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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT ESA WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Mic 5 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15
OET (OET-LV) [fn] and_it_was in_day (the)_that the_utterance_of YHWH and_I_will_cut_off horses_of_your from_midst_of_your and_I_will_destroy chariots_of_your.
5:9 Note: KJB: Mic.5.10
In this section, Micah described events that would happen after the coming of the ruler who was born in Bethlehem (5:1–6). He told the people of Israel that a remnant of Israelites would survive. The LORD would influence people of other nations through the remnant. He would bring blessing to some people, but he would bring destruction to others.NICOT (page 352) points out that two different roles of the remnant are to be a channel of divine blessing and also an agent of divine judgment. See also ABC (page 1081) and Waltke 2007 (page 203).
Here are some other examples of section headings:
A Remnant Shall Be Delivered (ESV)
The Future Role of the Remnant (NRSV)
The Survivors Will Be Safe
(combined/reordered)
Yes/Indeed, you(sing) will defeat all your enemies and destroy them.
Likewise, Israel will defeat the nations that oppose her. Her enemies will be no more.
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
9a Your hand will be lifted over your foes,
9band all your enemies will be cut off.
These parallel lines are a chiasm in which the parallel parts in the second line are in reverse order from those in the first line.
There is a textual issue here regarding the verbs in 5:9a–b:
The LXX has indicative mood.Future indicative is a standard mood of regular imperfect verb forms in Biblical Hebrew. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar (page 323) states that in some cases the jussive is used for the ordinary imperfect form, as in Micah 3:4 and 5:8. It is also possible that the LXX based its translation on a Hebrew manuscript with regular imperfect rather than jussive forms here. For example:
Your hand will be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. (ESV) (CEV, ESV, GW, KJV, NAB, NASB, NCV, BSB, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB, GNT)
The Masoretic Text has jussiveHebrew Jussive verbs express a wish, request, or command. See Van der Merwe (electronic edition, page 152). mood. For example:
Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; may all your enemies be destroyed! (NET)Note that the NET translates both verbs as jussives. It translates the first verb as a command and the second verb as a wish. (NET)
It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with almost all versions.
These lines mean that the remnant will defeat its enemies. They are similar in meaning to the lion similes in 5:8. However, 5:9 states the meaning more directly.
Your hand will be lifted over your foes,
You(sing) will use your power to fight against your enemies,
Your hand will be lifted over your foes: This line is more literally “your hand shall be high over your foes.”This is the gloss from the Lexham Discourse Hebrew Bible. An uplifted hand is a symbolic gesture that indicates might or power.BDB #7311 (page 926) and NIDOTTE (Volume 3, page 1079). In this context, to have a high hand over one’s foes means to have power to fight and defeat them.
Here are some other ways to translate this line:
You will be victorious over your foes (NJB)
You will use your power against your opponents (GW)
Your: Another way to refer to the remnant is to use the name “Israel.” For example:
Israel will conquer her enemies (GNT)
foes: Here this word refers to the political or military enemies of Israel or Judah.HALOT (electronic edition., page 1052). For example:
Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries (ESV, NRSV)
and all your enemies will be cut off.
and you(sing) will defeat them all.
and all your enemies will be cut off: This line refers to the defeat of Israel’s enemies.
will be cut off: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates figuratively as will be cut off means “eliminate” or “destroy.”TWOT #3772. In some languages, it may be more natural to translate the meaning directly. For example:
and all your enemies shall be destroyed (NAB)
The Hebrew word is passive in form. In some languages, it may be more natural to use an active verb here. For example:
Israel will conquer her enemies and destroy them all. (GNT)
Note 1 topic: translate-textvariants
תָּרֹ֥ם יָדְךָ֖ עַל־צָרֶ֑יךָ וְכָל־אֹיְבֶ֖יךָ יִכָּרֵֽתוּ
(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_was in,day (the)=that declares_of YHWH and,I_will_cut_off horses_of,your from,midst_of,your and,I_will_destroy chariots_of,your )
Some ancient manuscripts read according to the ULT. Other ancient manuscripts read “Your hand will rise over your adversaries, and all of your enemies will be cut off.” In that case, “your” could refer either to Yahweh or to Jacob, who represents his descendants. If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative3p
תָּרֹ֥ם יָדְךָ֖ עַל־צָרֶ֑יךָ וְכָל־אֹיְבֶ֖יךָ יִכָּרֵֽתוּ
(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_was in,day (the)=that declares_of YHWH and,I_will_cut_off horses_of,your from,midst_of,your and,I_will_destroy chariots_of,your )
Micah is saying what he wants Yahweh to do. See the discussion in the introduction to this book about “let” and “may” and follow the decision of your team of how a speaker will express in this context what he wants someone to do. Alternate translation: [Yahweh, I desire that your hand rise over your adversaries and that all your enemies be destroyed]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
תָּרֹ֥ם יָדְךָ֖ עַל צָרֶ֑יךָ
(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_was in,day (the)=that declares_of YHWH and,I_will_cut_off horses_of,your from,midst_of,your and,I_will_destroy chariots_of,your )
Here, your hand represents Yahweh’s power. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [May you triumph by your power over your adversaries]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
וְכָל אֹיְבֶ֖יךָ יִכָּרֵֽתוּ
(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_was in,day (the)=that declares_of YHWH and,I_will_cut_off horses_of,your from,midst_of,your and,I_will_destroy chariots_of,your )
The expression be cut off is a passive verbal form. If it would be unnatural to use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [and may you cut off all of your enemies]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
וְכָל אֹיְבֶ֖יךָ יִכָּרֵֽתוּ
(Some words not found in UHB: and=it_was in,day (the)=that declares_of YHWH and,I_will_cut_off horses_of,your from,midst_of,your and,I_will_destroy chariots_of,your )
Micah is using be cut off as a common expression of the culture to mean “be destroyed.” If this phrase does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [and may all of your enemies be destroyed]
OET (OET-LV) [fn] and_it_was in_day (the)_that the_utterance_of YHWH and_I_will_cut_off horses_of_your from_midst_of_your and_I_will_destroy chariots_of_your.
5:9 Note: KJB: Mic.5.10
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.