MIC 6:9 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) ⇔ Yahweh is making a proclamation to the city—
⇔ even now wisdom is calling out to you:
⇔ “Pay attention to the rod of punishment,
⇔ and to the one who has put it in place.

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 Φωνὴ Κυρίου τῇ πόλει ἐπικληθήσεται, καὶ σώσει φοβουμένους τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· ἄκουε φυλὴ, καὶ τίς κοσμήσει πόλιν;
(Fōnaʸ Kuriou taʸ polei epiklaʸthaʸsetai, kai sōsei foboumenous to onoma autou; akoue fulaʸ, kai tis kosmaʸsei polin; )

BrTr The Lord's voice shall be proclaimed in the city, and he shall save those that fear his name: hear, O tribe; and who shall order the city?

ULT The voice of Yahweh is making a proclamation to the city—
⇔ even now wisdom acknowledges your name:
⇔ “Pay attention to the rod,
⇔ and to the one who has put it in place.[fn]

Instead of the Hebrew text’s reading of Pay attention to the rod and to the one who has put it into place, some modern versions have Listen, tribe, and those assembled together in the city.

UST God says this: “I am Yahweh, so if you are wise, you should honor me.
⇔ I am calling out to you people of Jerusalem to tell you this:
⇔ The armies that will destroy your city are coming,
⇔ so pay careful attention to me, the one who is causing them to punish you with my rod.

OEB Listen! The Lord calls to the city!
⇔ Listen, tribe and assembly of the city!

WEBBE ⇔ The LORD’s voice calls to the city—
⇔ and wisdom fears your name—
⇔ “Listen to the rod,
⇔ and he who appointed it.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Listen! The Lord is calling to the city!
⇔ It is wise to respect your authority, O Lord!
⇔ Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city!

LSV A voice of YHWH calls to the city,
And wisdom fears Your Name,
“Hear the rod, and Him who appointed it.

FBV The voice of the Lord calls to the city—to respect your name is to be wise—pay attention to the rod and who summoned it.[fn]

6:9 This is taken to mean the “rod” of punishment through the invasion by foreign armies.

T4T “I am Yahweh, so if you are wise, you should revere me.
⇔ I am calling out to you people of Jerusalem,
⇔ ‘The armies [MET] that will destroy your city are coming,
⇔ so pay careful attention to me, the one who is causing them to punish you with my rod.

LEB • The voice of Yahweh calls to the city ( it is sound judgment to fear your name):
• “Hear, O staff![fn] Now who has appointed it?

6:? Or “tribe”

BBE The voice of the Lord is crying out to the town: Give ear, you tribes and the meeting of the town.

Moff Hark, ’tis the Eternal calling to the city:
⇔ “Listen, O clan of Judah, O council of citizens--

JPS Hark! the LORD crieth unto the city — and it is wisdom to have regard for Thy name — hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

ASV The voice of Jehovah crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

DRA The voice of the Lord crieth to the city, and salvation shall be to them that fear thy name: hear, O ye tribes, and who shall approve it?

YLT A voice of Jehovah to the city calleth, And wisdom doth fear Thy name, Hear ye the rod, and Him who appointed it.

Drby Jehovah's voice crieth unto the city, and wisdom looketh on thy name. Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

RV The voice of the LORD crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.
(The voice of the LORD crieth/cries unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy/your name: hear ye/you_all the rod/staff, and who hath/has appointed it. )

SLT The voice of Jehovah will call to the city, and wisdom feared thy name: hear ye the rod, and who appointed it.

Wbstr The LORD'S voice crieth to the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

KJB-1769 The LORD’s voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.[fn]
(The LORD’s voice crieth/cries unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy/your name: hear ye/you_all the rod/staff, and who hath/has appointed it. )

6.9 the man…: or, thy name shall see that which is

KJB-1611 [fn]The LORDs voice cryeth vnto the citie, and the man of wisedome shall see thy Name: heare ye the rodde, and who hath appointed it.
(The LORD's voice crieth/cries unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy/your Name: hear ye/you_all the rod/staff, and who hath/has appointed it.)

6:9 Or, thy name shall see that which is.

Bshps The Lordes voyce cryeth vnto the citie, and the man that shalbe saued considereth thy name: hearken what is your rodde, & heare him that warneth you.
(The Lords voice crieth/cries unto the city, and the man that shall be saved considereth/considers thy/your name: hearken what is your rod/staff, and hear him that warneth you.)

Gnva The Lordes voyce cryeth vnto the citie, and the man of wisedome shall see thy name: Heare the rodde, and who hath appoynted it.
(The Lords voice crieth/cries unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy/your name: Hear the rod/staff, and who hath/has appointed it. )

Cvdl that thou mayest be called a cite of the LORDE, & that thy name maye be rightuousnesse. Heare (o ye trybes) who wolde els geue you soch warnynge?
(that thou/you mayest/may be called a cite of the LORD, and that thy/your name may be righteousness. Hear (o ye/you_all tribes) who would else give you such warning?)

