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Micah 2:1–2. She was thinking toil and doing evil on her beds, and committing her wickedness day by day: until she had not lifted up her hands to God: she sat down, and raked the orphans, and plundered the houses, and plundered the man and his house, and the man and his inheritance. On the contrary, they should have raised their hands to God while the morning sacrifice was offered according to the law. At night, they held meetings, calm discussions, and aroused desires for the appropriation of other people's fields, for the destruction of houses, for oppression and violence, for the robbery of their husband and his heritage. Therefore, they were rightly rejected as empty houses, and as not knowing what dispositions of the soul are pleasing to God. So, it is much better and more excellent to rise above such aspirations and move away from all evil, avoiding covetousness as much as possible and not striving for anything unnecessary, taking care only of food and shelter, and what prudent people need for life; for “those who want to get rich fall into...many foolish and hostile lusts, which plunge men into destruction and destruction” (1 Tim. 6:9). In addition, it is worthy of punishment to use night leisure for sinful plans; on the contrary, it is wonderful to compete with the blessed Psalmist, who says to the God of all: “At midnight I will rise to confess to you about the destinies of your righteousness” (Ps. 119:62); and again: “O God, my God, for thee in the morning: my soul thirsteth for thee, since my flesh multiplies for thee... I commemorated thee on my bed, and in the morning learned from thee” (Ps. 62:2, 7). Micah 2:3. For this reason the Lord says: Behold, I have thought evil against this generation; from them you will not move you, and you will not go and forgive suddenly, for there is a time of evil. Since they invented sorrows and did evil to some people, neglecting to raise their hands to God as a fruitless and useless deed, then I, he says, “will think evil” against this whole tribe, that is, I will carefully consider what suffering or inevitable disasters to expose them to. He says that the troubles sent will be so heavy and burdensome that those subjected to them will be like those bent, and they will bend as if burdened with a terrible and unbearable burden; for the time, he says, will be “evil” when the consequences of the divine wrath befall them. This, I think, is what someone wisely sings about: “For my iniquities have exceeded my head, for a heavy burden has weighed me down” (Ps. 37:5). But our Lord Jesus Christ so called upon those who were burdened to be liberated from the troubles that threatened them, saying: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), and those who honored the One who called them with faith laid down their burdens, and the scribes and Pharisees, who offended Him with their insensibility, remained, and quite rightly, toiling and burdened, and with them the rest of the crowd, which could not walk in the right path. Foreseeing this, the divine David cried out to God: “let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and let their backs be cut off” (Ps. 69:24), so that, not seeing the things above and not being able to direct their mental gaze to the hope of the saints and to the beautiful heavenly city, they, as if bent over, looked only at earthly things, attached to their unbridled and a God-hating soul towards the temporal and carnal. Micah 2:4. On that day a parable will come upon you, and lamentation will be sung with a song, saying: calamity by suffering: some of my people are measured by the already, and do not forbid them, lest they turn away. He says that two misfortunes will happen to them one after another - a parable and a lament. It seems that the parable means that because of them or about them it will be spoken, as it were, in the mouths of everyone; for extraordinary disasters are always the subject of stories and rumors about them travel around cities and countries, and even reach the ends of the earth. Crying means tears and with them cries that can be made either by others about them, or by themselves about themselves, mourning their own suffering. Therefore he says: “disaster through suffering.” And what kind of disaster is meant here, he explains, saying: “Some of my people were measured by the already, and do not forbid them, if they turn away”; the inheritance, he says, given to Mine and my beloved (obviously to Israel) is divided by enemies, that is, subject to alien laws and the payment of taxes, for what is measured is subject to taxation and taxes. Then, when this happened and happened beyond expectation, there was no one who could prevent it. Why, he says, were the heifers, Chemosh, Dagon, Beelphegor, Baal and various idols in the churches of Samaria silent? They did not resist those who divided and did not help their fans, and did not strike with their anger those who divided the earth. He speaks similar things to this through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah about the Israelites: and in the time of their bitterness they say: “Arise and deliver us. And where are your gods that you have created for you? let them arise and deliver you in the time of your bitterness” (Jer. 2:27–28). But how can those from whom you can easily make anything you want deliver others? For they are “the work of human hands” (Ps. 113:12) - silver and gold, and stone, and wood, dumb and insensitive substance. Let the divine David sing: “Let those who do I and