Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds — when the morning is light, they execute it: they covet fields, and seize them, houses, and take them away; therefore against this family He devises an evil from which their necks shall not be removed; yet the remnant of Israel shall be gathered as the sheep of Bozrah — 'the breaker is gone up before them... and Hashem at the head of them.'
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Woe to them that devise iniquity And work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they execute it, Because it is in the power of their hand.
verse value 3134
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "evil" (רָ֖ע, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·their·beds" (עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם, 9 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "ah!" (ה֧וֹי), "who·devise·iniquity" (חֹֽשְׁבֵי־אָ֛וֶן), "and·doing" (וּפֹ֥עֲלֵי). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·because" (root כי, 20x in Micah). First appearance of the root אור ("in·light·of") in Micah. First appearance of the root יד ("their·hand") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·their·beds', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 6 words. Full calculation: ה֧וֹי [ah!] (21) + חֹֽשְׁבֵי־אָ֛וֶן [who·devise·iniquity] (377) + וּפֹ֥עֲלֵי [and·doing] (196) + רָ֖ע [evil] (270) + עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָ֑ם [upon·their·beds] (908) + בְּא֤וֹר [in·light·of] (209) + הַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ [morning] (307) + יַעֲשׂ֔וּהָ [they·do·it] (391) + כִּ֥י [and·because] (30) + יֶשׁ־לְאֵ֖ל [it·is·in·the·power·of] (371) + יָדָֽם [their·hand] (54) = 3134.
Rashi
“And the works of wickedness upon their beds” – all night long they finalize in their hearts how they will carry out the evil in the morning.
Ibn Ezra
"Woe to those who devise iniquity" – at night, when they are alone and engaged in deep self-reflection.
“le’el yadam (it is in the power of their hand)” – it denotes power, not a description; and so too with the words “good” and “evil.” For sometimes they are descriptive terms referring to the Holy Name, and sometimes they are nouns denoting power. Likewise, “good” and “evil” sometimes refer to a person who is good or evil, which is a descriptive term; and sometimes they refer to an evil thing or a good thing, which is a noun.
Radak
Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil. They scheme evil in their hearts, saying, “Thus and thus shall we do tomorrow.” And it is said concerning their beds: for while a person lies on his bed, he schemes more, since none of his senses is occupied with any task.
"At the morning light they shall do it." Upon waking, they shall carry out the evil thought they had conceived, namely, that they have the power in their hands to oppress the poor.
Metzudat David
“Woe to those who devise iniquity.” One should bewail these who, at night while still upon their beds, devise to do iniquity, and thereby work evil — for it is not mere thought, but comes to actual deed:
"At the morning light." As soon as morning breaks, they should hasten to carry out their plan, for they have the power to do as they wish, since no one will be found to oppose them.
Metzudat Zion
Le’el. The matter of power and might, as in “it is in the power of my hand” (Genesis 31:29):
Malbim
“Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil”: At the time when they are upon their beds, isolating themselves individually, it is impossible for them to actually defraud or plunder; rather, they only think evil thoughts. But they, even while upon their beds, think of fraud and plunder, and they also perform the evil. And he explains how it can be that they perform evil then, since with the light of morning they will immediately do it, for they have the power in their hands. And thus, their thought to do evil is like as if they are performing it, since there is nothing preventing them from bringing their thought into action.
And they covet fields, and seize them; And houses, and take them away; Thus they oppress a man and his house, Even a man and his heritage.
verse value 3575
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. Verse gematria: 3575 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "man" (גֶּ֣בֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "possession" (וְנַחֲלָתֽוֹ, 6 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "and·they·covet" (וְחָמְד֤וּ), "fields" (שָׂדוֹת֙), "and·they·will·tear·away" (וְגָזָ֔לוּ). The root בית appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root נשא ("and·they·will·lift") in Micah. First appearance of the root איש ("and·man") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·will·lift', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. 8 of the verse's 10 words begin with the letter ו. Full calculation: וְחָמְד֤וּ [and·they·covet] (64) + שָׂדוֹת֙ [fields] (710) + וְגָזָ֔לוּ [and·they·will·tear·away] (52) + וּבָתִּ֖ים [and·houses] (458) + וְנָשָׂ֑אוּ [and·they·will·lift] (363) + וְעָֽשְׁקוּ֙ [and·they·will·press·upon] (482) + גֶּ֣בֶר [man] (205) + וּבֵית֔וֹ [and·his·house] (424) + וְאִ֖ישׁ [and·man] (317) + וְנַחֲלָתֽוֹ [possession] (500) = 3575.
Rashi
“and houses, and they took.” This is dependent upon the preceding clause: “and they coveted, those who covet houses.”
And they shall carry off. Like "and they shall take":
Ibn Ezra
"And they coveted, and they plundered" – by force.
ונשאו - and they took for themselves.
"ועשקו" – by means of deception, fraud, and trickery; for one who oppresses his fellow leads him to believe that he is a guarantor and causes him to retain possession of the money that he lent him, or of the wages that he hired him for.
Radak
“And they coveted.” The coveting is in the heart, and the seizing is by the hands. For they covet their neighbors’ fields in their hearts and request that they sell them to them; and if they are not willing to sell them, they seize and take them by force. So too, they covet the houses, and if they are not willing to sell them, they take them by force. And the explanation of “and they carried off” is that they took. And the Targum [translates it as]: “and they coerced them.”
"And they shall plunder a man and his house, a man and his inheritance." The matter is repeated in different words, and its explanation is: if the homeowner stands against him in order to prevent him from seizing his house or his field, he shall strike him and bind him; this is the plundering of the person. And thus they shall plunder both the person and the property.
Metzudat David
"And they coveted fields." And when they covet other people's fields, they rise up against them and seize them from them; and when they covet their neighbors' houses, they take them for themselves, because there is no justice and no one to protest.
"And he shall rob a man and his house." The robbers assault the man along with his household, for when the homeowner stands before them, they subdue him and strike him; thus they rob both the person and the property.
“And a man and his inheritance.” This is a repetition of the matter stated in the preceding verse.
Metzudat Zion
And they take away (venasu). [It means] they take, as in “he shall receive (yisa) a blessing” (Psalms 24:5):
Malbim
"And they coveted" — when they covet a fellow’s field, they will seize it by force; and afterwards they will covet houses, and the house is in a city, and it is not possible to seize it openly; "and they took" — they will take it through trade, exchanging the fields they had seized for the houses; and after this, "and they oppressed a man and his house" — meaning that after the exchange, they will not give him the house (which is called oppression, as they withhold from him what is due to him), and this is easier for them to do even in a city; and "a man and his inheritance" — the fields they had seized, they will subsequently take also the man of the field, who, due to his poverty, will sell himself to them as a slave.
