MIC 1:14 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Διατοῦτο δώσει ἐξαποστελλομένους ἕως κληρονομίας Γὲθ, οἴκους ματαίους, εἰς κενὸν ἐγένοντο τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ,
(Diatouto dōsei exapostellomenous heōs klaʸronomias Geth, oikous mataious, eis kenon egenonto tois basileusi tou Israaʸl, )

BrTr Therefore shall he cause men to be sent forth as far as the inheritance of Geth, even vain houses; they are become vanity to the kings of Israel;

ULT So you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath;
⇔ the town of Akzib will decieve the kings of Israel.

UST You people of Judah, send a farewell gift to the people of Moresheth,
⇔ because their enemies will soon destroy it.
⇔ The kings of Israel will soon find out that the people of the town of Akzib will disappoint them.

1:14 Or give dowry

1:14 Moresheth sounds like the Hebrew for gift or dowry.

1:14 Achzib means deception.

OEB Therefore you must give parting gifts to Moresheth-gath.
⇔ Beth-achzib will betray the kings of Israel.

WEBBE Therefore you will give a parting gift to Moresheth Gath.
⇔ The houses of Achzib will be a deceitful thing to the kings of Israel.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Therefore you will have to say farewell to Moresheth Gath.
⇔ The residents of Achzib will be as disappointing
⇔ as a dried up well to the kings of Israel.

LSV Therefore you give presents to Moresheth-Gath,
The houses of Achzib become a lying thing to the kings of Israel.

FBV Send your goodbye gifts to Moresheth.[fn] The town of Achzib is a deception to the kings of Israel.

1:14 Micah's hometown. Some see these gifts as related to the dowry given to a daughter when she married, before she left. In other words, the people of Israel were saying goodbye to Moresheth—perhaps by enemy conquest since it appears to be close to the border with the Philistines.

T4T You people of Judah, send a farewell gift to the people of Moresheth town,
⇔ because their enemies will soon destroy it.
⇔ The name of the town Aczib means ‘deception,’
⇔ and the kings of Israel will soon find out that the people of that town will deceive them.

LEB • Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth-Gath;
• the houses of Achzib will be a deception
• to the kings of Israel.

BBE For this cause give a parting offering to Moresheth-gath: the daughter of Achzib will be a deceit to the king of Israel.

Moff O maiden Sion, you must part with
⇔ Moresheth of Gath;
⇔ and Israel’s kings are ever balked
⇔ at Balkton (Achzib).
¶ 

JPS Therefore shalt thou give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel.

ASV Therefore shalt thou give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel.

DRA Therefore shall she send messengers to the inheritance of Geth: the houses of lying to deceive the kings of Israel.

YLT Therefore thou givest presents to Moresheth-Gath, The houses of Achzib become a lying thing to the kings of Israel.

Drby Therefore shalt thou give parting-gifts to Moresheth-Gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

RV Therefore shalt thou give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel.
(Therefore shalt/shall thou/you give a parting gift to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a deceitful thing unto the kings of Israel. )

SLT For this thou shalt give a sending forth upon the possession of Gath: the houses of falsehood are for falsehood to the kings of Israel.

Wbstr Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

KJB-1769 Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.[fn][fn]
(Therefore shalt/shall thou/you give presents to Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. )

1.14 to…: or, for Moresheth-gath

1.14 Achzib: that is, A lie

KJB-1611 Therfore shalt thou giue presents [fn]to Moresheth-Gath: the houses of [fn]Achzib shalbe a lie to y^e kings of Israel.
(Therefore shalt/shall thou/you give presents to Moresheth-Gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.)

1:14 Or for.

1:14 That is, a lie.

Bshps Therfore shalt thou bring presentes to Moresheth Gath: ye houses of Achzib shalbe as a lye to the kinges of Israel.
(Therefore shalt/shall thou/you bring presents to Moresheth Gath: ye/you_all houses of Achzib shall be as a lie to the kings of Israel.)