all who trust in her be like them” (Ps. 113:16). Micah 2:4–5. Your village is divided by Bysha. For this reason there will not be 10... to accommodate the snake in the lot 11... Explains the meaning of what was said before; you, he says, have been disinherited, and others have divided your country, and you will not be able to measure what is yours. And we will see that this is precisely what the arrogant Jews suffered after the coming of Christ to earth; for those who impudently dealt with Christ lost the possessions given to them: they were the firstborn, and the wise Paul says that their “promises, their... fathers, and from them Christ according to the flesh” (Rom. 9: 4-5), but they lost their hope, and the multitude of the pagans achieved all the glory and took possession of their inheritance. For the promises began to belong to them, to them and Christ, to them and the fathers, because the children of Abraham are those who imitated his faith in uncircumcision: “For all that are of Israel, even these Israel, are not yet the seed of Abraham... but the children of the promise are counted among the seed” (Rom. 9:6-8). Therefore, the divine John, exposing the pride and empty arrogance of the Jews, says: “bring forth fruit worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say within yourself: father of the imams Abraham” (Matthew 3:8-9). So, foolish Israel was deprived of its inheritance, and the multitude of pagans were, as it were, reborn, and Christ gave them a glorious and worthy inheritance of heavenly blessings; for they have become fellow citizens of the angels and members of God, one body with Christ, by union with Him, enlightened by the Spirit and will enjoy the truly desired life in righteousness, holiness and immortality. Micah 2:5–7. In the assembly of the Lord do not weep with tears, let them weep for these: for he will not reject reproach when he says: the house of Jacob is the wrath of the Spirit of the Lord: is not this the essence of his undertaking? So, tell me, does God really reject Israel’s determination to repent and cease His mercy towards them, although they would like to learn what is most suitable for them and do what is already pleasing to Him? No, that's not what He's saying. But there is a custom for some people, when they are rebuked by one of the wise for their sins, to extend their repentance even to tears and confess them, and in this alone seek immeasurable forgiveness for them, but at the same time still do not stop their inherent sins. This is what some of the Israelites did, so that sometimes they did not spare their clothes. “Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning, and rend your hearts, and not your garments” (Joel 2:12-13). And that they, shedding empty tears from their eyes and hypocritically uttering good words, but not abandoning their desires, can make the Judge merciless and not compassionate towards them, he teaches about this, saying: “in the assembly of the Lord, do not cry with tears,” do not, he says, make the divine church a house of weeping, do not cry in it so that only to say that you wept in the house of God, for this is completely useless. And let no one say these words: “The house of Jacob is the wrath of the Spirit of the Lord”; for he could in no way hide with this those shameful deeds of which he was guilty, even if he decided to abuse such good words. “Isn’t this the essence of his undertaking?” And what kind - he speaks about this like this: “I was thinking the labors and doing evil on my beds, and doing it day by day: I did not lift up my hands to God; But if, he says, such are his deeds, then how can he free himself from blame for them, shedding empty tears, confessing them and saying: “The house of Jacob is the wrathful Spirit of the Lord?” So, those who decide to repent must withdraw from evil deeds, cry and confess before God only when they honor Him with their good deeds; for God will look not only at tears and beautiful words, but at morals and way of life. Only then will crying be beneficial when a virtuous lifestyle is combined with the rejection of vice, for with the destruction of sin in us, virtue begins to penetrate us. Micah 2:7–8. Are not his words the essence of goodness with him, and righteousness? And before, my people resisted in enmity, against their peace. Again he accuses them of being accustomed to saying beautiful words, but their words do not correspond to their spiritual disposition; for they, he says, have correct and very beautiful words, they confess their crimes, call the Lord merciful and good and pretend in many ways, but with their very deeds they never ceased to irritate Him. Anyone can see that they have become their own enemies and have rejected their own world. And my people themselves, he says, have risen up as enemies of their own world; for if they had honored God, they could have been in prosperity and luxury, had constant glory and lasting happiness, but they voluntarily departed from Him. Therefore, having voluntarily renounced life in the world, they, as it were, are preparing a war on their own heads. And that it is not entirely useless for those who have sinned to turn to God with words of prayer, at least at a time when they feel shame from their own sins - we will show this from the inspired Scripture itself. In the second book of Chronicles it is written about Rehoboam: “And when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, he forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and all Israel with him” (2 Chronicles 12:1). Then Shusakim, king of