Therefore thus says Hashem: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, From which you shall not remove your necks, Neither shall you walk upright; for it shall be an evil time.
verse value 6013
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 76 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֚ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "against·the·family" (עַל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 275: evil, evil. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "they" (הִנְנִ֥י), "designer" (חֹשֵׁ֛ב), "against·the·family" (עַל־הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה). The root רעה appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah); "against·the·family" (root על, 21x in Micah); "for" (root כי, 20x in Micah). First appearance of the root אמר ("said") in Micah. First appearance of the root רעה ("evil") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 11 words.
Rashi
"And you shall not walk haughtily." This means: You should not walk with an erect, upright posture.
Ibn Ezra
Therefore, “romah” (height) is a noun, like “tovah” (good). [Its sense:] you shall not walk with upright posture, for it is an evil time; you have not seen its like.
Radak
Therefore, regarding this family. They are the people of Israel, for the nation is called a "family," as it is written, "And if the family of Egypt does not go up," and concerning the families that have not called upon Your name. And likewise, it is said regarding Israel: "Moreover, to all the family that I brought up from the land of Egypt."
“From which you shall not remove your necks.” From the yoke of evil that will come upon you, you will not be able to remove your necks from it; that is to say, you will not be able to escape from it.
"And you shall not walk with haughty gait." [The word] is on the pattern of komah tovah (a good stature). He said: Since your necks will be beneath the yoke of evil, you shall be humbled and you will not be able to walk with an elevated stature; and Targum Jonathan renders: "and you shall not be in an upright posture."
Metzudat David
“Concerning this family.” He calls all Israel by the name “family,” as in “against the whole family” (Amos 3):
"Which you shall not remove." You will not be able to remove your necks from that yoke of evil.
"And you shall not walk proudly." Do not walk with loftiness and an erect posture, for the time will be a time of distress.
Metzudat Zion
Tmishu. The meaning of "removing," as in "the pillar of cloud did not depart" (Exodus 13:22).
Romah. From the expression of loftiness / being lifted up:
Malbim
Therefore, I am considering this family of robbers, an evil that will be like an iron chain around their necks, from which they will not be able to lift their necks, nor will they be able to raise their necks above the chain, for it is a time of evil. For the evil that comes upon people in times of peace has hope that they will be redeemed from it; not so if it is a time of evil for the entire world, for then it is impossible to be redeemed from the evil.
In that day shall they take up a parable against you, And lament with a doleful lamentation, and say: ‘We are utterly ruined; He changes the portion of my people; How does he remove it from me! Instead of restoring our fields, he divides them.’
verse value 3899
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 75 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֔י, 2 letters) and the longest is "against·you" (עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 370: parable, our·fields. 15 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "will·lift" (יִשָּׂ֧א), "against·you" (עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם), "parable" (מָשָׁ֗ל). The root שדד appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·you" (root על, 21x in Micah); "my·people" (root עם, 20x in Micah). First appearance of the root לי ("to·me") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·shall·exchange·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 6 words.
Rashi
“And one shall wail a wailing lament.” “Venahah” is future tense, like “ve’asah” and “ufanah.” The lamenter cries out and says, “a wailing is wailed in the world.” And what is the wailing that is wailed? He says, “we are utterly plundered (shadod nishadonu)” — our enemies have plundered us (shedadunu). And the form “nishadnu,” written with a nun at the start (rather than “shedadunu”), comes to serve two senses — passive (nifal) and active (pa’al): had he written “nishdadnu” it would refer to the plundered and not the plunderers; had he written “shedadunu,” to the plunderers and not the plundered; now it refers to both: “we gave ourselves into the hand of those who plundered us.” And in the vernacular [Old French]. Another explanation: “nishadonu” — we ourselves caused that they plundered us:
“The portion of my people he removes.” The portion of My people shall be exchanged for idolaters.
“How is it removed from me — to restore, our fields he apportions.” How will [He] turn back to me again to restore our fields, which this idolater apportions to himself? How is it possible to restore all these to me again? — these are the words of the lamenter who takes up the parable. “Eich yamish li” [in the vernacular]; like “turn aside to me (surah elai)” (Judges 4:18) and “and he turned aside to her”:
Ibn Ezra
On the day, he shall lift up – the ruler.
“Ve-naha” — like “ve-gavah” (and it is high); [the wailing] that will be in those days.
“Ve-nihyah” — like “the hire of man came not to be” (sekhar ha-adam lo nihyah, Zechariah 8:10); and thus, whoever comes to be [afflicted] at that time shall wail a wailing (yinheh nehi). And some say that “nihyah” is like “choleh” (sick), from the root of “nechaleiti ve-nihyeiti” (Daniel 8:27).
“Nishdanu” – this is in the nifal binyan, from the root sh-d-n (a doubled root). The lamenter says: “God will exchange the portion of My people, making it foreign.” How will He exchange what was mine, and as we hoped for restoration, that our field would return to us, then the foreigner will divide it? For the word yechalek (“he will divide”) is foreign, used to allude to the Name [of God]. And he mentions the Name and mentions our field, corresponding to what it says, “and they coveted the fields.”
Radak
"On that day, he will raise a parable against you." Explanation: The one who laments over you will raise this parable in his dirge. And it appears that the one who laments is the false prophet. Upon seeing that his counsel was not carried out, he will lament. Since it is the custom of the lamenter to speak in parables and riddles, which are obscure matters, and likewise it is the custom of the poet, and in this dirge there are obscure matters, therefore it is called a parable.
“Ve-naho nehi nihyah” (and one shall wail a doleful lament). “Ve-naho” is in the paradigm of “asah, banah,” and it denotes lamentation and weeping. “Nehi” is a noun for a lament, and “nihyah” too is in the paradigm of “simlah” (garment); the noun is doubled (nehi–nihyah) because of the abundance of lamentation. And some explain “nihyah” as an expression of breaking, from “naheiti ve-nechaleiti” (Daniel 8:27, “I was sick and overcome”). And Targum Yonatan renders “ve-iliya u-va’inteih” (and wailing and lamenting), which denotes the raising of the voice in lamentation, from “ve-anah iyyim” (and the jackals shall howl, Isaiah 13:22). And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: “They may wail [in lament], but they may not clap their hands.”
He said, “Shaddud,” meaning “they were plundered.” He expresses this in his lament: “Thus they were plundered,” from the Nifal conjugation, and it appears with a shureq in place of a holam, because the majority [of such forms] are with a holam; and “I shall be yet more lightly esteemed than this, and you shall pine away in your iniquities.”
"My people's portion will be exchanged." The land, which is My people's portion, will be exchanged by the Holy One, blessed be He, for another master, for it will be the enemy's portion, what was My people's portion.
How shall he remove [it] from me? How can it be that he will remove from me what was mine:
Regarding "Shovav" (the rebellious one), our fields are divided. When I thought that God, blessed be He, desired to restore to us our fields which the enemies had taken, behold, the enemy holds them and divides them among the enemies. This means that the enemies will divide our inheritance among themselves, as Jeremiah said in his lament: "Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers."