Gnva Therefore shalt thou giue presents to Moresheth Gath: the houses of Achzib shalbe as a lye to the Kings of Israel.
(Therefore shalt/shall thou/you give presents to Moresheth Gath: the houses of Achzib shall be as a lie to the Kings of Israel. )

Cvdl Yee she sent hir coursers in to the londe of Geth. The houses of lies will disceaue the kynges of Israel.
(Ye/You_all she sent her coursers in to the land of Geth. The houses of lies will deceive the kings of Israel.)

Wycl Therfor he schal yyue werriours on the eritage of Geth, on housis of leesyng in to deseit to kyngis of Israel.
(Therefore he shall give warriors on the heritage of Geth, on houses of falsehood in to deseit to kings of Israel.)

Luth Du wirst müssen Gefangene geben so wohl als Gath. Der Stadt Achsib wird‘s mit den Königen Israels fehlen.
(You(sg) will must Gefangene give so probably/well as Gath. The city Achsib it_will with the kings Israels miss/lack.)

ClVg Propterea dabit emissarios super hæreditatem Geth, domus mendacii in deceptionem regibus Israël.
(That's_why will_give emissarios over inheritance Geth, home lies in/into/on deceptionem kings Israel. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:8–16: Micah mourned because an enemy army will invade Judah and take many people into exile

In 1:5, Micah mentioned the sins of the people in Samaria and Jerusalem. In 1:6–7, he predicted that the LORD would destroy Samaria. Here in 1:8–16, he predicted that the LORD would also punish the people in Judah, including Jerusalem. He would punish them by causing an enemy army to invade Judah.

This section has two paragraphs: 1:8–9 and 1:10–16. In the first paragraph, Micah said that he would “lament and wail” (BSB). He described the way that he would mourn and then gave the reason. In the second paragraph, he mentioned several cities in Judah that an enemy army would soon attack on its way to Jerusalem. Some versions have separate section headings for each paragraph. The Notes will include both paragraphs as part of the same section. Here are some other examples of section headings for the entire section (1:8–16):

Lament for Jerusalem and the lowland towns (NJB)

Judah Is Doomed (CEV)

The Doom of the Cities of Judah (NRSV)

Micah mourned the disaster that will happen to various cities in Judah

If you choose to use separate section headings for 1:8–9 and 1:10–16, here are some examples for 1:8–9:

Weeping and Mourning (NIV, BSB)

Micah’s Great Sadness (NCV)

Either the CEV or NRSV headings above will be appropriate for 1:10–16. Here is another example:

Disaster will happen to various cities in Judah

Paragraph 1:10–16

In this paragraph, Micah mentioned the names of eleven towns in Judah in addition to the city of Jerusalem (v.12). These towns were located in the foothills between the low coastal area and the mountains of Judah.EBC (page 508). According to A&F (page 212), some of the cities mentioned have not been identified, and it is not possible to guess the route of the attack or the identity of the invaders. It could have been any of several different kings.

In many English versions as well as TN, 1:10–16 forms one paragraph. Some versions divide it into two or three paragraphs. For example, the GNT has two paragraphs (10–14 and 15–16). The NLT has three paragraphs (10–12, 13–15, and 16). Use whatever paragraph structure is appropriate for your language.

Here are some of the poetic variations of Micah’s lament in 1:10–16:

In some verses, he spoke to the people in a particular town. In other verses, he spoke about them.
Sometimes he used plural nouns or pronouns to refer to the people in a particular town. At other times, he used singular nouns or pronouns.

English versions consistently use either plural or singular forms throughout these verses. For example, in 1:11b, the NJB uses singular pronouns:

She has not left her city, she who lives in Zanaan. (NJB)

The NIV uses a plural pronoun:

Those who live in Zaanan will not come out. (NIV)

You may use either singular or plural forms or a combination of the two, depending on what is natural and appropriate in your language.

