The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
Page 426
Jon. 1:9
Ten Miracles in Jonah
1. 1:4 “the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea”
2. 1:7 “the lot fell on Jonah”
3. 1:15 “the sea ceased from its raging”
4. 1:17 “the LORD had prepared a great fish”
5. 1:17 “to swallow Jonah (alive)”
6. 2:10 “the LORD spoke to the fish…it vomited Jonah onto dry land”
7. 3:10 “God saw their works…they turned from their evil way”
8. 4:6 “the LORD God prepared a plant”
9. 4:7 “God prepared a worm”
10. 4:8 “God prepared a vehement east wind”
1:11, 12 Unwilling to go to Nineveh and feeling guilty, Jonah was willing to sacrifice himself in an effort to save the lives of others. Apparently, he would rather have died than go to Nineveh.
1:13, 14 Heathen sailors had more concern for one man than Jonah had for tens of thousands in Nineveh. The storm, Jonah’s words, and the lots all indicated to the sailors that the LORD was involved; thus they offered sacrifices to Him and made vows, indicating Jonah had told them more about God than is recorded here.
1:15 the sea ceased. This was similar to Christ’s quieting the storm on the Sea of Galilee (cf. Matt. 8:23–27).
1:17 a great fish. The species of fish is uncertain; the Heb. word for whale is not here employed. God sovereignly prepared (lit. “appointed”) a great fish to rescue Jonah. Apparently Jonah sank into the depth of the sea before the fish swallowed him (cf. 2:3, 5, 6). three days and three nights. See note on Matt. 12:40.
Jonah 2
2:1–9 Jonah acknowledged God’s sovereignty (vv. 1–3) and submitted to it (vv. 4–9).
2:2 Out of the belly of Sheol. The phrase does not necessarily indicate that Jonah actually died. “Sheol” frequently has a hyperbolic meaning in contexts where it denotes a catastrophic condition near death (Ps. 30:3). Later Jonah expressed praise for his deliverance “from the pit,” speaking of his escape from certain death.
2:3 In describing his watery experience, Jonah acknowledged that his circumstances were judgment from the Lord.
2:4 I have been cast out of Your sight. In 1:3, Jonah ran from the LORD’s presence; here he realizes that the Lord has temporarily expelled him.
2:5 my soul. This describes Jonah’s total person—both physically and spiritually (cf. v. 7).
2:9 I have vowed. Jonah found himself in the same position as the mariners: offering sacrifices and making vows (cf. 1:16). In light of 3:1–4, Jonah’s vow could well have been to carry out God’s ministry will for him by preaching in Nineveh (Pss. 50:14; 66:13, 14).
2:10 the LORD spoke. Just as God calls the stars by name (Is. 40:26; cf. Ps. 147:4), so He speaks to His creation in the animal world (cf. Num. 22:28–30). Most likely, Jonah was vomited upon the shore near Joppa.
Jonah 3
3:1, 2 Gracious in giving Jonah a second chance, God again commissioned him to go to Nineveh. Jonah is the only prophet actually sent by God to preach repentance in a foreign land.
3:3 an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey. Lit. “a great city to God,” the text emphasizes not only its size (cf. 1:2) but its importance (cf. 4:11). A metropolitan city the size of Nineveh, with a circumference of about 60 mi., would require 3 days just to get around it. These dimensions are confirmed by historians. Stopping to preach would only add to the time requirement.
3:4 Yet forty days. The time frame may harken back to Moses’ supplication for 40 days and nights at Sinai (Deut. 9:18, 25). Jonah’s message, while short, accomplishes God’s intended purpose.
3:5 the people…believed God. Jonah’s experience with the fish (2:1–10), in light of the Ninevites pagan beliefs (see note on 1:2), certainly gained him an instant hearing. From the divine side, this wholesale repentance was a miraculous work of God. Pagan sailors and a pagan city responded to the reluctant prophet, showing the power of God in spite of the weakness of His servant.
3:6 The king of Nineveh, thought to be either Adad-nirari III (ca. 810–783) or Assurdan III (ca. 772–755), exchanged his royal robes for sackcloth and ashes (cf. Job 42:6; Is. 58:5). Reports of Jonah’s miraculous fish experience may have preceded him to Nineveh, accounting for the swift and widespread receptivity of his message (cf. 1:2). It is generally believed that acid from the fish’s stomach would have bleached Jonah’s face, thus validating the experience.
3:7–9 man nor beast. It was a Persian custom to use animals in mourning ceremonies.