Metzudat David
He shall bring a parable upon you. This means that the one who draws a parable shall bring a parable upon the evils that befall.
“Venahah nehi nihyah” (and one shall wail a wailing lament). “Ha-noheh” means: the lamenter shall lament a dirge:
He shall say, "We are utterly plundered." This means that thus he shall say in his lament: "Behold, we have become plundered and oppressed."
“Portion of My people shall be exchanged.” “The possession of the inheritance of My people shall be exchanged.” The Holy One, blessed be He, exchanges them for another master, namely the idolaters.
“How is it removed from me!” How will He turn back to me to restore our fields, which He apportioned to the nations to give them as an inheritance? — as if to say: how is it possible that what the nations took will be returned to us?:
Metzudat Zion
Yisa. The matter of raising the voice:
“Venahah nehi nihyah.” Its meaning is lamentation and wailing, as in “I will take up weeping and wailing” (Jeremiah 9:9):
“Shadod nishadonu” (we are utterly plundered). From the expression of plundering (shdidah) and extortion:
Chelek. "Achuzat Nachalah" is like "Chelekat Yoyav" (II Samuel 14):
Yamir. A verbal form from *temurah* and *chaluf*, meaning exchange and substitution.
yemish. The matter of removal:
To restore. A verbal form of the root "to return" (heshavah):
Malbim
"On that day they will raise a parable against you, and they will cry out, 'Alas, alas!'" This describes the speech that will be raised against these robbers, which is a speech of parables, and also a speech of lamentation, where one mourner cries out and the other answers. And it will depict it as if one raises a cry of lamentation and others answer.
He says, “They have plundered us.” This is depicted through an allegory: the enemies destroyed their houses, and afterward divided their fields by lot. The allegory illustrates that this aforementioned family, whose custom was to seize fields and exchange them for houses, when they see that the enemy has plundered their house, says, “They have plundered us,” meaning that they have plundered my house. The one who answers replies to him (and this is the meaning of the verse), “He exchanges the portion of my people,” indicating that surely you acquired this house in exchange for the field, and the enemy will exchange the portion back, returning it to its owner. Then he will say again, “How will he remove it from me?” meaning, if so, how will he remove and take away from me what belongs to me, namely the field? Was not the field also given to me in exchange for the house? And the one who answers replies, “to restore our fields he will divide [them],” meaning that what the enemy does in dividing the fields is in order to restore the portion that you stole, and since this is done in order to take the stolen property from your hand.
Therefore you shall have none that shall cast the line by lot In the congregation of Hashem.
verse value 1055
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֔, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·will·be" (לֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֣ה, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "not·will·be" (לֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֣ה), "casts" (מַשְׁלִ֥יךְ), "cord" (חֶ֖בֶל). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah). First appearance of the root חבל ("cord") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'by·lot', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: לָכֵן֙ [therefore] (100) + לֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֣ה [not·will·be] (61) + לְךָ֔ [to·you] (50) + מַשְׁלִ֥יךְ [casts] (400) + חֶ֖בֶל [cord] (40) + בְּגוֹרָ֑ל [by·lot] (241) + בִּקְהַ֖ל [assembly] (137) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1055.
Rashi
"He casts a cord." This refers to one who divides an inheritance, since it is customary to divide an inheritance using a measuring cord.
Ibn Ezra
Therefore – it says to every man of the wicked family who steals fields: The reason is: Because you did this, violence shall not remain for you a son who will cast a lot with a cord.
"In the congregation of the Lord" – when the Lord brings back the captivity of His people.
Radak
“Therefore.” He said this in reference to the mourner, who is the false prophet, as we have explained. He said: “You, who mourn over the inheritance of Israel, which the enemy is dividing up, and you are the one who caused this—therefore, there shall be no one for you who casts a lot with a cord in the congregation of the Lord. When the congregation of the Lord returns from exile to their inheritance, you shall have no son or daughter who casts a lot for an inheritance, for no remnant shall remain after you, and no memorial of you shall be left.” And the explanation of “casts a lot with a cord” is: the cord with which the land is measured, in order to divide it by lot among the heirs. And Jonathan’s Targum translates: “He stretches a thread, measuring with a cord.”
Metzudat David
Therefore. This refers back to the above, to say: Since you have acted thus toward the oppressed man and his house, therefore there shall be none of your descendants who casts a measuring-cord by lot, etc. That is to say, there shall be no one from your seed who will take a portion of the land among the congregation of the Lord when they return to the land. And it says, “casts a lot,” for the manner is that when dividing land by lot, one casts a cord upon the land to measure the portions with it.
Metzudat Zion
“Chabel.” The word is a noun meaning “a measuring line.”
Malbim
Therefore, there shall not be among you one who casts a lot with a cord; you shall not take a portion even in the division of the fields, since the fields were stolen in your possession, and they are now being restored to their owners. This is a figurative expression indicating that the enemy will destroy the houses, but he will leave the common people in the fields to plow and to sow, so that they may recover their stolen fields. And the families that had stolen fields and houses and grown rich from the spoils shall have no portion or lot among the congregation of the Lord.
’Preach you not’, they preach; ‘They shall not preach of these things, That they shall not take shame.’
verse value 1493
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·drop" (אַל־תַּטִּ֖פוּ, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "do·not·drop" (אַל־תַּטִּ֖פוּ), "they·preach" (יַטִּיפ֑וּן), "not·they·will·preach" (לֹֽא־יַטִּ֣פוּ). The root נטף appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root נטף ("they·preach") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·preach', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 5 words. Full calculation: אַל־תַּטִּ֖פוּ [do·not·drop] (526) + יַטִּיפ֑וּן [they·preach] (165) + לֹֽא־יַטִּ֣פוּ [not·they·will·preach] (136) + לָאֵ֔לֶּה [to·these] (66) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + יִסַּ֖ג [will·depart] (73) + כְּלִמּֽוֹת [disgraces] (496) = 1493.
Rashi
“Do not preach — they preach.” Do not prophesy to rebuke them: to you, the prophets, I say [this] — [you] who preach continually:
"Do not pursue them to shame." Lest they bring shame upon you from them, as it is stated (Proverbs 9:8): "Do not reprove a scoffer." Every instance of the word "tiph" (drop) is a term of prophecy, as in (Amos 7:16): "You shall not prophesy to the house of Isaac," and (Ezekiel 21:2): "And prophesy toward the south."
Ibn Ezra
“Al” – The prophet relates what the wicked family used to say to the prophets of the Name: “Do not prophesy,” meaning “Do not preach.” Thus they would preach to them, saying, “Do not preach.”