Egypt, armed himself against Jerusalem and came out with all the military strength of his country. After this, the prophet Samey came “to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah, who had gathered together in Jerusalem on behalf of Susakim, and said to them: ... you will leave me, and I will leave you in the hand of Susakim. And the rulers of Israel and the king and the king were ashamed: the Lord is righteous. And when the Lord saw that he had humbled himself, the word of the Lord came to Shemea, saying: Having humbled myself, I will not destroy them” (2 Chronicles 12:5-7). And then again he says: “And when he humbles himself, the wrath of the Lord is turned away from him, and not to the end of destruction: for even in Judah,” he says, “I taught good words” (2 Chronicles 12:12). You see how it is not useless to have good words on your tongue, if only fear and shame for your sins are combined with them. Therefore, as Paul says: “not in words... the kingdom of God, but with power” (1 Cor. 4:20); So Christ also clearly said somewhere: “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven: but do the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). So, it is useless, as I said recently, to speak beautiful words about God if they are not accompanied by good deeds. Micah 2:8 I peeled off his skin, taking away his hope, his military contrition. Again he accuses those who received authority over him of the death of the people. After all, he is unable to educate himself, to lead him onto the right and unperverted path and, what is especially important, to reverently cleave to God, and to suppress attachment to sculptures and, as far as possible, remove them as something useless and disastrous. Meanwhile, they themselves (the leaders) became destroyers and seducers, enticing the souls of those under their control to everything opposite, inclining them to move away from God and become more exalted in various kinds of delusions. Therefore, by offending God, they also lost hope in Him, which if they had continued to have, there would have been no obstacle to defeating the enemy. So, he speaks of them as if they were sheep, that “to tear off his skin, to take away his hope, his contrition.” As if he were saying this: they stripped his people of the garments of hope and, depriving them of care and help from Me, made them weak and easily defeated; for their hope in God was taken away from them, and this was a military defeat for them. Just as for dumb animals their skin serves as a safe vestment, and their naked body is extremely tender and weak, so for ourselves the power of trust in God serves as a safe cover and, as it were, a kind of skin. If we have it and do not offend God in any way, then we will easily overcome our enemies and triumph over them in every war, carnal and spiritual: we will step “on the adder and the basilisk, and trample the lion and the serpent,” as is written (Ps. 90:13), and, entrusting ourselves to Him, we will sing: “O Lord, God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in you” ( Ps.83:13). Micah 2:9. For this sake, the elders of my people will erupt from the houses of their sweetness, evil for the sake of their undertakings, rejecting Bysh. Because, he says, those who could destroy their subordinates with their instructions and suggestions - leaders and fathers, and shepherds, and bosses “teared off his skin” and deprived him of hope in God, through which it was easy to crush any war; then for this reason they, having lost their household goods, having lost what they most desired, having been deprived of pleasure and joy, will rightly go to their enemies and be subjected to heavy responsibility for negligence and wickedness. And that it was not anyone else who was the culprit of their suffering, but that, on the contrary, they themselves were the cause of it, he shows by saying: “the evil ones, for the sake of their undertakings, rejected Bysh. It is not without truth that the feathered world stretches forth. For when they partake of murder, they treasure up evil treasures for themselves” (Prov. 1:17-18). So, we harm ourselves if we want to do something that is illegal. We also erupt from the houses of sweets; for those who offend God will not see the highest and heavenly mansions, but will remain unparticipated in both the hope of the saints and eternal bliss. The wise and kind, and disposed to everything praiseworthy, will not, he says, among them, on the contrary, they will form the Church in heaven and will live in the highest abodes and enjoy heavenly blessings. Micah 2:9–10. Draw closer to the eternal mountains: arise and go, for you cannot bring this peace. The speech is also to those who have received power over the people. But, as used in decent speech, it is expressed ironically, introducing something upsetting into the speech for their benefit. As if he were saying this: O leaders of the people! It probably seems difficult and burdensome to you to be blissful at home, to have your own fatherland, to be in peace and to lead the lifestyle characteristic of a free state. So go to your enemies, flee to the country of the Persians and Armenians, if this seems to be prosperity for you. “Come closer to the eternal mountains,” says Mount Ararat. The mountains were called eternal because they intended to live among them for a long time, or because they were known from time immemorial, probably due to the fact that the ark stopped on them. But this speech can also be applied to those who lived at the time of the coming of the Savior, and who, following