3:10 God saw…God relented. See notes on 2 Sam. 24:16; Jer. 42:10 (cf. Jer. 18:7, 8). The Ninevites truly repented.
Jonah 4
4:1, 2 Jonah, because of his rejection of Gentiles and distaste for their participation in salvation, was displeased at God’s demonstration of mercy towards the Ninevites, thereby displaying the real reason for his original flight to Tarshish. From the very beginning, Jonah had clearly understood the gracious character of God (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). He had received pardon, but didn’t want Nineveh to know God’s mercy (cf. a similar attitude in Luke 15:25ff.).
4:3 better…to die than to live! Perhaps Jonah was expressing the reality of breaking his vow (2:9) to God a second time (cf. Num. 30:2; Eccl. 5:1–6).
4:6 a plant. The identity is uncertain, but it possibly could be the fast growing castor oil plant, which in hot climates grows rapidly to give shade with its large leaves.
4:8 vehement east wind. A hot, scorching wind, normally called “sirocco,” blowing off the Arabian desert. The shelter Jonah made for himself (v. 5) would not exclude this “agent” of God’s sovereignty.
4:10, 11 God’s love for the people of Nineveh, whom He had created, is far different from Jonah’s indifference to their damnation and greater than Jonah’s warped concern for a wild plant for which he had done nothing. God was ready to spare Sodom for 10 righteous; how much more a city which includes 120,000 small children, identified as those who cannot discern the right hand from the left (cf. Gen. 18:22, 23). With that many 3 or 4 year old children, it is reasonable to expect a total population in excess of 600,000.
Jonah 1
1:1 a 2 Kin. 14:25; Matt. 12:39–41; 16:4; Luke 11:29, 30, 32
1:2 b Is. 37:37
1:2 c Gen. 10:11, 12; 2 Kin. 19:36; Jon. 4:11; Nah. 1:1; Zeph. 2:13
1:2 d Gen. 18:20; Hos. 7:2
1:3 e Josh. 19:46; 2 Chr. 2:16; Ezra 3:7; Acts 9:36, 43
1:3 f Is. 23:1
1:3 g Gen. 4:16; Job 1:12; 2:7
1:4 h Ps. 107:25
1:4 1 Lit. hurled
1:5 i 1 Sam. 24:3
1:5 2 Lit. from upon them
1:6 j Ps. 107:28
1:6 k Joel 2:14
1:7 l Josh. 7:14; 1 Sam. 14:41, 42; Prov. 16:33
1:8 m Josh. 7:19; 1 Sam. 14:43
1:9 n (Neh. 9:6); Ps. 146:6; Acts 17:24
1:9 3 Heb. YHWH
1:12 o John 11:50
1:12 4 Lit. hurl
1:13 p (Prov. 21:30)
1:14 q Deut. 21:8
1:14 r Ps. 115:3; (Dan. 4:35)
1:15 s (Ps. 89:9; 107:29); Luke 8:24
1:16 t Mark 4:41; Acts 5:11
1:17 u (Matt. 12:40; Luke 11:30)
Jonah 2
2:2 a 1 Sam. 30:6; Ps. 120:1; Lam. 3:55
2:2 b Ps. 65:2
2:3 c Ps. 88:6
2:3 d Ps. 42:7
2:4 e Ps. 31:22; Jer. 7:15
2:4 f 1 Kin. 8:38; 2 Chr. 6:38; Ps. 5:7
2:5 g Ps. 69:1; Lam. 3:54
2:6 h Job 33:28; (Ps. 16:10; Is. 38:17)
2:6 1 foundations or bases
2:7 i 2 Chr. 30:27; Ps. 18:6
2:8 j 2 Kin. 17:15; Ps. 31:6; Jer. 10:8
2:8 2 Or Lovingkindness
2:9 k Ps. 50:14, 23; Jer. 33:11; Hos. 14:2
2:9 l Job 22:27; (Eccl. 5:4, 5)
2:9 m Ps. 3:8; (Is. 45:17)
2:9 n (Jer. 3:23)
Jonah 3
3:3 1 Exact meaning unknown
3:4 a (Deut. 18:
22)
3:5 b (Matt. 12:41; Luke 11:32)
3:6 c Job 2:8
3:7 d 2 Chr. 20:3; Dan. 3:29; Joel 2:15
3:7 2 Lit. great ones
3:8 e Is. 58:6
3:8 f Is. 59:6
3:9 g 2 Sam. 12:22; Joel 2:14; Amos 5:15
3:10 h Ex. 32:14; Jer. 18:8; Amos 7:3, 6
Jonah 4
4:2 a Jon. 1:3
4:2 b Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:5, 15; Joel 2:13
4:3 c 1 Kin. 19:4; Job 6:8, 9
4:3 d Jon. 4:8
4:6 1 Heb. kikayon, exact identity unknown
4:6 2 Lit. rejoiced with great joy
4:8 e Jon. 4:3
4:10 3 Lit. was a son of a night
4:11 f Jon. 1:2; 3:2, 3
4:11 g Deut. 1:39; Is. 7:16
Introduction to Micah
Title
The name of the book is derived from the prophet who, having received the word of the LORD, was commissioned to proclaim it. Micah, whose name is shared by others in the OT (e.g., Judg. 17:1; 2 Chr. 13:2; Jer. 36:11), is a shortened form of Micaiah (or Michaiah) and means “Who is like the LORD?” In 7:18, Micah uses a play on his own name, saying “Who is a God like You?”
