MIC 2:13 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

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

OET (OET-RV) ⇔ Someone will go in front of them to break open the way.
⇔ ≈ They’ll force open the gate and go out.
⇔ Their king will pass on ahead of them.
⇔ ≈ Yahweh will be at their head.

Key: khaki:verbs, green:YHWH.
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 διὰ τῆς διακοπῆς πρὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν· διέκοψαν, καὶ διῆλθον πύλην, καὶ ἐξῆλθον διʼ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν πρὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν, ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἡγήσεται αὐτῶν.
(dia taʸs diakopaʸs pro prosōpou autōn; diekopsan, kai diaʸlthon pulaʸn, kai exaʸlthon diʼ autaʸs, kai exaʸlthen ho basileus autōn pro prosōpou autōn, ho de Kurios haʸgaʸsetai autōn. )

BrTr they have broken through, and passed the gate, and gone out by it: and their king has gone out before them, and the Lord shall lead them.

ULT Someone who breaks open their way for them will go ahead of them.
⇔ They break through the gate and go out;
⇔ their king will pass on before them.
⇔ Yahweh will be at their head.

UST Your leader will enable them to leave the countries where they have been exiled;
⇔ he will lead them out of the gates of their enemies’ cities,
⇔ back to your own country.
⇔ Your king will lead them;
⇔ it is I, Yahweh, who will be their king!”

OEB ⇔ ‘The one who breaks out goes first.
⇔ They have broken forth and passed by the gate
⇔ and through it have they gone out.
⇔ Their king leads before them,
⇔ the Lord at their head.’

WEBBE He who breaks open the way goes up before them.
⇔ They break through the gate, and go out.
⇔ Their king passes on before them,
⇔ with the LORD at their head.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The one who can break through barriers will lead them out
⇔ they will break out, pass through the gate, and leave.
⇔ Their king will advance before them,
⇔ The Lord himself will lead them.

LSV The breaker has gone up before them,
They have broken through,
Indeed, they pass through the gate,
Indeed, they go out through it,
And their king passes on before them,
And YHWH at their head!”

FBV The One who opens the way for them will lead them, breaking through the gate and going out. Their King will lead them; the Lord himself will be at their head.

T4T Your leader will enable them to leave the countries where they have been exiled;
⇔ he will lead them out of the gates of their enemies’ cities,
⇔ back to your own country.
⇔ Your king will lead them;
⇔ it is I, Yahweh, who will be their king!”

LEB   • The one who breaks out before them goes up; they break through and pass the gate,
  • going out through it.
• Their king passes before them,
  • Yahweh at their head.

BBE The opener of the way will go up before them: forcing their way out they will go on to the doorway and out through it: their king will go on before them, and the Lord at their head.

Moff the bell-wether opens the way for them,
⇔ and out they pour and pass,
⇔ led as by their King,
⇔ by the Eternal at their head.

JPS The breaker is gone up before them; they have broken forth and passed on, by the gate, and are gone out thereat; and their king is passed on before them, and the LORD at the head of them.

ASV The breaker is gone up before them: they have broken forth and passed on to the gate, and are gone out thereat; and their king is passed on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.

DRA For he shall go up that shall open the way before them: they shall divide, and pass through the gate, and shall come in by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord at the head of them.

YLT Gone up hath the breaker before them, They have broken through, Yea, they pass through the gate, Yea, they go out through it, And pass on doth their king before them, And Jehovah at their head!

Drby One that breaketh through is gone up before them: they have broken forth, and have passed on to the gate, and are gone out by it; and their king passeth on before them, and Jehovah at the head of them.

RV The breaker is gone up before them: they have broken forth and passed on to the gate, and are gone out thereat: and their king is passed on before them, and the LORD at the head of them.

SLT He breaking forth came up before them: they broke forth and they will pass through the gate, they will go forth by it; and their king will pass through before them and Jehovah at their head.

Wbstr The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and have gone out by it; and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.

KJB-1769 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.

KJB-1611 The breaker is come vp before them: they haue broken vp and haue passed through the gate, and are gone out by it, and their king shal passe before them, & the LORD on the head of them.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps The breaker shall come vp before them, they shall breake out, and passe by the gate, and go out by it: and their king shall go before them, and the Lorde shalbe vpon their heades.
(The breaker shall come up before them, they shall break out, and pass by the gate, and go out by it: and their king shall go before them, and the Lord shall be upon their heads.)

