18 Who `is' a God like Thee? taking away iniquity, And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, He hath not retained for ever His anger, Because He -- He delighteth `in' kindness.
I -- I `am' He who is blotting out Thy transgressions for Mine own sake, And thy sins I do not remember.
In those days, and at that time, An affirmation of Jehovah, Sought is the iniquity of Israel, and it is not, And the sin of Judah, and it is not found, For I am propitious to those whom I leave!
I do surely gather thee, O Jacob, all of thee, I surely bring together the remnant of Israel, Together I do set it as the flock of Bozrah, As a drove in the midst of its pasture, It maketh a noise because of man.
Who `is' like Thee among the gods, O Jehovah? Who `is' like Thee -- honourable in holiness -- Fearful in praises -- doing wonders?
and Jehovah passeth over before his face, and calleth: `Jehovah, Jehovah God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth, keeping kindness for thousands, taking away iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on children, and on children's children, on a third `generation', and on a fourth.'
Merciful and gracious `is' Jehovah, Slow to anger, and abundant in mercy. Not for ever doth He strive, Nor to the age doth He watch.
Say unto them, I live -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, I delight not in the death of the wicked, But -- in the turning of the wicked from his way, And he hath lived, Turn back, turn back, from your evil ways, Yea, why do ye die, O house of Israel?
And the remnant of Jacob hath been in the midst of many peoples, As dew from Jehovah -- as showers on the herb, That waiteth not for man, nor stayeth for the sons of men. Yea, the remnant of Jacob hath been among nations, In the midst of many peoples, As a lion among beasts of a forest, As a young lion among ranks of a flock, Which if it hath passed through, Hath both trodden down and hath torn, And there is no deliverer.
Go, and thou hast proclaimed these words toward the north, and hast said, Turn back, O backsliding Israel, An affirmation of Jehovah! I cause not Mine anger to fall upon you, For I `am' kind, an affirmation of Jehovah, I watch not to the age.
And they do not teach any more Each his neighbour, and each his brother, Saying, Know ye Jehovah, For they all know Me, from their least unto their greatest, An affirmation of Jehovah; For I pardon their iniquity, And of their sin I make mention no more.
For the Lord doth not cast off to the age. For though He afflicted, yet He hath pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.
And it hath come to pass, Every one who calleth in the name of Jehovah is delivered, For in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there is an escape, As Jehovah hath said, And among the remnants whom Jehovah is calling!
and Jehovah saith unto me, `What art thou seeing, Amos?' And I say, `A plumb-line;' and the Lord saith: `Lo, I am setting a plumb-line in the midst of My people Israel, I do not add any more to pass over to it.
and he prayeth unto Jehovah, and he saith, `I pray Thee, O Jehovah, is not this my word while I was in mine own land -- therefore I was beforehand to flee to Tarshish -- that I have known that Thou `art' a God, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness, and repenting of evil?
Therefore he doth give them out till the time She who bringeth forth hath brought forth, And the remnant of his brethren return to the sons of Israel.
Jehovah thy God `is' in thy midst, A mighty one doth save, He rejoiceth over thee with joy, He doth work in His love, He joyeth over thee with singing.'
and having found, he doth lay `it' on his shoulders rejoicing, and having come to the house, he doth call together the friends and the neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, because I found my sheep -- the lost one. `I say to you, that so joy shall be in the heaven over one sinner reforming, rather than over ninety-nine righteous men, who have no need of reformation.
and having brought the fatted calf, kill `it', and having eaten, we may be merry, because this my son was dead, and did live again, and he was lost, and was found; and they began to be merry.
but to be merry, and to be glad, it was needful, because this thy brother was dead, and did live again, he was lost, and was found.'
`Let it therefore be known to you, men, brethren, that through this one to you is the forgiveness of sins declared, and from all things from which ye were not able in the law of Moses to be declared righteous, in this one every one who is believing is declared righteous;
but what saith the divine answer to him? `I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow a knee to Baal.'
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day of My taking `them' by their hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt -- because they did not remain in My covenant, and I did not regard them, saith the Lord, -- because this `is' the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write them, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to Me for a people; and they shall not teach each his neighbour, and each his brother, saying, Know thou the Lord, because they shall all know Me from the small one of them unto the great one of them, because I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I will remember no more;' --
for the judgment without kindness `is' to him not having done kindness, and exult doth kindness over judgment.
And he saith, `Shew me, I pray Thee, Thine honour;' and He saith, `I cause all My goodness to pass before thy face, and have called concerning the Name of Jehovah before thee, and favoured him whom I favour, and loved him whom I love.'
and saith, `If, I pray Thee, I have found grace in Thine eyes, O my Lord, let my Lord, I pray Thee, go in our midst (for it `is' a stiff-necked people), and thou hast forgiven our iniquity and our sin, and hast inherited us.'
Jehovah `is' slow to anger, and of great kindness; bearing away iniquity and transgression, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on sons, on a third `generation', and on a fourth; -- forgive, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of Thy kindness, and as Thou hast borne with this people from Egypt, even until now.'
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, Nor hath He seen perverseness in Israel; Jehovah his God `is' with him, And a shout of a king `is' in him.
There is none like the God of Jeshurun, Riding the heavens in thy help, And in His excellency the skies.
yea, they refuse to hearken, and have not remembered Thy wonders that Thou hast done with them, and harden their neck and appoint a head, to turn back to their service, in their rebellion; and Thou `art' a God of pardons, gracious, and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, and hast not forsaken them.
All my bones say, `Jehovah, who is like Thee, Delivering the poor from the stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.'
And Thy righteousness, O God, `is' unto the heights, Because Thou hast done great things, O God, who `is' like Thee?
I remember my music in the night, With my heart I meditate, and my spirit doth search diligently: To the ages doth the Lord cast off? Doth He add to be pleased no more? Hath His kindness ceased for ever? The saying failed to all generations? Hath God forgotten `His' favours? Hath He shut up in anger His mercies? Selah. And I say: `My weakness is, The changes of the right hand of the Most High.'
For Thou, Lord, `art' good and forgiving. And abundant in kindness to all calling Thee.
And Thou, O Lord, `art' God, merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth.
Bless, O my soul, Jehovah, And forget not all His benefits, Who is forgiving all thine iniquities, Who is healing all thy diseases,
As a father hath mercy on sons, Jehovah hath mercy on those fearing Him.
But with Thee `is' forgiveness, that Thou mayest be feared.
Israel doth wait on Jehovah, For with Jehovah `is' kindness, And abundant with Him `is' redemption. And He doth redeem Israel from all his iniquities!
And unto whom do ye liken God, And what likeness do ye compare to Him?
And unto whom do ye liken Me, And `am' I equal? saith the Holy One.
Remember this, and shew yourselves men, Turn `it' back, O transgressors, to the heart. Remember former things of old, For I `am' Mighty, and there is none else, God -- and there is none like Me.
Forsake doth the wicked his way, And the man of iniquity his thoughts, And he returneth to Jehovah, and He pitieth him, And unto our God for He multiplieth to pardon.
For, not to the age do I strive, nor for ever am I wroth, For the spirit from before Me is feeble, And the souls I have made.
For a young man doth marry a virgin, Thy Builders do marry thee, With the joy of a bridegroom over a bride, Rejoice over thee doth thy God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Micah 7
Commentary on Micah 7 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 7
In this chapter,
Mic 7:1-6
This is such a description of bad times as, some think, could scarcely agree to the times of Hezekiah, when this prophet prophesied; and therefore they rather take it as a prediction of what should be in the reign of Manasseh. But we may rather suppose it to be in the reign of Ahaz (and in that reign he prophesied, ch. 1:1) or in the beginning of Hezekiah's time, before the reformation he was instrumental in; nay, in the best of his days, and when he had done his best to purge out corruptions, still there was much amiss. The prophet cries out, Woe is me! He bemoans himself that his lot was cast in such a degenerate age, and thinks it his great unhappiness that he lived among a people that were ripening apace for a ruin which many a good man would unavoidably be involved in. Thus David cries out, Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech! He laments,
Mic 7:7-13
The prophet, having sadly complained of the wickedness of the times he lived in, here fastens upon some considerations for the comfort of himself and his friends, in reference thereunto. The case is bad, but it is not desperate. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
Mic 7:14-20
Here is,