OET interlinear MIC 6:15

6:15a

You will sow but not reap: This is a curse on farming. It describes the normal activity of a farmer sowing and reaping. He will be able to sow, but the unexpected outcome is that he will not reap a harvest.NAC (page 119) suggests that the reason for the inability to reap is because of an enemy invasion.

sow: This word means to plant seeds to grow a crop. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

plant (GW)

plant crops (NLT)

reap: This word means to harvest a crop. For example:

harvest (NCV)

The word reap can refer in general to the gathering-in of grain or other agricultural products. However, in this context it may refer specifically to the spring harvest.Suggested by Waltke 2007 (page 403). If your language has specific words for harvests at different times of the year, consider using your word for a springtime harvest or the first harvest of the year.

6:15b

6:15c

6:15b–c

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^15b you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil;

^15c you will tread grapes but not drink wine.

These parallel lines highlight two agricultural products that were important to the people. These lines either express two curses on these products or they are two parts of one curse on the autumn harvest.Waltke 2007 (page 403) suggests that here the focus shifts to the loss of oil and wine in the fall harvest. Each line describes the normal activity of producing oil or wine. The people will be able to produce them, but the unexpected, undesirable outcome is that they will not use the oil or drink the wine.

press olives…tread grapes: These words are more literally “tread olives…and new wine.” In Hebrew, the verb tread refers to both olives and new wine/grapes. There is an interpretation issue with this verb. There are two main interpretations:

1. The Hebrew word means “press” when the referent is olives and “tread/crush” when the referent is grapes. For example:

   you will press olives but not use the oil, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine (NIV11) (NET, NIV11, NJB, NLT, REB, BSB)

2. The Hebrew word means “tread/crush” for both olives and grapes. For example:

   you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine (ESV) (ESV, GW, NAB, NASB, NCV, NJPS, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It has majority commentary support and good version support.Waltke 2007 (page 403) and NAC (page 119, footnote 37) suggest that that the verb is a zeugma. A zeugma is a literary feature where a verb is used that is normally appropriate for only one of the objects, in this case “grapes.” However, a zeugma may have multiple meanings. According to NAC (page 119) and BDB #1869 (page 202) sense 3, this verb can mean “tread” for wine or “press” for oil. There is no conclusive evidence from the Old Testament that people tread olives to make oil.NICOT (page 381) cites Deuteronomy 33:24 as supporting evidence. That verse is a blessing that Asher may bathe his feet in oil. However, there is no indication that the blessing refers to Asher treading on olives. It may refer to the use of oil as a skin lotion for Asher’s feet.

The way olive oil was extracted at that time was to squeeze olives in an oil press under a heavy beam or to turn them into pulp with a millstone.NICOT (page 381).

The way wine was made was to stomp with bare feet on grapes in a vat. The juice was collected and fermented to make wine.UBS (page 241).

In this verse the Hebrew word for “new wine” is a figure of speech (metonymy) for grapes.Waltke 2007 (page 403) calls it a metonymy of effect. A&F (page 549) suggest that the choice of this word rather than the more correct “grapes” or winepress telescopes the stages of the work. Most modern versions translate this word as grapes.

Here are some ways to translate these phrases:

• Use a generic word that refers to extracting liquid from fruit, if you have such a word in your language. For example:

  You will squeeze oil from the olives…you will squeeze juice from the grapes (NET)

• Use a separate word for each process. For example:

  You will press your olives…You will trample the grapes (NLT)

• Describe the process of making oil and wine in a general way. For example:

  You will make oil and wine

but not anoint yourselves with oil…but not drink the wine: Olive oil and wine were important products at that time. One use of olive oil was as a lotion to rub on skin.NICOT (page 381). The word anoint has that meaning here. For example:

but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies (NET)

Wine was especially important in places where water supplies were scarce and impure.UBS (page 241). Times of wine making were festive occasions. Having an abundance of wine was a cause of joy.NICOT (page 381).

These descriptions were vivid, striking ways to express disruption of normal life. It is recommended that you keep these descriptions explicit in your translation if they will be understood.

However, in some language groups these products may be unknown. If that is true in your language, another option is to translate these descriptions in a general way. For example:

You won’t…use the oil from your olive trees or drink the wine from grapes you grow. (CEV)