The word “yasseg” is [written] with a samekh, [functioning] like a shin, and it comes in the light (qal) pattern instead of the heavy (hif’il) — that is, “yasseg” in place of “yassig” — for whoever does not preach to this family, disgrace shall not overtake him.
Radak
“Al tatifu” (Do not preach). This denotes the flowing of speech, as in “and upon them my speech dropped” (ve-aleimo titof milati, Job 29:22); and it is used metaphorically. Israel says to the prophet of God, “Al tatifu” (Do not preach) — meaning: do not mention to us the words of God, for we do not heed you.
They shall not reprove these men, lest they incur disgrace. The prophets of God shall not reprove these men, nor shall they take upon themselves disgrace, for if they were to reprove them, they would bring disgrace upon them.
Yasseg. It denotes reaching/overtaking (hasagah). And although it is written with a samekh [masig], it is nevertheless of the same meaning, belonging to the intensive (kaved) conjugation, as in “Cursed be he who moves (masig) his neighbor's boundary” (Deuteronomy 27:17), and the like.
Metzudat David
“Do not preach — they [keep] preaching.” You, the prophets who prophesy, do not prophesy to them, for if they do not admonish these people, they will not attain shame, since they are accustomed to shaming those who prophesy to them.
Metzudat Zion
“Tatifu yatifun.” It is from the expression of dripping and pouring, and is borrowed for the speech of prophecy, as in “and preach (hattef) toward the south” (Ezekiel 21:2):
Yisag. From the expression of reaching and nearness (hasagah); and it is [spelled] with a samekh; and likewise “vatasag ve-lo taflit” (below, 6:14), with a samekh:
Malbim
"Do not prophesy," [the people] begin to argue with them [the prophets] because they do not wish to listen to the prophets of truth. The interpretation of the aforementioned verse, "House of Jacob, do not prophesy, let them prophesy," is that the phrase "House of Jacob" reflects the customary saying among the House of Jacob; they say to the prophets: "Do not prophesy what they [the prophets] are accustomed to prophesying; do not preach words of prophecy consisting of reproofs or bad omens, which the prophets are accustomed to preach and prophesy, for we do not wish to hear such prophecies." Secondly, they say, "Let them not prophesy to these, let not disgrace be concealed." The interpretation of the verse is: "Let them not prophesy disgraces that will not be concealed," meaning that at least they should not preach to reprove them for their transgressions, thereby publicizing the disgrace of the people and their evil deeds, such that these disgraces and shames will not retreat; that is to say, they will remain forever as an eternal disgrace (as in the concept of "and his disgrace shall not be blotted out"). Let them not speak prophecies through which they would shame the people with an eternal shame.
Do I change, O house of Jacob? Is the spirit of Hashem straitened? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good to him that walks uprightly?
verse value 2729
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with" (עִ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "house·of·Jacob" (בֵּֽית־יַעֲקֹ֗ב, 7 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "is·it·said" (הֶאָמ֣וּר), "house·of·Jacob" (בֵּֽית־יַעֲקֹ֗ב), "was·short" (הֲקָצַר֙). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah); "with" (root עם, 20x in Micah). First appearance of the root רוח ("spirit·of") in Micah. First appearance of the root מעלל ("his·deeds") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·deeds', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: הֶאָמ֣וּר [is·it·said] (252) + בֵּֽית־יַעֲקֹ֗ב [house·of·Jacob] (594) + הֲקָצַר֙ [was·short] (395) + ר֣וּחַ [spirit·of] (214) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + אִם־אֵ֖לֶּה [if·these] (77) + מַעֲלָלָ֑יו [his·deeds] (186) + הֲל֤וֹא [not] (42) + דְבָרַי֙ [my·words] (216) + יֵיטִ֔יבוּ [do·good] (47) + עִ֖ם [with] (110) + הַיָּשָׁ֥ר [straight] (515) + הֹלֵֽךְ [who·walks] (55) = 2729.
Rashi
That which is stated: “House of Jacob.” This is what the House of Jacob will say when they hear the bad tidings that my prophets prophesy to them:
"Is the Spirit of the LORD straitened?" Perhaps there is no longer power before Him to do good, and His Spirit is not broad upon Him for good as it was in the first days.
"If these are His doings," i.e., to do evil:
Is it not so that my words are good for the upright who walk in integrity? My spirit is not short, nor are these my deeds, except for the wicked; but to the upright who walk in integrity, I will surely do good.
Ibn Ezra
The statement is that it should be read with a tone of astonishment: “You, House of Jacob?!” And Rabbi Yeshua said: It is as if it were written, “Hear, you who are called, House of Jacob.” And because the aleph is one of the throat letters, the he will come with a small patach, just as in the phrase “the strong is the weak.”
“The shortened spirit of the Lord” — this refers to prophecy. And the meaning is: Does not the Spirit of the Lord always speak truth? For why would the Lord do evil?
"If these are His doings" — Does it mean that His custom is to do evil to His creatures for no reason?! Rather, He speaks in order to benefit you, and good will come to those who walk in a straight path. And the meaning is: He will fulfill the good word with their deeds — if they are good.
Radak
The word *ha-amur*. The letter he is the definite article ha, and it has a *segol* vowel, like *ve-yissar ha-aruv* (“and He removed the plague”). It is read as *ha-amur*, like *ha-kahal* (“the assembly”) and *chokha* (“your statute”) in *echad lachem* (“one for you”). The meaning is: “You, O house of Jacob, to whom it is said, ‘See the word of the Lord’—that is, you who say to the prophets of the Lord, ‘Do not prophesy’—if the prophecy of the Lord seems short to you, why do you cut it off? Was it not ample for you to admonish them and to benefit yourselves? Whenever you wished to receive it, I did not withhold it from you.”
"If these are His doings." And are these afflictions that befall you truly His doings and actions? No, rather they are the result of your own deeds, for the words of God are to benefit and not to harm a person who walks in the straight path.
The short form. A past-tense verb, half with a qamats and half with a patach.
“Yeitivu.” The first yod is vocalized with a tsere, and the second yod, which is quiescent, is the first radical of the verb. The correct form is with the he of the hif'il conjugation, “heitivu,” just as in “moshlav yeheililu” (their rulers howl, Isaiah 52:5).
Metzudat David
That which is stated, “House of Jacob.” The letter Heh is a heh of wonderment, meaning: Can the “House of Jacob” say this? And even if they were to say it, is it truly so? Is God’s will limited such that He cannot fulfill it to do good to whomever He desires?
"If these are His deeds." And is it His way to do evil to creatures?
Are not My words truly good? Indeed, My words are good for one who walks in the straight path.
Metzudat Zion
Ruach. Retzon:
“Of his deeds.” His actions:
Malbim
That which is stated as "House of Jacob"—all of this is the utterance that is spoken in the House of Jacob, meaning the utterance that is customary on their lips.