Wycl The vois of the Lord crieth to the citee, and heelthe schal be to alle men dredynge thi name. Ye lynagis, here; and who schal approue it?
(The voice of the Lord crieth/cries to the city, and health shall be to all men dreading thy/your name. Ye/You_all lineages, here; and who shall approve it?)

Luth Es wird des HErr’s Stimme über die Stadt rufen; aber wer deinen Namen fürchtet, dem wird‘s gelingen. Höret, ihr Stämme, was geprediget wird!
(It becomes the LORD’s voice(n) above the city call/cry/shout; but who your(s) name(s) fears(v), to_him it_will succeed. Hear, you(pl)/their/her tribes, what/which preached becomes!)

ClVg Vox Domini ad civitatem clamat, et salus erit timentibus nomen tuum: audite, tribus, et quis approbabit illud?
(The_voice Master to the_city shouts, and health/safety will_be fearing name your(sg): listen, tribe, and who/any approbabit it/this/that? )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 6:9–16: The LORD will punish his people for their dishonesty

This section has three parts. In 6:9–12, the LORD charged the people of Jerusalem and the tribe of Judah with theft, dishonesty, deception, and violence. In 6:13–15, he stated how he will punish them. In 6:16, the LORD restated in a short summary the people’s sin and their punishment. In this section, the LORD was the speaker except for 6:9, in which Micah told the people of the city to listen.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Cheating and Violence to Be Punished (NRSV)

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment (NIV)

Accusations and Covenant CursesSuggestion by A&F (pages 541–544)

Paragraph 6:9–16

In this paragraph, the LORD accused the people of committing several kinds of sin. Most were sins committed by wealthy people. Some were sins by the general population.

6:9

In the first and third clauses of verse 6:9, Micah told the people to pay attention. He told them that the LORD was calling out to the city and the tribe of Judah to listen. This function of calling attention is similar to the first clause of 6:1, in which Micah told the people to listen to the LORD’s case against them. The second clause of verse 6:9 has a style of writing that resembles a wisdom saying.

6:9a

The voice of the LORD calls out to the city

¶ Hear the voice of Yahweh that cries out to the city.
¶ Listen, people of the city, to what Yahweh has to say

The voice of the LORD calls out to the city: This clause is a statement. However, it functions as a call by Micah to the residents of the city. He urged them to give attention to what the LORD was about to say to them. Some versions supply a word such as “hear” or “listen” to make this function clear.Hebrew grammarians differ in their analysis of the phrase “the voice of Yahweh.” Some regard it as the subject of the verb “cries out.” Others propose that either the word “voice” or the entire phrase “the voice of Yahweh” is an exclamation. Regardless of the grammatical understanding, the phrase serves the function of securing attention. See Waltke 2007 (page 395) and A&F (page 545). For example:

Listen! The Lord is calling to the city! (NET)

calls out: In Hebrew, this word means “call” or “summon” someone.NIDOTTE #7924 (page 971) and DCH (pages 289–290). EBC (page 542) suggests that here the word may connote “call out a warning.” Waltke 2007 (page 396) suggests it may connote “make a proclamation.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

The Lord calls to the city (REB)

Hark! The Lord summons the city (NJPS)

the city: This phrase refers to Jerusalem.This is the view of a majority of commentators. For example, UBS, NAC, KD, JFB, and Waltke 2007. Some versions make this identification explicit. For example:

So listen to my message for the city of Jerusalem. (CEV)

6:9a–c

(combined/reordered)

It is wise to fear Yahweh. He calls to the city and nation: Listen, all of you people assembled here in the city!

6:9b

(and it is sound wisdom to fear Your name):

(The fear of your^(sing) name is wisdom.)
(for it is wise to respect you).

(and it is sound wisdom to fear Your name): There are three main interpretations of the meaning of this clause:There is also a textual issue. The Masoretic Text has “and success/wisdom it will see your name” and the LXX has “and he will save those fearing his name.” However, this textual issue is not included in the Notes because nearly all modern versions follow the Masoretic Text here.

It is a definition or description of wisdom. For example:
and to fear your name is wisdom (NIV) (BSB, ESV, GW, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV)
It is a statement about wise behavior. For example:
It is wise to fear the Lord. (GNT) (KJV,The KJV has “and the man of wisdom shall see thy name.” It may fit under this interpretation. NET, GNT)
It is an exhortation to wise people to fear the LORD. For example:
Fear the Lord if you are wise! (NLT) (NLT)

You may follow any of these interpretations. Interpretation (1) is followed by more versions. However, the difference in meaning between the interpretations is very slight. All of them indicate a connection between wisdom and fear of the LORD. All of them also imply an exhortation to fear the LORD, even though only interpretation (3) makes it explicit.

This clause is similar to a proverb or wisdom saying. The words in 6:9b are not the words that the LORD cries to the city. Rather, this clause briefly interrupts the message here and is probably parenthetical.This is indicated by the change of focus from the LORD calling to the city in the previous clause to a proverbial style wisdom saying here by someone apparently addressing the LORD with the phrase “your name.” A&F (page 546) refers to this clause as a “pious aside.”

