Micah 6

9. unto the city--Jerusalem.
the man of wisdom--As in Proverbs 13:6 , Hebrew, "sin" is used for "a man of sin," and in Psalms 109:4 , "prayer" for "a man of prayer"; so here "wisdom" for "the man of wisdom."
shall see thy name--shall regard Thee, in Thy revelations of Thyself. Compare the end of Micah 2:7 . God's "name" expresses the sum-total of His revealed attributes. Contrast with this Isaiah 26:10 , "will not behold the majesty of the Lord." Another reading is adopted by the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, "there is deliverance for those who fear Thy name." English Version is better suited to the connection; and the rarity of the Hebrew expression, as compared with the frequency of that in the other reading, makes it less likely to be an interpolation.
hear . . . the rod, &c.--Hear what punishment (compare Micah 6:13 , &c. Isaiah 9:3 , Isaiah 10:5 Isaiah 10:24 ) awaits you, and from whom. I am but a man, and so ye may disregard me; but remember my message is not mine, but God's. Hear the rod when it is come, and you feel its smart. Hear what counsels, what cautions it speaks.
appointed it--( Jeremiah 47:7 ).

10. Are there yet--notwithstanding all My warnings. Is there to be no end of acquiring treasures by wickedness? Jehovah is speaking ( Micah 6:9 ).
scant measure . . . abominable--( Proverbs 11:1 , Amos 8:5 ).

11. Shall I count them pure--literally, "Shall I be pure with?" &c. With the pure God shows Himself pure; but with the froward God shows Himself froward ( Psalms 18:26 ). Men often are changeable in their judgments. But God, in the case of the impure who use "wicked balances," cannot be pure, that is, cannot deal with them as He would with the pure. VATABLUS and HENDERSON make the "I" to be "any one"; "Can I (that is, one) be innocent with wicked balances?" But as "I," in Micah 6:13 , refers to Jehovah, it must refer to Him also here.
the bag--in which weights used to be carried, as well as money ( Deuteronomy 25:13 , Proverbs 16:11 ).

12. For--rather, "Inasmuch as"; the conclusion "therefore," &c. following in Micah 6:13 .
thereof--of Jerusalem.

13. make thee sick in smiting--( Leviticus 26:16 , to which perhaps the allusion here is, as in Micah 6:14 , Psalms 107:17 Psalms 107:18 , Jeremiah 13:13 ).

14. eat . . . not be satisfied--fulfiling the threat, Leviticus 26:26 .
thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee--Thou shalt be cast down, not merely on My borders, but in the midst of thee, thy metropolis and temple being overthrown [TIRINUS]. Even though there should be no enemy, yet thou shalt be consumed with intestine evils [CALVIN]. MAURER translates as from an Arabic root, "there shall be emptiness in thy belly." Similarly GROTIUS, "there shall be a sinking of thy belly (once filled with food), through hunger." This suits the parallelism to the first clause. But English Version maintains the parallelism sufficiently. The casting down in the midst of the land, including the failure of food, through the invasion thus answering to, "Thou shalt eat, and not be satisfied."
thou shalt take hold, but . . . not deliver--Thou shalt take hold (with thine arms), in order to save [CALVIN] thy wives, children and goods. MAURER, from a different root, translates, "thou shalt remove them," in order to save them from the foe. But thou shalt fail in the attempt to deliver them ( Jeremiah 50:37 ).
that which thou deliverest--If haply thou dost rescue aught, it will be for a time: I will give it up to the foe's sword.

15. sow . . . not reap--fulfilling the threat ( Leviticus 26:16 , Deuteronomy 28:38-40 , Amos 5:11 ).

16. statutes of Omri--the founder of Samaria and of Ahab's wicked house; and a supporter of Jeroboam's superstitions ( 1 Kings 16:16-28 ). This verse is a recapitulation of what was more fully stated before, Judah's sin and consequent punishment. Judah, though at variance with Israel on all things else, imitated her impiety.
works of . . . Ahab--( 1 Kings 21:25 1 Kings 21:26 ).
ye walk in their counsels--Though these superstitions were the fruit of their king's "counsels" as a master stroke of state policy, yet these pretexts were no excuse for setting at naught the counsels and will of God.
that I should make thee a desolation--Thy conduct is framed so, as if it was thy set purpose "that I should make thee a desolation."
inhabitants thereof--namely, of Jerusalem.
hissing--( Lamentations 2:15 ).
the reproach of my people--The very thing ye boast of, namely, that ye are "My people," will only increase the severity of your punishment. The greater My grace to you, the greater shall be your punishment for having despised it, Your being God's people in name, while walking in His love, was an honor; but now the name, without the reality, is only a "reproach" to you.