Faith Formation: Micah - Justice, Kindness, humility

Now you are walled around with a wall, siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel on the cheek. Micah 5:1 NRSVue

Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a rod. Micah 5:1 NIV

Now you are gashing yourself, Lady under attack. Siege is laid against us; with their stick they are striking on the cheek of Israel's judge. Micah 5:1 Leslie C. Allan

Now gash yourself, daughter of marauders! Siege is set against us. With a rod they (shall) strike the cheek of Israel's judge. Micah 5:1 James May

Now scratch yourself to pieces in lamentation, O daughter of robber bands! Siege has been laid against us. With a rod they have smitten the ruler of Israel on the cheek. Micah 5:1 Hans Walter Wolff

The footnotes to this verse indicate that in the Hebrew Bible this is Micah 14:4, attached to the sayings that began with "Now", rather than Micah 5:1. How it is connected to what follows is uncertain. Was this part of a longer saying in which the second part announcing redemption has been lost? Does Micah 5:2-5a represent the hope that completes the "Now" of woe? Clearly translations of the first part of the saying vary widely. The second half is more consistent. Footnotes acknowledge that the translation of the words is uncertain. Ancient writings were not mass produced with the consistency of a printing press. Complete manuscripts are rare. The meaning of words understood 3000 years ago have faded or been lost. Scholars do the best they can, but they also debate their work.

What is clear from the second half of the saying is that Jerusalem was under siege and Israel's king was threatened. The setting may have been the siege of Assyria under Sennacherib during the reign of Hezekiah when the introduction says Micah was preaching. The words may also have been remembered later when Babylon besieged Jerusalem, razed the city and exiled the king and people. The conquered king was humiliated. A strike on the cheek was a slap in the face. Might the "rod" be the kings royal scepter? Was he beaten with the sign of his power defeated?

There are two variations of the first half of the saying. "Now you are walled around with a wall..." Ancient cities had defensive walls surrounding them. Under siege the walled cities were surrounded by another wall, the armies of their enemies who did not let anything in or out of the city. Rather than attack a walled city, armies patiently starved the people into submission. "Marshal the troops, O city of troops..." The city did not quickly surrender. Sieges may have taken months. Within the city troops took position on the walls to prevent the besieging army from approaching to close to the gates. Maybe it was a call to troops outside the city to come to their rescue, though besieging armies usually took care of opposition before laying siege to the capital. Recall Micah's lament for the fortress cities of Judah: Gath, Beth-leaphrah, Shaphir, Zaanan, Beth-ezel, Maroth, Lachish, and the others from chapter 1.

The second rendering of these words refers to practices of lamentation, repentance, and beseeching the aid of the gods. Cities were commonly referred to in feminine terms, "daughter of Zion," "Lady under attack." "Now you are gashing yourself...", "Now gash yourself...". Cutting, gashing, wound language is found frequently in the stories and words of the prophets. Micah lamented the the doom of the villages of Judah and Jerusalem, "For her wound in incurable. It has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of my people." Micah 1:9 When Elijah faced off against the prophets of Baal to get God's attention the frustrated prophets of Baal, whose entreaties were met with silence, finally resorted to this. "Then they cried aloud, and as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until blood gushed over them. ... but there was no voice, no answer, and no response." 1 Kings 18:28-29 The Torah prohibited such acts practiced by Israel's neighbors to petition the gods. Children do not act that way toward one they look to for help. "You are children of the LORD your God. You must not lacerate yourselves or shave your forelocks for the dead. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; it is you the LORD has chosen out of all the peoples of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." Deuteronomy 14:1-2 Deeper than the flesh was the heart, mind and spirit where prayers are offered in faith. "They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; they gash themselves for grain and wine; they rebel against me." Hosea 7:14. Again, Micah lamented those who devised "evil on their beds" who coveted the fields of the poor, Micah 2:1-2. Might the elite of Jerusalem stressed out by the advent of their demise have desperately, foolishly sought hope through these means?

Lastly, the description of those who do such things varies, "daughter of marauders," or "daughter of robber bands." It could refer to the armies that besieged the city as a taunt against them. Besieged cities could do little in their defense but hurl insults out to the waiting armies. Or, it could be a taunt directed at the leadership of the city that had failed to do justice to the poor and vulnerable of the land, who had failed to defend them properly, and who had in fact schemed against them like robbers and marauders. You gashed the poor and scratched away the land from the people, now its your turn to feel the some self-inflicted pain.

It is a confusing passage. How to faithfully hear it is uncertain. It is one of the difficulties of reading ancient writings that we seek to understand as holy and true.

Keep the faith. Say your prayers. Love like Jesus.

Pastor Tim Bauer