"The Shortness of Spirit" — they will still raise objections against the words of the prophets who prophesy calamity and bad tidings, saying: Is God short-spirited? Does God become emotionally affected by the evil deeds that people perform, such that His spirit is too short to endure them, and therefore He becomes angry and wrathful out of His shortness of spirit and decrees calamity upon the people? Or are these His deeds? Or, if you say that it is not due to the emotional affectation whereby He becomes affected to anger at those who transgress His will, such that He could not lengthen His spirit, then they will ask: Are these His deeds, to do evil to His creatures? Are not the deeds of God goodness, kindness, mercy, and pardon, and not to decree evils and calamities? All this the House of Jacob will say to the prophets. He answers them: Are not My words good for the one who walks uprightly? Why do you complain against My words, that they are bad words and bring tidings of calamity? Are not My words good for the one who walks in the straight path with Him? They are not bad words; rather, he will rejoice over them, and they are for him words of comfort, for the words of prophecy testify that God watches over the deeds of human beings to reward each person according to his actions. The one who walks uprightly will rejoice in this, for thereby he will hope for righteousness and kindness from God according to his actions, as it is said: "It is a joy to the righteous to deal justly."
But of late My people is risen up as an enemy; With the garment you strip also the mantle From them that pass by securely, so that they are as men returning from war.
verse value 3211
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. Verse gematria: 3211 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "my·people" (עַמִּי֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·yesterday" (וְאֶתְמ֗וּל, 6 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "and·yesterday" (וְאֶתְמ֗וּל), "for·enemy" (לְאוֹיֵ֣ב), "rises·up" (יְקוֹמֵ֔ם). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·people" (root עם, 20x in Micah). First appearance of the root איב ("for·enemy") in Micah. First appearance of the root קום ("rises·up") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·strip', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְאֶתְמ֗וּל [and·yesterday] (483) + עַמִּי֙ [my·people] (120) + לְאוֹיֵ֣ב [for·enemy] (49) + יְקוֹמֵ֔ם [rises·up] (196) + מִמּ֣וּל [from·off] (116) + שַׂלְמָ֔ה [garment] (375) + אֶ֖דֶר [mantle] (205) + תַּפְשִׁט֑וּן [you·strip] (845) + מֵעֹבְרִ֣ים [from·those·passing] (362) + בֶּ֔טַח [securely] (19) + שׁוּבֵ֖י [returning·from] (318) + מִלְחָמָֽה [battle] (123) = 3211.
Rashi
“And of late My people is risen up as an enemy.” The verse is connected to the one above it: I am good and I do good — and the very One who is toward him and acts for his sake, My people set Him up as an enemy to him.
“From off the garment you strip the mantle.” Corresponding to the fact that you rob the garment and the glorious raiment, stripping [it] from all who pass by you on the road:
“Those who pass through in safety are returned as captives of war.” From what they assumed would be a safe passage, they were transformed into captives of war, like people returning from battle lacking in clothing and food, for their enemies had taken what they had on them. The term “captives” (shuvim) is akin to [the usage in] Jeremiah 2:21, “The vine of alien stock” (suri hagafen nekhriyah), and [to] Zephaniah 3, “those grieved away from the appointed feast” (nogei memoad).
Ibn Ezra
"Va'etmol" – it is a single word, as in "For it is prepared from yesterday" (Isaiah 30:33). And the meaning is: "For My words do good to the good, not as one who is 'from yesterday'."
"As an enemy he rises up" – My people will rise up as enemies, each man against his fellow.
"Mamul shelomo" – because of the garment (salmah) and the mantle (adder) that they strip off; the mantle of those who pass by securely, and when they are rescued so that they will not be killed, since nothing remains to them except what is upon them, they will consider themselves as prisoners of war and rejoice in their deliverance from your hands. Just as prisoners of war rejoice in peace, so you shall do outside the city: take plunder and spoil; but within the city you shall commit another form of violence.
Radak
"And yesterday." [The word is read] with a shuruk, just as it is [read] with a cholam. And so [it is read] with a shuruk, for [the verse] "For a Topheth is ordained of old (Isaiah 30:33)" [teaches]: The enemy who comes upon you today—this is justice and judgment, for "this people" was yesterday an enemy to his weak brothers, and he rose up as an enemy to the poor and plundered them; and it is just that the enemy should come upon them, measure for measure.
“Yekomem” is an intransitive verb (po'al omed); but “and I will raise up her ruins” (ve-charvoteha akomem, Isaiah 44:26) is a transitive verb (po'al yotze).
“Facing a garment, you strip off the mantle.” And you stand facing a fine garment that you see upon a poor man who wears it; you stand opposite him to harm him and to strip off the garment that was a mantle (eder) for him.
Mimol. Like: "And he was sitting before me".
“Adar.” It is like “hader.” My master and father, of blessed memory, explained: They would seize Shlomo from the house of the poor because of the tax, saying that this pledge is not sufficient, and they would strip his mantle from him. This is “[they] will strip you naked” (t’fashiton): they would strip the poor. Those who thought they were going in security would come to their homes like returning soldiers of war, naked, their clothes stripped. And afterward they would say: “These pledges are not sufficient—neither Shlomo nor the mantle”—and they would drive him out of his house. This is “[the women] of your people will I drive out” (n’shei ami tigrashon) “from their houses of pleasure.” “From your children will I take away” (me’al olleikha takkhu) “the glory” (hadar) “forever.” “Hadar” is “my inheritance” (nachalati) that I have given them: “will I take away from your children,” who were hidden and covered there. Therefore, “Go out all of you from my inheritance.” “Arise and go, for this is not the rest.”
Metzudat David
And “yesterday” with My people. But “My people” refers to “yesterday,” meaning that many days have not yet passed, and therefore you cannot deny the matter that they are rising as an enemy, each man against his brother.
"Mimol Shelomo" – this means: if you see someone wearing an important garment, stand opposite the garment to set your eyes on it, and then strip him of that important garment.
They are passing through securely. From the men who pass through securely, you will turn them into captives of war, for you will plunder all that is theirs, as if they had fled and returned from war, leaving everything behind to lighten their burden.
Metzudat Zion
And yesterday. Its meaning is like "yesterday" with a cholam, and similarly, "For the furnace is prepared from yesterday" (Isaiah 30:33).
Mimul (opposite). [It means] facing / over against:
Salmah (a garment). Clothing:
Ader. A precious garment, as in “and he laid aside his robe” (Jonah 3:6):
Tafshitun (you strip off). The matter of removing the garment:
Malbim
And yesterday, and if so, why does it say, “Why do My words rise up against my people and against my nation as an enemy?”? After all, the righteous people go their way, and My words should do good to them. How can these very good words rise up against my people as a harm and an enemy against them? The reason for this is from the word “m’ol” (opposite) the garment, because My words rise up opposite the garment (salmah) and the mantle (adder) which you strip from travelers in safety. For you strip from travelers in safety their completeness and the mantles they wear, until they resemble captives returning from war, since you fall upon passersby to fight them and plunder their spoils, just as the defeated are plundered in war. Against these evil deeds My words rise up as an enemy.