In 1:10–16, Micah used past tense verbs to describe what was still in the future. See the notes on 1:9b and 1:9c for more details.

Micah also made puns with the names of several of the towns or cities. A pun is a figure of speech in which a person uses a word that has two meanings or a word that sounds like another word.

In some verses, he used a word that sounded like the name of that town.
In other verses, he said something about a town that was related to the meaning of its name.

Here is a brief summary of the puns in each verseThis summary is condensed and adapted from EBC (pages 407–8.) and some general advice on how to translate puns. Complete notes on each verse will start with 1:10a.

Beth-leaphrah (1:10b): The name of this city sounds like the Hebrew words that mean “house of dust.” Micah commanded those who live in that town to roll in the dust.
Shaphir (1:11a): This name means “beautiful” or “pleasant” in Hebrew. Micah said that the lives of the people in that town will not be pleasant.
Zaanan (1:11b): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “come out.” Micah said that the people there will not come out of their city.
Beth-ezel (1:11c): This name probably means “nearby house” in Hebrew. Micah said that Beth-ezel would no longer be nearby to serve as a “standing place” (protection, refuge) for Jerusalem.
Maroth (1:12a): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitter.” Micah said that the people in that town will suffer bitterly.
Lachish (1:13): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “team of horses.” Micah told the people in that town to flee like running horses.
Moresheth (-gath) (1:14a): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “betrothed” (engaged to be married). Just like a young woman departs from her family when she gets married, so the people in that town would soon depart from Judah.
Achzib (1:14b): This name means “deception” in Hebrew. That town will be a deception to the kings of Israel. These kings had hoped in vain that the people of Achzib would help them fight the enemy.
Mareshah (1:15a): This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “conqueror.” The LORD will bring an enemy to that town who will conquer them.

In addition to the above puns, Micah also included the names of two places (Gath 1:10a) and Adullam (1:15b) that are famous in Jewish history. Their significance will be discussed in the notes on those verses.

The people to whom Micah spoke over 2,700 years ago understood the puns. They also understood the historical significance of Gath and Adullam. But most people today do not understand these things. That is the reason it is difficult to translate these verses clearly. Here are some general options to consider in translating the puns:

Ignore the puns. Most English versions do this in the actual translation. Just translate the name in the Hebrew text. Those who read your translation will understand the basic meaning of each verse, but they will not know that there was a pun in Hebrew.
Use footnotes to explain the puns. Many English versions with footnotes do this. For example, the NIV uses footnotes at 1:10a, 11b, 12a, 13a, and 15a to explain that a name sounds like another Hebrew word. It uses other footnotes at 1:10b, 11a, and 14b to explain the meaning of the name of a town.
Explain in your translation the meaning or the sound of the names for the cities. If you use this option, you will need to clearly indicate in some way that this information is not part of your translation.

Choose an option that is appropriate for the readers in your language area.

1:14a

Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath;

Therefore you^(plur) will give a farewell gift to Moresheth-gath.
So you must give good-bye gifts to the people of Moresheth-gath.
And so, you people of Judah, you will say good-bye to those who live in Moresheth-gath, for they will be taken away by their enemies.

Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath: In this verse part, Micah talked about Moresheth-gath, another small town in Judah.

Therefore: There are two ways to interpret the connection of the word Therefore:

What Micah said about Moresheth-gath is the result of what he said in the previous verse. For example:
And so (NJB) (BSB, ESV, GW, KJV, NAB, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NRSV, REB)
What Micah said about Moresheth-gath is the next thing he said in his list of comments to cities in Judah.
And now (GNT) (CEV, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most English versions. The people in Jerusalem and Judah had begun to sin just like the northern kingdom. Therefore they must say good-bye to the people in Moresheth-gath. Here is another way to translate this connection:

That is why (GW)

Translate this connection in a natural way in your language.

send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath: Micah made a pun here. The name “Moresheth” sounds like the Hebrew word for fiancée. In the Jewish culture, parents gave their engaged daughter a special gift at the time she left their home to go live with her husband.

