Woe or calamity is pronounced upon corrupt Israelites who plotted “wickedness” or schemed to commit oppression and fraud. While lying awake in bed, they made plans to take advantage of others, especially the lowly ones among the people. Then, “in the light of the morning” or early after the sun had risen, these lawless ones carried out their base objectives. It was on account of the “power of their hand” or because they were able to exercise control and exert influence that they succeeded in doing what they wanted. (2:1)

The Septuagint does not include the opening expression of woe but refers to the corrupt Israelites as devising “troubles” or injurious things and “working” or plotting evils or how to harm others to benefit themselves, doing so while lying on their beds at night. Then, at daybreak, they started to bring their schemes to completion. These individuals are described as not lifting “their hands toward God,” revealing that they had no regard for him. They did not praise, thank, or petition him. (2:1)

Dishonest Israelites coveted fields, wanting to increase their own land holdings. Through corrupt means, which could have included bribery and maneuvering disadvantaged persons into a state of hopeless indebtedness, they seized the fields they desired. According to the Septuagint, they “plundered orphans,” depriving them of their inheritance. Through fraudulent means, these lawless ones seized houses. They were ever ready to wrong another man and his household, “a man and his property.” They callously took whatever they wanted. (2:2)

Fraud and oppression had not escaped YHWH’s attention. Therefore, through his prophet, he declared that he would devise “evil” or calamity “against the tribe” of lawless ones. It would be a calamity from which no escape would be possible, as it would be like a yoke on the people’s necks that they could not remove. They would be humiliated and cease walking haughtily as persons who succeeded in attaining their aims, for it would be an “evil” or “calamitous time.” The Septuagint rendering suggests that the people would be bowed down, unable to walk upright. (2:3)

The calamity would provide the basis for a proverbial expression or “parable” (LXX) and for wailing and lamentation. According to the Septuagint, a “lamentation will be lamented in a tune.” One would say, “To be devastated, we are devastated [with affliction we have been afflicted (LXX)]. He will change the portion of my people. How he removes [it] from me. To the apostate [shohvév] he apportions our fields.” The repetition of the verb form for “devastate” or “ruin” denotes the “utter devastation” or ruin of the people of Israel. In the Septuagint, a similar repetition points to great affliction. YHWH, through the instrument he would allow to act, would change the portion or inheritance of the people of Israel, taking it away and giving the fields to others. The Septuagint indicates that the portion or share of the people of Israel would be measured out with a line. When the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel was conquered, the Assyrians exiled the surviving Israelites and gave their land to people of other nations. (2:4; 2 Kings 17:24)

The Hebrew word shohvév literally describes one who turns away or apostatizes. Believing that this could not be the meaning intended, some have conjectured that the probable reading of the Hebrew text is shoveynu (“those taking us captive”), but this does not have the support of the Septuagint. In the Septuagint, the apparent rendering is a form of apostrépho, meaning “turn back” or “to turn away.” The context in which this verb appears differs from the Hebrew text. “[There] was no one hindering him to turn away.” Perhaps this means that no one hindered him so as to cause him to turn away from taking action. The Hebrew word shohvév could be understood to refer to those who were no part of Israel like persons who had turned away, separated themselves, or apostatized from the nation. (2:4)

Because the Israelites would lose their territory, no one among them would be casting out a measuring line for the purpose of determining the boundaries of a parcel of land. This activity would cease “in the congregation of YHWH” or among God’s people Israel. (2:5)

The imperative “do not drop,” meaning do not proclaim words or mere drivel is second person plural. Translators have often rendered this as a singular to apply to the prophet Micah. “‘Enough of your preaching!’ That’s what you tell me.” (CEV) “The people say to me, ‘Do not speak about these things.’” (NLB) It may be, however, that the objection could be understood as applying to Micah and the other prophets of YHWH, for the people as a whole did not welcome their message. Especially the false prophets opposed it. A number of translations represent the false prophets as the ones wanting the proclamation to stop. “The prophets say, ‘Don’t prophesy to us!’” (NCV) “‘Don’t prophesy,’ the people’s prophets say.” (NIRV) (2:6)