Gnva The breaker vp shall come vp before them: they shall breake out, and passe by the gate, and goe out by it, and their King shall goe before them, and the Lord shalbe vpon their heades.
(The breaker up shall come up before them: they shall break out, and pass by the gate, and go out by it, and their King shall go before them, and the Lord shall be upon their heads. )

Cvdl Who so breaketh the gappe, he shall go before. They shall breake vp the porte, and go in and out at it. Their kynge shall go before them, and the LORDE shalbe vpon the heade of them.
(Whoso/Whoever breaketh/breaks the gappe, he shall go before. They shall break up the porte, and go in and out at it. Their king shall go before them, and the LORD shall be upon the head of them.)

Wycl For he schal stie schewynge weie bifore hem; thei schulen departe, and passe the yate, and schulen go out therbi; and the kyng of hem schal passe bifore hem, and the Lord in the heed of hem.
(For he shall ascend/descend schewing way before hem; they should depart, and pass the gate, and should go out therbi; and the king of hem shall pass before hem, and the Lord in the head of hem.)

Luth Es wird ein Durchbrecher vor ihnen herauffahren; sie werden durchbrechen und zum Tor aus- und einziehen; und ihr König wird vor ihnen hergehen, und der HErr vornean.
(It becomes a Durchbrecher before/in_front_of to_them upfahren; they/she/them become throughbrechen and for_the doorway out- and move_in; and you(pl)/their/her king becomes before/in_front_of to_them go_here, and the/of_the LORD at_the_front.)

ClVg Ascendet enim pandens iter ante eos: divident, et transibunt portam, et ingredientur per eam: et transibit rex eorum coram eis, et Dominus in capite eorum.]
(Ascendet because pandens way/path before them: divident, and they_will_pass gate/doorm, and they_will_enter through her: and will_pass king their before to_them, and Master in/into/on head their.] )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:12–13: The LORD promised to gather his people again and bless them

In the previous sections of the book, the LORD, speaking through Micah, said that he would punish the Jewish nation. Samaria would be destroyed (1:6–7), and many people in Judah would go away as prisoners (1:16). He told the people that they could no longer stay in their land (2:10). Other people would capture them and take away their land (2:4–5).

This section (2:12–13) is about the more distant future. The LORD is the speaker in 2:12. Verse 2:13 describes what the LORD promises he will do. He will gather his people together again from the places where they will be scattered in exile. He will be their leader and will make them safe again.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Promises of Restoration (NJB)

A Promise for the Remnant of Israel (NRSV)

The Lord Will Restore His People (NET)

Israel Will Be Gathered Again by the Lord (GW)

2:13

In verses 12 and 13, the meaning is the same whether the LORD or Micah is the speaker. But in some languages, it may be necessary to make clear who the speaker is. The LORD was clearly the speaker in verse 12. There are three ways to interpret the identity of the speaker here in verse 13:

Micah is the speaker. The GNT has a closing quotation mark (”) at the end of 2:12 to show that the LORD stopped speaking there. (GNT)
The LORD is still the speaker in 2:13. The CEV indicates this by using the pronoun “I.” For example:
I will break down the gate and lead them out—then I will be their king. (CEV) The NIV and some other versions have an open quotation mark (“) at the beginning of verse 12 and a closing quotation mark (”) at the end of verse 13 to show that the LORD is the speaker in both verses. (CEV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NLT)Although the CEV does not use quotation marks, v.13 is clearly a continuation of v.12 which identifies “I the Lord” as the speaker.
The speaker is not identified. No quotation marks are used in 2:12–13 to help the reader know who the speaker is. (BSB, GW, KJV, NAB, NET, NJB, NJPS, NRSV, REB)

The Notes will follow interpretation (1) along with most of the commentaries that discuss the issue.Most commentaries do not comment on who the speaker is in v.13. Commentaries that support interpretation (1) include UBS, NAC, Waltke 2007, and probably A&F. No commentaries used in the Notes clearly supported interpretation (2). In verse 13, the name “the LORD” appears. Also, the phrases “the one who breaks out” and “their king” probably refer to the LORD. Because of this, it is simplest to understand verse 13 as the words of Micah speaking about the LORD. You may follow any of the three interpretations in your translation.

2:13a

One who breaks open the way will go up before them;

The one who breaks down the wall will go in front of them.
Someone will break open the wall for them. He will lead them out of the city.
Their leader will knock down the wall so they can leave and will go ahead of them.