Micah’s pun means that an enemy army will capture the city of Moresheth-gath and take the people away as captives. The people are like a daughter that will soon leave home. The other people in Judah will soon no longer see them. It is not recommended that you make this pun explicit in the translation itself.

If you use footnotes in your translation, here are some sample footnotes:

1.14a Moresheth sounds like the Hebrew term for “gift” or “dowry.” (NLT footnote)

1.14 farewell gift: The gift (dowry) that a bride’s father gave her when she left the home of her parents to live with the family of her husband. In Hebrew the word for “bride” or “fiancée” sounds like “Moresheth.” (CEV footnote)

Here are some ways to translate 1:14a without a figure of speech:

And so, people of Judah, you will say good-bye to the town of Moresheth Gath. (based on GNT)

So wave good-bye to the people of Moresheth-gath, for they must soon go away.

If you prefer not to refer to the pun in a footnote, you may translate without a figure of speech (as in the two preceding examples), but supply a footnote that explains the reason the people will have to leave. For example:

Micah told the people of Judah to say good-bye to the people of Moresheth-gath, because an enemy army would capture that city and take the people away as captives.

send: It is not clear to whom this command is given. Here are the main interpretations:

It is given to the people in Judah.
people of Judah, say good-bye to the town of Moresheth Gath (GNT) (GNT)
It is given to the people in Lachish (see 1:13a–c).
It is given to the people in Jerusalem (“daughter of Zion,” see 1:13b).

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most commentaries.Commentaries that support interpretation (1) include NAC, JFB, and TOTC. According to JFB (page 689), “‘Israel’ in this verse is used for the kingdom of Judah, which was the chief representative of the whole nation of Israel.” Interpretation (2) is supported by a footnote in the NET: “The subject of the feminine singular verb is probably Lachish.” Interpretation (3) is supported by A&F (page 232), who say only: “In the absence of a clear candidate to be subject of the verb, Jerusalem is the probable giver.” A fourth interpretation is suggested by Waltke 2007. On pages 81–82, he says: “the parallel in v 14b shows that the rulers of Israel are the subjects.” The GNT explicitly follows this interpretation. Other versions leave the reference implicit (ambiguous). For many readers, an ambiguous command will incorrectly refer back to Israel or Lachish. So it is recommended that you translate in a way that refers clearly to Judah.

In Hebrew, this command is singular. Micah used Hebrew poetry here, so he spoke to the nation as if it were one person. You may use either singular or plural, depending on whether you refer here to the nation or the people of the nation.

Moresheth-gath: In 1:1a, Micah called the name of his home town Moresheth, but here he called it Moresheth-gath.There was probably more than one town named Moresheth, so by adding the extra name “Gath” Micah made it clear which town he meant. Some scholars think that this town was called Moresheth-gath because it was near the Philistine city of Gath.

Some English versions spell the name of this town differently. For example:

Moresheth Gath (NIV)

Moreshethgath (KJV)

Moresheth in Gath (NCV)

You may want to use a spelling that fits the phonetic rules of your language or a spelling that is used in a language of wider communication in your country.

1:14b

the houses of Achzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.