If the false prophets are understood to be the ones who wanted YHWH’s true prophets to cease proclaiming the message of judgment, these false prophets may be the ones who were not letting words “drop concerning these” or these things that the true prophets were making known. As a consequence, “reproaches” would “not turn back.” As the words of the false prophets would delude the people into thinking that they did not need to abandon their wayward course, they would experience “reproaches” or the taunts and humiliation to which foreign conquest, in expression of YHWH’s punitive judgment, would lead. (2:6)

A measure of obscurity in the Hebrew text has given rise to interpretive renderings that are directed to Micah. “We won’t be disgraced, so stop preaching!” (CEV) “Don’t prophesy about bad things. Nothing shameful is going to happen to us.” (NIRV) “Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!” (NLT) “Don’t preach about all that. God is not going to disgrace us.” (GNT, Second Edition) (2:6)

The words in the Septuagint are directed to the people. They are told not to “weep with tears nor to shed tears over these things,” with apparent reference to what they would experience in the time of calamity. The reason for not weeping is that “he will not thrust aside reproaches.” As a defeated people, the Israelites would be subjected to reproaches, and God, to whom they had been unfaithful, would not turn away the taunts of the victors. (2:6)

The question is raised as to whether the “house of Jacob” or the people of Israel should ask, “Is the spirit of YHWH shortened? Are these his deeds?” It seemed to the people that the prophetic words reflected a change in YHWH’s kindly disposition, as if it had been “shortened” or been greatly diminished. Translators have variously rendered the question that includes the Hebrew word for “spirit” (rúach). “Is the Spirit of the LORD angry?” (NIV) “Has Yahweh grown short-tempered?” (NJB) “Is the LORD short of patience …?” (NAB) “Is the LORD’s patience exhausted?” (NRSV) “Is the LORD’s patience truly at an end?” (REB) “Descendants of Jacob, is it right for you to claim that the LORD did what he did because he was angry?” (CEV) The people appear not to have believed that YHWH’s deeds would include their being punished severely for their actions. (2:7)

The next question appears to be YHWH’s answer through his prophet. “Do not my words do good to the one walking in uprightness?” In keeping with his words of promise, YHWH does good to those who conduct themselves uprightly, blessing, guiding, and sustaining them. The implication is that those who do not conduct themselves uprightly would not be recipients of good. YHWH would express his judgment against them according to their lawless actions. (2:7)

While the Septuagint rendering contains some of the same expressions as the extant Hebrew text, an entirely different thought is conveyed, and its significance is obscure. The Septuagint refers to the “house of Jacob” as having infuriated the “spirit of the Lord,” which would be on account of their lawless ways. The Septuagint continues, “If these are his practices, are not his words good with him and going upright?” Possibly this denotes that God’s deeds, including his punitive judgments, confirm that his words are good or trustworthy and not false. These words could be regarded as “going upright” or as having moved forward in the right way, not proving to be false but attaining the goal of exact fulfillment. (2:7)

The Israelites, whom YHWH is represented as calling “my people,” had not conducted themselves as his friends. “And yesterday” (according to another reading, “and you”), already at a time in the past, or “previously” (LXX), they had risen up as an “enemy.” The people seemingly are likened to thieves who “strip off” or quickly snatch away an item from the “front of a garment, a mantel,” of an unsuspecting person passing by. The individual would be like a victorious man returning confidently from battle. In view of the elliptical nature of the Hebrew text, translators vary considerably in their renderings. “You rise up as my enemy to my face, to strip the cloaks from travellers who felt safe or from men returning from the battle.” (REB) “You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle.” (NIV) “You have stripped off the mantel covering the tunic of those who go their way in confidence, as though it were spoils of war.” (NAB) “You strip the robe from the peaceful, from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war.” (NRSV) “From the inoffensive man you snatch his cloak, on those who feel safe you inflict the damage of war.” (NJB) “You have even stolen clothes right off the backs of your unsuspecting soldiers returning home from battle.” (CEV) (2:8)