Here are some ways to indicate that these are not the words that the LORD cries to the city:

Mark this clause as parenthetical. The BSB above is an example.
Move this clause to another part of the verse that does not interrupt the flow of logic. For example:
^9bIt is wise to fear the Lord. He calls to the city, ^9a,c“Listen, you people who assemble in the city!” (GNT)

This clause addresses the LORD directly using the second-person phrase “your name.” In some languages it may be more natural to express this saying with third-person forms such as “the LORD” or “his name.” For example:

It is wise to fear the Lord (GNT)

the fear of his name brings success (REB)

Use a natural way in your language to translate this saying.

sound wisdom: In Hebrew, the word that the BSB translates as sound wisdom refers to the wisdom or practical good sense that leads to a successful result.This note is taken in full from the glossary entry “sound judgment (Hebrew: tušiyyah)” in Translator’s Notes on Proverbs. The word includes two ideas:

competence, good sense, ability to plan what to do
the success that results from this ability.

The word focuses more on making an effective plan than on understanding a complicated situation.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

prudence

discernment

fear Your name: There is a textual issue with the word that the BSB translates as fear:

The LXX has “fear.” For example:
and it is sound wisdom to fear your name (ESV) (ESV, GW, BSB, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT, NRSV, REB, GNT)
The Masoretic Text has “see.” For example:
and the man of wisdom shall see thy name (KJV) (KJV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions.

fear: The LXX word translated as fear indicates both real fear and reverential awe. It also involves submitting to the LORD and obeying him.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

respect (NET)

revere

Your name: This phrase may be a title for Yahweh. It is another way to refer to him.HALOT (electronic edition, pages 1550–1551) calls the phrase “an interchangeable expression for Yahweh.” NAC (page 100) says it refers to the LORD himself or to his manifested character. The phrase Your name implies his character and his attributes, such as his power and authority.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the Lord (NLT)

O Lord (NET)

6:9c

“Heed the rod and the One who ordained it.

Hear his voice, O nation and assembly of the city!
Tribe of Judah and people assembled in Jerusalem, listen to what Yahweh has to say!

The NRSV has been used as the source line for 6:9c, because it follows the recommended interpretation.

(NRSV) Hear, O tribe and assembly of the city!: There is a textual issue with this clause:

Some scholars think that the original text was “Hear, O tribe, and the assembly of the city.” For example:
Listen, you tribe assembled in the city. (GW) (CEV, GW, NAB, NET, NJB, NRSV, REB, GNT)
The Masoretic Text has “Hear rodBART and LDHB gloss this Masoretic Text word as “tribe” rather than “rod.” TWOT (#1352b) provides helpful historical insight on the relationship between these two words. In the past each tribal ruler led his group with a staff/rod. That staff may have been a symbol of the tribe and in time came to represent leadership and authority. and who appointed it/her.” For example:
Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. (NIV) (BSB, ESV, KJV, NCV, NIV, NJPS, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). Both options have support from commentaries and versions. However, elsewhere in the Old Testament, the command “hear” calls attention to what a person says, as in option (1).A&F (page 545) notes that the Hebrew word for “hear,” especially after the Hebrew word for “voice,” must mean “listen (to words).” It does not call attention to an inanimate object or to what the object represents, as in option (2).

In this command, Micah summons the people of the tribe and the city to hear. The implicit object of the verb Hear is the voice of the LORD from the first clause of 6:9.

(NRSV) O tribe and assembly of the city: There are two main interpretations of the referent(s) of this phrase:

The tribe and the assembly of the city are two distinct groups of people. For example:
Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city! (NET) (NAB, NET, NRSV, REB)
The tribe and the assembly of the city are one group of people. For example:
Listen, tribe of assembled citizens (NJB) (GW, NJB)

Either interpretation is acceptable. It is possible that the assembly refers to people from throughout Judah who were gathered in Jerusalem for a feast or other celebration.UBS (page 237) proposes that the word “assemble” may suggest that not all the people addressed lived in the city. They may be from smaller towns or villages but gathered in Jerusalem for important occasions. It is also possible that Micah expected people from the city to spread his words to others throughout the nation.

(NRSV) O tribe: Here Micah addressed the people directly. Some versions have added the word O to make it clear that tribe is a term of address (vocative). Use a vocative that is natural in your language when a person speaks to a group of people.

Here the word tribe probably refers to the tribe of Judah.NAC (page 120), UBS (page 237), JFB (page 694), and WBC (page 53).

(NRSV) the city: This phrase refers to Jerusalem as in 6:9a.The phrase “the city” is a reinterpretation of the first word of 6:10. In the Masoretic Text it is the word for “still.” However, in this recommended textual option scholars suggest that the original Hebrew word was “city,” and that it belongs with the phrase “assembly of the city,” which begins in 6:9c. The Hebrew words for “still” and “city” look very similar.

General Comment on 6:9a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these lines. See the example under the second bullet in the Note for 6:9b (“it is sound wisdom to fear Your name”).

Parallel MIC 6:9

Section 6:9–16: The LORD will punish his people for their dishonesty

Paragraph 6:9–16

6:9

6:9a

6:9a–c

6:9b

6:9c

General Comment on 6:9a–c