Author and Date
The first verse establishes Micah as the author. Beyond that, little is known about him. His parentage is not given, but his name suggests a godly heritage. He traces his roots to the town of Moresheth (1:1, 14), located in the foothills of Judah, approximately 25 mi. SW of Jerusalem, on the border of Judah and Philistia, near Gath. From a productive agricultural area, he was like Amos, a country resident removed from the national politics and religion, yet chosen by God (3:8) to deliver a message of judgment to the princes and people of Jerusalem.
Micah places his prophecy during the reigns of Jotham (750–731 B.C.), Ahaz (731–715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715–686 B.C.). His indictments of social injustices and religious corruption renew the theme of Amos (mid-eighth century B.C.) and his contemporaries, Hosea in the N (ca. 755–710 B.C.) and in the S Isaiah (ca. 739–690 B.C.). This fits that which is known about the character of Ahaz (2 Kin. 16:10–18) and his son Hezekiah prior to his sweeping spiritual reformations (2 Chr. 29; 31:1). His references to the imminent fall of Samaria (1:6) clearly position him before 722 B.C., at approximately 735–710 B.C.
Background and Setting
Because the northern kingdom was about to fall to Assyria during Micah’s ministry in 722 B.C., Micah dates his message with the mention of Judean kings only. While Israel was an occasional recipient of his words (cf. 1:5–7), his primary attention was directed toward the southern kingdom in which he lived. The economic prosperity and the absence of international crises which marked the days of Jeroboam II (793–753 B.C.), during which the borders of Judah and Israel rivaled those of David and Solomon (cf. 2 Kin. 14:23–27), were slipping away. Syria and Israel invaded Judah, taking the wicked Ahaz temporarily captive (cf. 2 Chr. 28:5–16; Is. 7:1, 2). After Assyria had overthrown Syria and Israel, the good king Hezekiah withdrew his allegiance to Assyria, causing Sennacherib to besiege Jerusalem in 701 B.C. (cf. 2 Kin. 18, 19; 2 Chr. 32). The LORD then sent His angel to deliver Judah (2 Chr. 32:21). Hezekiah was used by God to lead Judah back to true worship.
After the prosperous reign of Uzziah, who died in 739 B.C., his son Jotham continued the same policies, but failed to remove the centers of idolatry. Outward prosperity was only a facade masking rampant social corruption and religious syncretism. Worship of the Canaanite fertility god Baal was increasingly integrated with the OT sacrificial system, reaching epidemic proportions under the reign of Ahaz (cf. 2 Chr. 28:1–4). When Samaria fell, thousands of refugees swarmed into Judah, bringing their religious syncretism with them. But while Micah (like Hosea) addressed this issue, it was the disintegration of personal and social values to which he delivered his most stinging rebukes and stern warnings (e.g., 7:5, 6). Assyria was the dominant power and a constant threat to Judah, so Micah’s prediction that Babylon, then under Assyrian rule, would conquer Judah (4:10) seemed remote. Thus, as the prophet Amos was to Israel, Micah was to Judah.