The Septuagint includes renderings of words that are found in the extant Hebrew text, but a completely different significance is conveyed. “Also previously, my people rose up in enmity. Against his peace, they stripped off his skin to remove hope for the crushing of war.” This could mean that the Israelites, God’s people, manifested their hostility toward him. They acted like persons who resisted peace, like those who flayed captives of war and thereby removed any hope that the conflict would end. (2:8)

Oppressive Israelites were ruthless in their treatment of the disadvantaged ones among the people. The “women” of God’s people must have been widows from whom the oppressors seized their homes. A woman would be driven away from her place — the “house of her delight” or the pleasant home that she had been able to enjoy. From the woman’s children, the ruthless Israelites would take away the “glory.” YHWH is represented as referring to this “glory” as “my glory,” revealing that he is its source. The “glory” YHWH bestowed may apply to the honor or dignity he granted to all his people as free persons with a land inheritance. Oppressive Israelites seized the inheritance of orphans and forced them into slavery and thus ripped away from them their God-given glory. They left these children without hope, as they robbed them of everything for “limitless time.” (2:9)

The application of the words in the Septuagint is to the judgment to befall the unfaithful Israelites. The corrupt leaders of God’s people would be “driven out of the houses of their delight.” “Because of their evil practices,” they would be forced out. The verse concludes with an imperative. “Draw near to the eternal mountains.” This may mean that they should head for the mountains, the stable features of the land, and there seek to find refuge in caves. (2:9)

Through his prophet, YHWH revealed that he would not continue to tolerate the corrupt conduct of the Israelites. To indicate that they would have to leave the land, they are told to arise and go. The land would not be a resting place for them, a home where they could enjoy themselves. This would be “on account of uncleanness that destroys and a sickening destruction.” The “uncleanness” may refer to the defilement of the land through the lawless actions of the people, and that uncleanness would bring about destruction, a destruction of a sickening or grievous kind. Thus the people would be forced out of the land. (2:10; compare Leviticus 18:24-28.)

A measure of obscurity in the extant Hebrew text has given rise to a variety of interpretive renderings. “For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy.” (NIV) “This is no resting place because of [your] defilement. Terrible destruction shall befall.” (Tanakh) “To defile yourselves you would commit any mischief however cruel.” (REB) With apparent reference to the wayward people, the Septuagint says, “Because of uncleanness, you were corrupted with corruption.” This suggests that the extent to which the people had defiled themselves brought about their complete ruin. According to the punctuation in Rahlfs’ printed Greek text, the words “because of uncleanness” are linked to the thought about there not being “rest” for the people, and the phrase “you were corrupted with corruption” is a separate sentence. (2:10)

The “man going about [with] wind [rúach (wind or spirit)] and deception” would be a false prophet, a man who “does lie.” His utterances would be “wind,” devoid of any substance and, hence, empty. These utterances would also be “deception,” deluding those who believed the falsehoods. If such a man or a lying prophet were to say, Let me talk [literally, “drop” (words)] to you about “wine and liquor,” the people would listen to him. He would be the proclaimer (the “one dropping” words) to “this people, the Israelites. His drivel about “wine and liquor” would please them, as it assured them that they would not face punitive judgment but would continue to enjoy the pleasures associated with intoxicants. (2:11)