One who breaks open the way will go up before them: This phrase refers to the leader of the people. He will make a gap in the wall around the city where his people have been in captivity or exile and will lead them as they escape. There are two main ways to identify this leader:

Leave the identity of the leader unspecified in 2:13a, though his actions are specified. For example:
Someone will open the way and lead the people out. (NCV)
Their leader breaks out before them (REB) (BSB, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB)
Specify that the leader is the LORD (God). For example:
God will open the way for them and lead them out of exile. (GNT)
The Lord will open the way and lead them. (GW) (CEV, GW, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow choice (1). Do not specify the identity of the leader in 2:13a. Wait until 2:13c before you further identify this leader. The one who breaks open is someone who will lead the Jewish people back home. It could refer to their king, or to the Messiah,No version specifies that the “one who breaks out” is “the Messiah,” but Pusey, NAC, KD, EBC, ABC, and CBC all mention the role of the Messiah in various ways. EBC (page 517) understand the “breaker” to be Israel’s King, but they also say: “The remnant will receive its final glory and vindication only through the Messiah. He will arise from his people and lead them into the security of God’s kingdom.” CBC (page 315) makes a connection between the “breaker” and Yahweh, but he comments: “Kaiser (1992:45) understands ‘the Breaker’ as a title for God and sees the role of ‘Breaker’ fulfilled ultimately in the ministry of Jesus the Messiah.” Pusey (page 37) quotes Isaiah 42:6–7 and comments: “From this passage, the ‘breaker-through’ was one of the titles of the Christ, known to the Jews…” KD (page 304) says: “the breaker through, who goes before them, is not Jehovah, but…in the highest sense Christ, who opens the prison-doors, and redeems the captives of Zion (vid., Isa. 42:7).” or to the LORD himself.

breaks open the way: It is implied that the people are inside a walled city. Their leader will lead the people out of the city. The city was a figure of speech for captivity or exile. Some English versions make this explicit. For example:

Someone will open the way and lead the people out. The people will break through the gate and leave the city where they were held captive. (2:13a–b, NCV)

Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile, out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land. (2:13a–b, NLT)

will go up before them: These words mean that the leader will walk in front of the people to lead them out of the city. It does not mean that they will go uphill. See the NCV and NLT (quoted above).

2:13b

they will break through the gate, and go out by it.

Then the people will break open the city gate and go out through it.
The people will follow him out. They will break open the gate of the city where they had been captives/exiled and leave.

they will break through the gate, and go out by it: The pronoun they refers to the people and their leader. They will leave the city through the broken gate or doorway in the wall around the city. Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

They will break out, go through the gate, and leave. (GW)

they will break through the gate and go out (NIV)

They will break out of the city gates and go free. (GNT)

2:13c

Their King will pass through before them, the LORD as their leader.

Their king will lead the way, and Yahweh will go in front of them.
Their king will walk in front of them. Yahweh himself will lead them out.

Their King will pass through before them, the LORD as their leader: In 2:13a, the leader of the people is identified as the “one who breaks out.” The two phrases of 2:13c identify the one who leads the whole group as Their King and the LORD. As was mentioned in the note on 2:13a, the “one who breaks out” could be their king, the Messiah, or the LORD. Here in 2:13c, versions translate the two phrases in two ways:

In some versions, each phrase is a separate function or name/title. For example:
So their king goes on before them, and the Lord at their head. (NASB)
with their king leading the way and with Yahweh at their head (NJB) (BSB, GW, KJV, NABRE, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB)
In some versions, the phrase Their King refers to the LORD.
Their king, the Lord himself, will lead them out. (GNT) (CEV, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow choice (1). This choice allows your readers to interpret the specific relationships or roles of the leader(s) mentioned in 2:13a and 2:13c according to their own understanding of Scripture as a whole.

will pass through before them…as their leader: These two phrases, as well as the phrase “will go up before them” in 2:13a, all refer to someone who precedes others. In 2:13a–b, the phrases clearly refer to going outside the city through the broken wall and gate. The two phrases in 2:13c may refer to leading the people as they continue on their journey home.According to NAC (pages 70–71), “The ultimate, complete fulfillment of vv. 12–13 extends to the future coming of the Messiah and even to his second advent and millennial reign for the final stage in the progressive fulfillment of the whole.” Waltke 2007 (page 136) says: “Whether or not this is a salvation oracle, the accidental perfective vividly and dramatically represents the future as a single independent situation.”

See Overall structure of the book in the Introduction for more details about the three divisions.

Parallel MIC 2:13

Section 2:12–13: The LORD promised to gather his people again and bless them

2:13

2:13a

2:13b

2:13c