhetorical questions. The first issue is whether the second question refers to the king or to a different counselor or counselors:

The second question refers to the king. He was considered the counselor or adviser for the nation.In Hebrew, the word for “counselor” is singular. The interpretation of the counselor being the same person as the king is supported by NICOT, EBC, NAC, Hillers, KD, Mays, and WBC. Pusey, TOTC, Waltke 1993, and Waltke 2007 understand these two titles to refer to the LORD himself rather than to an earthly king/counselor. See Waltke 2007 (pages 238–239) for three arguments in favor of his position. No English version follows this interpretation. For three arguments that support king/counselor as opposed to King/Counselor, see NAC (pages 90–91). For example:
Has your king disappeared? Has your wise leader been destroyed? (NET) (ESV, GW, KJV, NAB, NASB, NCV, BSB, NET, NIV, NJB, NRSV, REB)
The second question refers to various advisers who counseled the people.Commentaries that support multiple advisers include: UBS, JFB, and ABC. For example:
Have you no king to lead you? Have your wise people all died? (NLT) (CEV, NLT, GNT)
The second question refers to an adviser who counseled the king.CBC (page 325) comments: “The counselor or adviser was usually a member of the royal cabinet or part of the council of elders who advised the king.” A&F also support this interpretation. No English versions follow it. For example:
Are the king and his adviser not able to help you?

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most English versions and commentaries.

The second interpretation issue involves the date of the prophecy’s fulfilment and whether the king was literally absent or simply unable to help his people:

Micah may have referred to the period after 586 B.C. After that date, King Zedekiah and many of the people were taken into exile in Babylon, so the king was literally absent.Irrespective of the identity of the king/counselor(s), ABC, KD, EBC, A&F, and NAC appear to support the literal absence of a king. JFB, UBS, and NICOT appear to favor the literal presence of a king.
Micah may have referred to the period after 701 B.C. but before 586 B.C. During that time, the Assyrians attacked some cities in Judah and besieged Jerusalem. The king was still there, but he was not able to help the people or defeat their enemies.

No versions clearly support interpretation (2). Some versions listed in the previous interpretation issue appear to support interpretation (1). They speak of the king as having disappeared, being gone, or being destroyed. But Micah would have asked similar questions if he were speaking sarcastically. The commentaries are divided.According to this interpretation, Micah predicted what happened in 586 B.C. The Babylonian army captured King Zedekiah and took him away as a prisoner to Babylon. See 2 Kings 25:1–7. It is recommended that you translate so that either interpretation can be understood.

You may want to supply a footnote that summarizes the historical context in which Micah prophesied. See the section in the Introduction entitled “Micah’s message and its relation to the cultural and religious background of Israel.”

4:9b

Is there no king among you?

Is there no king who rules in you^(sing)?
Is it because you^(plur) no longer have a king?

4:9c

Has your counselor perished

Has your^(sing) counselor/adviser disappeared/died?
Perhaps you are fearful because you^(plur) no longer anyone to advise you.

4:9d

so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?

Is that the reason you^(sing) are groaning in pain like a woman who is having a baby?
Perhaps that is the reason you^(plur) are shouting like a woman who has labor pains.
You^(plur) are very afraid, so you are behaving like a woman who is in pain because she is giving birth.

so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?: In the BSB, this verse part is a continuation of the third rhetorical question in 4:9c. Some other versions make it a separate question. For example:

Is this why pain grips you as if you were a woman in labor? (NET)

Are you suffering like a woman in childbirth? (CEV)

This last question is related to the first question in 4:9a. There Micah asked the people why they were crying out. Here he uses a simile to compare their cries to a woman who is having severe labor pains. The reason they are crying in such a way is because of their fear and distress at the disasters that threaten Jerusalem, their king, and themselves.

Some versions change this rhetorical question to a statement. For example:

Pain grips you like a woman in labor. (GW)

General Comment on 4:9a–d

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

^9aWhy do you cry out so loudly? ^9dWhy are you suffering like a woman in labor? ^9bIs it because you have no king ^9cto counsel you? (adapted from 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 4:9

Hebrew word order