The women of My people you cast out from their pleasant houses; From their young children you take away My glory for ever.
verse value 3623
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "women·of" (נְשֵׁ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "you·cast·out" (תְּגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּן, 6 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "women·of" (נְשֵׁ֤י), "you·cast·out" (תְּגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּן), "from·house·of" (מִבֵּ֖ית). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from" (root על, 21x in Micah); "my·people" (root עם, 20x in Micah). First appearance of the root עולם ("to·ever") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·daintiness', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: נְשֵׁ֤י [women·of] (360) + עַמִּי֙ [my·people] (120) + תְּגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּן [you·cast·out] (959) + מִבֵּ֖ית [from·house·of] (452) + תַּֽעֲנֻגֶ֑יהָ [her·daintiness] (538) + מֵעַל֙ [from] (140) + עֹֽלָלֶ֔יהָ [her·children] (145) + תִּקְח֥וּ [you·will·take] (514) + הֲדָרִ֖י [my·majesty] (219) + לְעוֹלָֽם [to·ever] (176) = 3623.
Rashi
You drive out the women of my people from the house of their delights. Because you are killing their husbands, they sit as widows; or because you are seizing the property of their husbands, they sit and are distressed, and they do not bring joy to their wives.
“Take the choicest fruits.” *Hadar* denotes splendor, glory, and wealth that I have bestowed upon them.
Ibn Ezra
Nashim – every one of the women of My people.
Her pleasures – that she took delight with her husband.
"Take my glory" – to separate the father from the mother.
Radak
“Cast out my people’s wives.” Each and every one of the wives of my people; and “my people” refers to the poor, as it is said, “If you lend money to My people” (Exodus 22:24). It is as if Scripture says: You are the cause that the poor man divorces his wife from his home. You enter the poor man’s house without his permission, to plot against him and to rob him. And when the poor man comes and finds one of you in his house with his wife, he suspects his wife and divorces her from his home. And behold, it is as though you yourselves are casting her out from her husband’s house, which is her place of delight.
“From above her young ones you take away My glory forever.” What is “My glory forever”? It is the joining of a man with his wife to be fruitful and multiply, since You formed her from the rib of man and commanded them: “Be fruitful and multiply.” And you take away that glory, which is splendor and honor, as it is said: “Let the glory of the Lord be forever; let the Lord rejoice in His works.” For when the created beings are according to the order of their constitution and formation, this is the honor of God, blessed be He, and upon them people shall praise Him and glorify Him.
Metzudat David
You shall expel them from her house of pleasure. They plunder houses of delight and expel the women, each from her house in which she dwelled and derived pleasure, as is the manner of a woman of status to dwell in her house and derive pleasure in the shade of her home.
“From her children” etc. This means: The splendor of wealth that I bestowed upon her to adorn her children, you will strip from them and take for yourselves forever, without return.
Metzudat Zion
“Her little ones.” Young children:
Hadar. The word means splendor and beauty, and it is said of wealth:
Malbim
“The women of My people you shall drive out from their houses of delight,” as will be explained further below: they used to take women from their husbands’ homes as collateral for debts, and they defiled them with prostitution. And concerning this it says, “From their children you take away My splendor,” for the children of these women came under the suspicion of mamzerut (illegitimacy), and the divine splendor departed from them, since the Divine Presence rests only upon distinguished families of Israel. He says to them: “Will it be so forever? Will you drive out the women of My people forever? And I will be long-suffering and remain silent toward you?”
Arise you, and depart; for this is not your resting-place; Because of the uncleanness thereof, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.
verse value 1998
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. Verse gematria: 1998 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·resting·place" (הַמְּנוּחָ֑ה, 6 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "get·up" (ק֣וּמוּ), "and·go" (וּלְכ֔וּ), "not·this" (לֹא־זֹ֖את). The root חבל appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 20x in Micah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·resting·place', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: ק֣וּמוּ [get·up] (152) + וּלְכ֔וּ [and·go] (62) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + לֹא־זֹ֖את [not·this] (439) + הַמְּנוּחָ֑ה [the·resting·place] (114) + בַּעֲב֥וּר [because·of] (280) + טָמְאָ֛ה [was·unclean] (55) + תְּחַבֵּ֖ל [it·shall·destroy] (440) + וְחֶ֥בֶל [and·a cord] (46) + נִמְרָֽץ [severe] (380) = 1998.
Rashi
“Arise and go, for this is not the rest. Arise and go into exile from the land, for I did not give it to you for rest in this manner.”
Because of the unclean one, she shall be bound, and with a binding that is vigorous. For in order to make her unclean, she makes a band of the cords of the wicked. "Tachbel" is in the sense of bundles, like (1 Samuel 10:5) "a bundle of prophets," (Psalms 119:61) "the ropes of the wicked." And likewise, the Targum renders it as "mistayin aleh," which is in the sense of a company/group.
And a vigorous cord. And at the time of their binding, they had already deliberated among themselves and explained why they are joined together.
Nimretz. A thing clearly and well explained, as in (Job 6:25) "How nimretz are his words!" [i.e., how clearly expressed]; "what provokes you" (ibid. 16:3); "A nimretz curse" (1 Kings 2:8).
Ibn Ezra
"Arise" – For this reason you shall not rest in your land, because the land was defiled by your deeds, for it will afflict you, as it is said: "And it shall afflict the work of your hands."
"Vechaval" – like "tzirim vechavalim" (pangs and throes).
Nimretz – "Your land shall be complete for you."
Radak
“Arise and go.” Go into exile, for you will not rest in your land as you had imagined. I called this land “rest” and “inheritance,” but now, because of your sins, it is neither inheritance nor rest for you. Arise and go from it.
“Because of the impurity, it shall be devastated, and the devastation shall be severe.” This refers to the resting-place and the inheritance being impure, as it is stated, “And the land was defiled, and I visited its iniquity upon it, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.” And because of this impurity—since you have defiled it—therefore your land shall be devastated, as it is stated, “And the land shall vomit out,” meaning it shall devastate you and vomit you out from within it. “Devastation” denotes the matter of destruction, as in “and He will devastate the work of your hands,” and likewise “and the devastation shall be severe” denotes the matter of destruction, and it is a noun. And what is the nature of the devastation with which He will devastate you? It will be a “severe devastation,” like a “severe curse,” meaning a very strong devastation.
Metzudat David
“Arise and go.” Therefore, arise from My land and go into exile.
"For this is not the rest." This means: I did not give you the land as an inheritance of rest in this manner.
“Because of the unclean thing.” Because you rendered the land unclean by performing such acts within it, therefore it will wound and destroy you, and you shall be consumed within it.
