ostatized from Jehovah, they are
strengthened in their false security by the promises which God has
given to His people, and which they, altogether overlooking the fact
that these are conditional, referred, in hypocritical blindness, to
themselves. But God will, in a fearful manner, punish them for this
apostasy, and frighten them from their security. The Congregation of
the Lord, which has been desecrated inwardly, shall be so outwardly
also. Zion shall become a corn-field; Jerusalem, the city of God, shall
sink into rubbish and ruins; the Temple-hill shall again become what it
was previous to its being the residence of God, viz., a thickly wooded
hill, which shall then appear in all its natural lowness, and be
considered as insignificant when compared with the neighbouring
mountains.--In the whole section, the twelve verses of which are
equally divided into three portions of four verses each, the prophet
views chiefly the great, and the civil rulers. The false prophets, whom
he takes up in the second of these subdivisions (vers. 5-8), come under
consideration as their helpers only. In the third subdivision, [Pg 441]
the discourse is again directed to the great alone, in vers. 9, 10. The
two other orders are added to them in vers. 11, 12 only; and the
charges raised against them refer to their relation to the great. The
_priests_ are not by any means reproved because they made teaching a
profession, from which they derived their livelihood, but because, for
bribes, they interpreted the law in a manner favourable to the
rapacious lusts of the great, and thereby, no less than the false
prophets, assisted them in their wickedness.--The charge raised in ver.
10 against the great,--"Building up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with
iniquity,"--has been frequently misunderstood. The words must not be
explained from Hab. ii. 12, but from Ps. li. 20, where David prays to
the Lord, "Build Thou the walls of Jerusalem," which he had destroyed
by his blood, ver. 16. The word "building" is used ironically by Micah,
and is tantamount to: "Ye who are destroying Jerusalem by blood and
iniquity (compare ver. 12: 'For your sakes Zion shall be ploughed as a
field'), instead of building it up by righteousness." Righteousness
builds up, because it draws down God's blessing and protection; but
unrighteousness destroys, because it calls down the curse of God.

The unfaithfulness of the Covenant-people can nevertheless not make
void the faithfu