The kings of Israel will get no help from the people in Achzib.
The kings of Israel will be disappointed. The town of Achzib will not help them.
The kings of Israel hope that the people of Achzib will be their ally, but they will be disappointed.

the houses of Achzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel: Micah used a pun in this sentence. The name Achzib sounds like the Hebrew word for deceptive (achzab).In Hebrew, the name Achzib is (ʾakzib). The word for “deceptive” is (ʾakzab). Instead of “deceptive,” two versions follow another possible meaning. The NET has: “as disappointing as a dried up well.” The NJPS has “like a spring that fails.” NAC (pages 59–60) has the following comment: “In Jer 15:18 ‘deceptive’ is used of a brook that has dried up. Achzib will be as undependable and disappointing as a dried-up brook because its people won’t be able to give any help to the kings of Israel.” A footnote in the NET has: The term אַכְזָב (ʾakzab) is often translated “deception,” as derived from the verb I כָּזָב (“to deceive, lie”; HALOT 467–68 s.v. I כזב). However, it probably means “what is dried up,” since (1) the noun elsewhere refers to an empty well or dried river in summer (Jer 15:18; cf. Job 6:15–20) (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); (2) the place-name “Achzib” (אַכְזִיב) literally means “place on the אַכְזָב [dried up river]” (HALOT 45 s.v. אַכְזָב); and (3) it is derived from the verb II כָּזָב (“to dry up [brook]”; Isa 58:11), which also appears in Mishnaic Hebrew and Arabic. The point of the metaphor is that Achzib will be as disappointing to the kings of Israel as a dried up spring in the summer is to a thirsty traveler in the Jordanian desert.

The kings of Israel hoped that the town of Achzib would be their ally. They hoped that the people in Achzib would send soldiers to help them fight the enemy. But the kings of Israel would soon feel deceived or disappointed, because Achzib would not send any help. Here are some other ways to translate this idea:

The kings of Israel will get no help from the town of Achzib. (GNT)

Israel’s kings will discover that they cannot trust the town of Achzib. (CEV)

The town of Achzib has deceived the kings of Israel, for it promised help it could not give. (NLT96)

The kings in Israel trusted the Achzib people to help them. But they will send no help.

the houses of Achzib: This phrase is a poetic way to refer to the town of Achzib or to the people who live there.The Hebrew text has plural “houses of” (Hebrew: botteh). The plural form is reflected in the BSB, ESV, KJV, NASB, NCV, NJPS, and NRSV. Singular “house of” would be bet in Hebrew. Versions that reflect the singular form include the CEV, GW, NAB, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB and GNT. The singular form may also assume that “house of” is part of the name of the town, such as the Bethlehem (meaning “house of bread”). The Notes have not treated this as a textual or interpretation issue, because the singular-plural distinction does not affect the number of towns and has only a slight effect on the meaning of the pun. Waltke 2007 (page 83) advances the idea that “houses” should be translated as “workshops” and that these workshops (factories) would no longer produce goods that could be sold. No versions translate this word as “workshops.” NAC (pages 59–60) gives persuasive reasons for rejecting Waltke’s idea. It says: “Elsewhere when ḇayiṯ, ‘house,’ is used in the sense of “workshop,” the nature of the work is specified. In 1 Chr 4:21 it is linen work; in Jer 18:2 it is the work of a potter. Here in Mic 1:14 no such work is specified. Furthermore, as Hillers points out, this passage speaks not of ‘loss’ but of ‘something that deceives or disappoints.’ So while ‘workshops’ is semantically possible, ‘town’ seems more likely.” Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the town of Achzib (GNT)

the residents of Achzib (NET)

Beth-Achzib (NJB)

kings of Israel: This phrase may refer to kings of the northern kingdom in contrast to kings of the southern kingdom of Judah. It may also refer to kings of Judah with the assumption that Judah is considered to be part of the kingdom of Israel as a whole. All English versions identify the country as Israel. It is recommended that you do the same thing. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

rulers/leaders of Israel

the person who sits on the throne in Israel

If you feel it will be helpful for your readers, it is suggested that you supply a footnote that gives some of this background material. For example:

The phrase “kings of Israel” might refer to a king or kings who ruled in Judah (Jerusalem). Sometimes Judah was considered to be part of the nation of Israel as a whole.

Parallel MIC 1:14

Section 1:8–16: Micah mourned because an enemy army will invade Judah and take many people into exile

Paragraph 1:10–16

1:14a

1:14b