"And a grievous destruction." The destruction will be very intense, to the point that no remnant will remain.
Metzudat Zion
“The rest.” “A place of rest” – that is to say, an inheritance.
"Tachbel vechabel." The language of "chavelah" (wounding) and "hashchatah" (mutilation):
Nimrats. The matter of forcefulness/strength, as in “a grievous curse” (I Kings 2:8):
Malbim
“Arise and go from the land into exile, for this is not rest; you will not rest in the land in this manner, and this will not be called by the name of rest if you act thus.” And he explains what was stated: “The women of My people will drive them out of their houses of pleasure.” How was this? He says: “Because of impurity, she will wound [them].” Indeed, she will wound and take as a pledge a married woman from her husband’s house in order to defile her through prostitution, and this is a severe wound. And the “detaining” is an explicit pledge, meaning that she takes her as a pledge explicitly on the condition that she lie with her to defile her. And all of this is a response to what was said to the prophets: “Let them not prophesy to them reproofs and evil portents.” And they brought proof that it is impossible that the Lord should do evil and punish, and that the Lord is short of spirit to bear their sin. And regarding this, He showed them that it is impossible for the Lord to leave them to persist in their evil, which is contrary to custom, for they have corrupted their way exceedingly, until He is compelled to send them out of the land, for this is not rest. Now He returns to what was stated: “Do not preach, let them preach,” and He says to them.
If a man walking in wind and falsehood do lie: ‘I will preach to you of wine and of strong drink’; He shall even be the preacher of this people.
verse value 2344
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְךָ֔, 2 letters) and the longest is "if·a·man" (לוּ־אִ֞ישׁ, 5 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "if·a·man" (לוּ־אִ֞ישׁ), "and·lie" (וָשֶׁ֣קֶר), "he·lies" (כִּזֵּ֔ב). The root נטף appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·people" (root עם, 20x in Micah). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·to·the·strong·drink', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: לוּ־אִ֞ישׁ [if·a·man] (347) + הֹלֵ֥ךְ [going] (55) + ר֙וּחַ֙ [wind] (214) + וָשֶׁ֣קֶר [and·lie] (606) + כִּזֵּ֔ב [he·lies] (29) + אַטִּ֣ף [I·will·preach] (90) + לְךָ֔ [to·you] (50) + לַיַּ֖יִן [to·the·wine] (100) + וְלַשֵּׁכָ֑ר [and·to·the·strong·drink] (556) + וְהָיָ֥ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + מַטִּ֖יף [preacher·of] (139) + הָעָ֥ם [the·people] (115) + הַזֶּֽה [this] (17) = 2344.
Rashi
If a man walking in wind [spirit]. If they find a man walking in spirit, a man of falsehood prophesies to them that they will become drunk on wine and strong drink, he will be an accepted prophet for this people.
Ibn Ezra
“Lo ish” – Behold, you will command the prophets of the Name not to preach and admonish you, perhaps you will return to the Lord and not be exiled from your land, as you have exiled the women. And behold, if a man comes and prophesies with false words and says to you: “Drink and rejoice,” the Lord will say: “For you will rest in your place, and those who were exiled and wandered will return to their place,” as it is written afterwards, “I will gather, I will gather, and you shall all be assembled.” Then this preacher will be a preacher to this people, by saying this verse in this manner.
Radak
“Lo, a man walking in wind and falsehood, a lie.” This refers back to what they were saying to the prophets of God, “Do not preach.” To the prophets of the Lord they would say that they should not prophesy; but if there is a man who “walks in wind” — that is, whose ways are ways of wind and vanity — and “falsehood, a lie,” who deceives with words of falsehood, saying to them, “You shall have peace, do as your heart desires,” and says to this people, “Behold, I will preach to you of wine and strong drink” — that is, if you give me a cup of wine or strong drink I will prophesy good prophecies for you — his words will please them and they will listen, and he will be for them a preacher and a prophet.
Metzudat David
“Lu ish” (if a man). If they found a man who follows after words of wind and vanity and deceives, speaking falsehood, he would say [to them]: “I will prophesy to you [about] drinking wine and strong drink”:
"And it came to pass that he would entice." Such a person was accepted by them as a prophet, for they listened to him greatly, whereas they would not listen in this manner to the words of a true prophet. And this is derived from the preceding verse, to say: "If so, it is only just that they should go into exile from My land."
Metzudat Zion
Lu. Its meaning is like “if,” as in “if [I cause] an evil beast [to pass]” (Ezekiel 14):
Atif. It is borrowed in the context of speech of prophecy:
Malbim
(11-12) "If a man walks after wind [an empty spirit]": If I were to send to you one of the false prophets, who would prophesy to you falsehoods, or prophesy according to their erring spirit of imagination, that you would be intoxicated with wine and strong drink, and this prophet would prophesy to this people, saying: "I will gather Jacob, all of them, etc." And this false prophet would prophesy, saying to you: "In My name I will gather Jacob and assemble them from their scattered places," which are good tidings and consolations. And he would say to you in prophecy: "Concerning Jacob and Israel, the ones who are gathered, together I will place them like a flock in Bozrah." That is to say, they will no longer have the yoke of Torah and commandments, like the holy flock, like the flock of Jerusalem; rather, they will be similar to the flock of Bozrah, which is a city, the capital of the kingdom of Edom, where the flock within it, namely the people there, are free from all Torah and commandment. And he would say to you: "Thus you too will be like the nations, having no Torah." If a prophet comes and prophesies to you thus, then "like a flock within the enclosure they will be from people." That is to say, then they will not all hide in their houses, as they used to flee from hearing the true words of the prophet who prophesied to them to keep the commandments; rather, they will all gather together to hear his words. And the house of the prophet who prophesies will be full of the noise of people. Just as the enclosure where they gather the flock is full of the entire flock, lacking not a single sheep, so too will they be found there together, and they will be noisy there from the multitude of people.
I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will render them all as sheep in a fold; As a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.
verse value 4793
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "surely" (אָסֹ֨ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·will·make·him" (אֲשִׂימֶ֖נּוּ, 6 letters). 13 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "surely" (אָסֹ֨ף), "I·will·gather" (אֶאֱסֹ֜ף), "all·of·you" (כֻּלָּ֗ךְ). The root אסף appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root אסף ("surely") in Micah. First appearance of the root עדר ("as·flock") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'enclosure', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
“Gather, I will gather.” “Yet days are coming, and I will gather you.”
Like sheep in a fold. Like a large flock of sheep that is enclosed within the fortified walls of sheepfolds:
“Within the matter of his speech.” The Targum: “like a flock in the midst of the fold,” meaning a place where one conducts himself. Similarly, (Isaiah 5:17): “And the lambs shall graze according to their pasture.”
"They shall be tumultuous with people." Let the cities be populous with the multitude of people who are within them.