Although the Septuagint includes words that parallel the Hebrew text, the thoughts the Greek rendering expresses are both different and obscure. The Septuagint opens with the words, “You were pursued by no one pursuing.” This could mean that the Israelites acted fearfully, fleeing as if they were being pursued when this was not the case. (Compare Leviticus 26:17.) The Septuagint continues: “A spirit established a lie. It has dropped on you for wine and liquor. And it will be [that], from the drop of this people, a gathering will be gathered to Jacob with all.” The designation “spirit” may here refer to a spiritual influence or to a message that is asserted to be the product of a spirit. False prophets claimed to be under divine influence, but what they proclaimed were lies. Accordingly, the spirit to which they attributed their utterances established falsehoods. This “spirit,” or the message that purported to be from a spiritual source, dropped on the people words “for wine and liquor,” deluding them into thinking that there would be no end to their reveling in the pleasures they derived from their drinking. (2:11)

From a “drop,” possibly meaning a small part of the people who would survive the punitive judgment, there would be a gathering of a full number (“with all”) to Jacob. This may be understood to be a gathering of all of the repentant people who would be identified with Jacob, the forefather of the Israelites. (2:11, 12a [LXX])

To indicate the certainty of YHWH’s restoring all of his repentant people, the Hebrew verbs for “gather” and “collect” are repeated. “To gather, I will gather Jacob [the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob], all of you. To collect, I will collect together the remaining ones of Israel.” In the Septuagint, the words from the initial phrase conclude the sentence that began in the previous verse. (2:12)

With seeming reference to the attention and protective care YHWH purposed to grant the restored Israelites, he is represented as promising to set Jacob or Israel, the people descended from him, like a flock in a sheepfold, like a flock in the midst of a pasture. Sheep and goats in an enclosure would be protected, and would find ample vegetation on which to feed in a pasture. Possibly the phrase about being “noisy with men [adhám, earthling (a collective singular applying to men or people)]” indicates that the restored people of Israel would again become numerous. This basic sense is reflected in the renderings of numerous translations. “Your country will be filled with people.” (NIRV) “Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds!” (NLT) “Your land will once again be filled with many people.” (GNT, Second Edition) “The place will be filled with many people.” (NCV) “The land will be filled with the noise of many people.” (NLB) (2:12)

In other translations, the words are interpreted to apply to the flock. “They will bleat far away from anyone.” (NJB) “They shall not be thrown into panic by men.” (NAB) “I shall herd them like sheep into a fold, like a flock in the pasture, moved away by men.” (REB) (2:12)

The Septuagint rendering represents God as receiving the remnant of Israel, apparently as his forgiven people, and at the same time establishing their return to their land. He would deal with them “like sheep in distress, like a flock in the midst of its fold.” This revealed that the remnant of Israel would have God’s loving care and protection. Of the sheep, the concluding phrase says that “they will leap out [away] from men.” This could denote that the people would be making their escape from those holding them captive as exiles. (2:12)

As exiles in foreign territories, the Israelites would not have been at liberty to return to their own land. The one who would make a breakthrough before them is YHWH, using the agency of his choosing to effect their liberation from captivity. This would make it possible for them to “break through” and to “pass through a gate,” the avenue that had been blocked to them as by a locked gate. As they would be going out, “their king” would be “before them” (literally, “before their face”) and YHWH would be “at their head.” According to the Septuagint rendering, they would “cut through the breach before their face [before them],” departing through the gate. Whereas the Septuagint mentions that “their king went out before their face [before them],” it says that the “Lord will lead them.” (2:13)

When the Israelites returned from Babylonian exile in the sixth century BCE, they did not have a king in the royal line of David in the leading position nor did a descendant of David reign over them in subsequent centuries. This suggests that more than a release from exile in a foreign land is involved in the fulfillment of the prophetic words. They appear to point to the time when, through his sacrificial death, Jesus the Anointed One, Messiah, or Christ made possible a liberation from the captivity to sin and the condemnation of death to which sin leads. The remnant of Israel that accepted him and his sacrifice for them experienced this liberation and began to benefit from his guidance and care. (John 8:21, 24, 34-36) At the same time, as persons forgiven of their sins, they were fully reconciled to God as his beloved people, and he, in the ultimate sense, is “at their head,” leading them through his Son. (2:13)