Micah 1:10-16

Micah 1:10-Nehemiah : . The Dirge on Israel’ s Downfall.— This is a difficult and corrupt passage, playing on the names of towns and villages which are chosen for their assonances or their ominous suggestions, in a way impossible to translate; cf. mg. for Aphrah and Achzib. See G. A. Smith’ s map for Shaphir, Mareshah, Lachish and Adullam, other sites being unknown. “ Tell not our sorrows to the Philistines ( cf. 2 Samuel 1:20; Gath was probably near to Ekron) or to the Phœ nicians” (reading, after LXX, “ in Accho” , i.e. Ptolemais, for “ at all” ) The towns of the Shephelah are then variously pictured in their sorrows during the progress of the invader ( cf. Isaiah 10:28-Jonah :); their inhabitants wallow on the ground, are led into captivity, shut up, have their city razed (Beth-ezel; text obscure) anxiously await news, prepare to flee in chariots, surrender (Zion must give up her daughter, Moresheth-Gath, with a “ parting-gift” i.e. a marriage-dowry; cf. 1 Kings 9:16), become like a brook that fails (Achzab, Jeremiah 15:18), pass into possession of the foe, shelter fugitive leaders (the “ glory of Israel” in the cave of Adullam; cf. 1 Samuel 22:1 f.). Let Zion then go mourning for her lost daughter-towns, with shaven head ( Amos 8:10, Deuteronomy 14:1; the neck and head of the griffon-vulture, Micah 1:16 mg., are featherless). Much in this dirge is uncertain or unknown, e.g. the reference to Lachish ( Micah 1:13), as the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, to explain which both idolatry and political dependence on Egypt have been suggested.