Ibn Ezra
“Gather, as sheep in distress” – perhaps there are [such people] in this city.
“In the midst of its fold (ha-dovro)” — to the place where they drive the flock; like “rafts in the sea” (dovrot ba-yam), an expression like “and he led the flock” (Exodus 3:1). And likewise the beams [of the rafts] were floating, or were floated.
Thus shall the cities be in tumult, due to the multitude of people, like a crowd of people.
Radak
“Gather, I will gather, all of you, Jacob.” Some say that these two verses refer to calamity, as is stated before and after them. And the explanation of “Gather, I will gather” is that they will enter into a siege in fortified cities out of fear of the enemy.
“Like a flock in distress.” A very large city of Edom, and it is a land of livestock, with much livestock in it. He said that the Israelites, in their flight to the cities and their gathering therein out of fear of the enemy, are likened to a flock that is brought into the cities and gathered there because of the enemies, meaning that they will not have the strength to stand before the enemy, like sheep. And they will be in a tumult within the cities like sheep within their pen, within the place of their custom, which is the sheepfold where the sheep are brought in. The word “their pen” comes with two definite articles, like “within the tents,” and the letter dalet stands with a gaia, and it is called a broad qamats under a chatef qamats.
“They shall be in tumult from [the multitude of] people.” From the great multitude of people who gather together in it, they shall be in tumult; because of the enemy they shall roar.
Metzudat David
“Gather, I will gather.” Now He returns to comfort them and says, “Yet I will not be angry forever, for in the latter days I will gather all the house of Jacob from the place of their exile.”
"Gather," etc. The duplication of the matter is stated in what is said:
Together. I will place them all together in My land, like sheep that are enclosed within the sheepfolds, which serve as their fortress and stronghold.
“Like a flock.” Just as the flock is gathered to its customary place, which is the sheepfold, so too shall all of Israel be assembled in their land.
"They shall murmur." The sound of their murmuring will be heard in their land because of the multitude of people.
Metzudat Zion
Botzrah. He used it as a borrowed expression for the sheepfold, which is to them as a fortress (mivtzar). “Dovro” — the matter of leading, as in “and lambs shall graze according to their pasture (kedovram)” (Isaiah 5:17):
"They shall roar" (tehimenah). The word is from the root meaning "clamor and tumult."
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 Hashem at the head of them.
verse value 3264
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "through·it" (ב֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "before·them" (לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 215: before·them, before·them. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Micah. Unique to this verse in Micah (hapax): "went·up" (עָלָ֤ה), "the·breaker" (הַפֹּרֵץ֙), "they·spread·out" (פָּֽרְצוּ֙). The root פרץ appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 40x in Micah). First appearance of the root עלה ("went·up") in Micah. First appearance of the root ראש ("in·their·head") in Micah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'through·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: עָלָ֤ה [went·up] (105) + הַפֹּרֵץ֙ [the·breaker] (375) + לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם [before·them] (215) + פָּֽרְצוּ֙ [they·spread·out] (376) + וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ [and·passed·through] (294) + שַׁ֖עַר [gate] (570) + וַיֵּ֣צְאוּ [and·went·out] (113) + ב֑וֹ [through·it] (8) + וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר [and·passed·on] (288) + מַלְכָּם֙ [their·king] (130) + לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם [before·them] (215) + וַיהֹוָ֖ה [and·Hashem] (32) + בְּרֹאשָֽׁם [in·their·head] (543) = 3264.
Rashi
“The breacher goes up.” Their savior, who breaches the hedge of thorns and the fences of briars, to make straight the way before them:
Ibn Ezra
"Alah" – If one of the sheep breaks through and goes out first, they all will break through and go out one after another. So too will Israel act regarding the words of the false prophet, like sheep that go to graze.
"And their king shall pass over" – The glory of God comes first; therefore it is written: "Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who deceive, saying, 'I will gather, I will gather.'"
Radak
"The leaf that breaks through." My master and father, of blessed memory, explained this in reference to Zedekiah: when he exited through the space between the walls, the wall was breached before him, as it is written in Ezekiel’s prophecy: "They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it."
"And their king passed before them." This refers to Zedekiah, who fled before his troops, and his troops followed after him.
“And the Lord at their head.” Before this, the Divine Presence departed from them, and afterward they went into exile. And the Targum [interprets] these verses as a comfort for the future. And so it translates at the end: “As one lifts up, I will gather you, House of Jacob,” and so on. It translates “in distress” as “chuttra,” like the translation of “folds of sheep” as “chutrin de-‘an.” And it translates “He who speaks” as “dira,” like “one who gathers sheep into a fold,” according to the words of our Sages of blessed memory. And in the midrash: “The one who breaks through” refers to Elijah; “this is my God” refers to the Branch, the son of David.
Metzudat David
"עלה הפורץ" – Before they ascend, he will ascend before them. This refers to one who will break down the fences, clear away the obstacles, and level the path. It is said of Elijah the Prophet that he will come before the redemption to straighten the hearts of Israel toward their Father in Heaven, thereby preparing the way for the redemption. As it is written: "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers" (Malachi 3:23).
“Pratzu.” The exiles of the diaspora will also break down the fences and barriers, and they will pass through the breach as though it were a gate and a path by which they exit from the diaspora. This means that they will strengthen their courage to straighten their hearts, to begin repentance, and by virtue of this merit they will emerge from the diaspora.
"And their king will pass before them." When they return, their king will pass before them; he is the King Messiah, and the Lord will pass at the head of all of them, for then He too will return His Divine Presence to Zion.
Metzudat Zion
"The one who breaches." From the language of a breach and breaking:
Malbim
Regarding “the breaker who went up” , it is said: Behold, see how they are not complete in their faith, and how they sway like a reed on the face of the wind, wavering between two branches. For this was evident at that time in the tribe of Judah: when a king arose who breached the fences of religion and served idolatry, immediately all the people followed him to do as he did, as occurred in the days of Ahaz and in the days of Manasseh. And when a righteous king arose after him, such as Hezekiah, who stood after Ahaz, and Josiah, who stood after Manasseh, and they began to serve the Lord, so too did the people act, and they all served the Lord. This indicates that faith is not rooted in their hearts; rather, they are drawn in this manner after their leader, whether toward God or toward Azazel. And this is what is stated: “In the time that the breaker went up before them”—meaning the king who breaches the fence and violates the religion, and destroys its walls—then “they broke through and passed over.” They too broke through the fences of religion, they transgressed the Torah, they passed over the decree. And also “they broke through the gate and went out through it”: after they breached the fences, like thieves going through a breach, the breach subsequently became for them like a fixed gate through which to go, and they went out through it from the realm of religion. But “in the time that their king passed before them”—if a righteous king passed before them, who rules in the fear of the Lord and is fit to reign and sit on the throne of David—then “the Lord was at their head.” They were drawn after the Lord and went after Him.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim