Micah 6:9 - Exposition

The Lord's voice ( Isaiah 30:31 ; Joel 2:11 ; Amos 1:2 ). These are no longer the words of the prophet, but those of God himself, and not spoken in secret, but unto the city, that all may hear the sentence who dwell in Jerusalem. The man of wisdom shall see thy Name ; i.e. he who is wise regards thy Name and obeys time, does not simply hear, but profits by what he hears. The reading is uncertain. Others render, "Blessed is he who sees thy Name;" but the construction is against this. Others, "Thy Name looketh to wisdom" (or prosperity), has the true wisdom of life in sight. The versions read "fear" for "see." Thus the LXX ; σώσει φοβουμένους τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ , "Shall save those that fear his Name;" Vulgate, Salus erit timentibus Nomen tuum ; Syriac, "He imparts instruction to those that fear his Name;" Chaldee, "The teachers fear his Name." This reading depends upon a change of vowel pointing. Orelli renders, "Happy is he who fears thy Name." The Authorized translation, which seems on the whole to be well established, takes the abstract noun "wisdom" as equivalent to "the wise," or "the man of wisdom." For similar expressions, Henderson refers to Psalms 109:4 ; Proverbs 13:6 ; Proverbs 19:15 . The prophet parenthetically announces that, however the bulk of the people might receive the message, the truly wise would listen and profit by it. Hear ye the rod. Observe the rod of God's anger, the threatened judgments (so Isaiah 9:4 [3, Hebrew]; Isaiah 10:5 , Isaiah 10:24 ). The power of Assyria is meant, The LXX . renders differently,] ακουε φυλή , "Hear, O tribe;" so the Vulgate, Audite, tribus . And who hath appointed it. Mark who it is who hath ordained this chastisement. It is from the Lord's hand. Septuagint, τίς κοσμήσει πόλιν ; "Who will adorn the city?" with some reference, perhaps, to Jeremiah 31:4 , "Again shalt thou be adorned with thy tabrets;" Vulgate, Et quis approbabit illud? This implies that few indeed will profit by the warning.