Historical and Theological Themes
Primarily, Micah proclaimed a message of judgment to a people persistently pursuing evil. Similar to other prophets (cf. Hos. 4:1; Amos 3:1), Micah presented his message in lawsuit/courtroom terminology (1:2; 6:1, 2). The prophecy is arranged in 3 oracles or cycles, each beginning with the admonition to “hear” (1:2; 3:1; 6:1). Within each oracle, he moves from doom to hope—doom because they have broken God’s law given at Sinai; hope because of God’s unchanging covenant with their forefathers (7:20). One third of the book targets the sins of his people; another third looks at the punishment of God to come; and another third promises hope for the faithful after the judgment. Thus, the theme of the inevitability of divine judgment for sin is coupled together with God’s immutable commitment to His covenant promises. The combination of God’s 1) absolute consistency in judging sin and 2) unbending commitment to His covenant through the remnant of His people provides the hearers with a clear disclosure of the character of the Sovereign of the universe. Through divine intervention, He will bring about both judgment on sinners and blessing on those who repent.
Interpretive Challenges
The verbal similarity between Mic. 4:1-3 and Is. 2:2-4 raises the question of who quoted whom. Interpreters are divided, with no clear-cut answers on either side. Because the two prophets lived in close proximity to each other, prophesying during the same period, this similarity is understandable. God gave the same message through two preachers. The introductory phrase, “in the latter days” (4:1), removes these verses from any post-Exilic fulfillment and requires an eschatological timeframe surrounding the Second Advent of Christ and the beginning of the Millennium.
Apart from Is. 2:2-4, three other passages from Micah are quoted elsewhere in Scripture. Micah 3:12 is quoted in Jer. 26:18, thereby saving Jeremiah’s life from King Jehoiakim’s death sentence. Micah 5:2 is quoted by the chief priests and scribes (Matt. 2:6) in response to Herod’s query about the birthplace of the Messiah. Micah 7:6 is employed by Jesus in Matt. 10:35, 36 when commissioning His disciples.
Outline
I. Superscription (1:1)
II. God Gathers to Judge and Deliver (1:2-2:13)
A. Samaria and Judah Punished (1:2-16)
B. Oppressors Judged (2:1-5)
C. False Prophets Renounced (2:6-11)
D. Promise of Deliverance (2:12, 13)
III. God Judges Rulers and Comes to Deliver (3:1-5:15)
A. The Contemporary Leaders are Guilty (3:1-12)
B. The Coming Leader Will Deliver and Restore (4:1-5:15)
IV. God Brings Indictments and Ultimate Deliverance (6:1-7:20)
A. Messages of Reproof and Lament (6:1-7:6)
B. Messages of Confidence and Victory (7:7-20)
The Book of
MICAH
Micah 1
Judgment on Israel and Judah
1The word of the LORD that came to aMicah of Moresheth in the days of bJotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
The Coming Judgment on Israel
2Hear, all you peoples!
Listen, O earth, and all that is in it!
Let the Lord GOD be a witness against you,
The Lord from cHis holy temple.
3For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place;
He will come down
And tread on the high places of the earth.
4d The mountains will melt under Him,
And the valleys will split
Like wax before the fire,
Like waters poured down a steep place.
5All this is for the transgression of Jacob
And for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the transgression of Jacob?
Is it not Samaria?
And what are the ehigh places of Judah?
Are they not Jerusalem?
6“Therefore I will make Samaria fa heap of ruins in the field,
Places for planting a vineyard;
I will pour down her stones into the valley,
And I will guncover her foundations.
7All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces,
And all her hpay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire;
All her idols I will lay desolate,
For she gathered it from the pay of a harlot,
And they shall return to the ipay of a harlot.”
Mourning for Israel and Judah
8Therefore I will wail and howl,
I will go stripped and naked;
j I will make a wailing like the jackals
And a mourning like the ostriches,
9For her wounds are incurable.
For kit has come to Judah;
It has come to the gate of My people—
To Jerusalem.
10l Tell it not in Gath,
Weep not at all;
In 1Beth Aphrah
Roll yourself in the dust.
11Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of 2Shaphir;
The inhabitant of 3Zaanan does not go out.
Beth Ezel mourns;
Its place to stand is taken away from you.
12For the inhabitant of 4Maroth 5pined for good,
But mdisaster came down from the LORD
To the gate of Jerusalem.
13O inhabitant of nLachish,
Harness the chariot to the swift steeds
(She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion),
For the transgressions of Israel were ofound in you.
14Therefore you shall pgive presents to 6Moresheth Gath;
The houses of qAchzib7 shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
15I will yet bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of rMareshah;8
The glory of Israel shall come to sAdullam.9
16Make yourself tbald and cut off your hair,
Because of your uprecious children;
Enlarge your baldness like an eagle,
For they shall go from you into vcaptivity.