the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees, did not come to faith in Him; for as if the mountains were the most famous among them and the advantages of the priesthood were raised to heights, and reached a glorious lot. But this was temporary, for the shadow had passed, the service in the images seemed to have become dilapidated, and the sacred lineage of that time turned out to be barren. But then the eternal mountains were finally revealed, that is, the preachers and ministers of the new testament, proclaiming the mystery of Christ, famous and glorious, and shining with high virtues. God also calls them mountains through another prophet, saying: “And the mountains will dig up sweetness, and all the hills will be planted” ( Am. 9:13 ); for the word of those who proclaim God is very sweet, and to those who truly love God is more delicious than honey itself; who with all justice can say to the Savior of us all, Christ: “If your words are sweeter to my throat than honey to my mouth” (Ps. 119:103). Let those who have not yet believed, one might say, approach these spiritual mountains, obviously in their spiritual mood, and find peace; for they will immediately be freed from the sin that burdened them, while they had no peace in life under the law, if it is true that the letter is removed and the spirit prevails. So, let the Jews hear from us: “Rise up and go, for you cannot have this peace”; since you have no rest in the law, then go and through faith move on to the teaching of Christ. Micah 2:10. For the sake of uncleanness, you decay with corruption. He calls uncleanness the inglorious filth of absurd and disgusting idolatry; for it is truly shameful and ugly. But there is another type of filth and uncleanness, this is oppression of brothers and theft of someone else’s property, and all sorts of other untruths. So, for the sake of this uncleanness, he says, you perished, being pitifully corrupted by corruption into death. Those who opposed faith in Christ also perished, and not for the sake of anything else, but for the sake of uncleanness. Christ Himself will clearly confirm this to us, saying to the unbelieving Jews: Amen, amen, I say to you: “If... you do not have faith as I am, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). Isn’t that what the words mean: “for the sake of uncleanness, you are corrupted by corruption”? For they were not cleansed from their crimes, they did not receive salvation from Christ, like those who accepted faith in Him. Micah 2:11. If you say no, we will not drive you away. You, he says, of your own free will were subjected to captivity or exile to foreigners, and obviously to enemies. No one insisted on this or forced it, but they themselves, and with great zeal, chose to do what was necessary to punish them against their will. Crowds of Jews were driven away, while no one drove them. After all, they could live prosperously and enjoy all the benefits if they honored Christ; but they retreated from Him and insulted Him in many ways; not believing Him and acting impudently towards Him, what indecent things did they not do or say about Him? So, when no one persecutes us, let us persecute ourselves and, having become the perpetrators of irreparable evils for our own souls, let us not unjustly blame God, the Giver of all things, for this, on the contrary, ourselves, if only we are in a sound state of mind and thought. The Spirit put a lie into your wine and drunkenness. Some of the inhabitants of Samaria, who were at the idolatrous churches, tried in various ways to foretell the future and, pretending that they had accurate knowledge of the future, announced pleasant and joyful things to those who came to them, striving for pitiful and despicable profits and for a few oxen or for a piece of bread, according to what is written (Ezek. 13:19), selling false predictions. This especially spoiled and destroyed Israel. Therefore, he says that the evil spirit, like a net, set a lie for Ephraim and, as if some kind of poisonous drug, dropped demonic delusion into his wine and, with the help of means favorable to everything most shameful, brought him into a state of intoxication. Likewise, to the Pharisees, the evil serpent and apostate “extored” a false opinion and absurd delusion regarding Christ; for they sometimes said that if this man had been from God, he would not have broken the Sabbath (John 9:16) and sometimes they dared to call Him a Samaritan (John 8:48) and even a wine drinker (Matthew 11:19). And if it is true that “no one... utters anathema to Jesus,” unless under the influence of Beelzebub (1 Cor. 12:3); Isn’t it a pity to see that especially among them “the spirit is given to lying”? And he poured drop by drop into their minds and hearts, through seduction, oblivion about Him, as a result of which they rightly died, like wild beasts pouncing on Him with all insolence and armed with blasphemy. Micah 2:11–12. And it will be 12 that from the drop of these people, we will gather together Jacob, and with everyone I will receive those who remain of Israel, 13 and together I will establish his return. Evil increases little by little and is first revealed in a few, and then it almost always takes hold of many and goes beyond its original limits. Anyone who wants to better understand the meaning of what happened to Ephraim can be convinced of the truth of what I have said. Jeroboam the first and some of those who were of the same mind with him, placing heifers in the churches, worshiped them and listened to the words of the wicked false soothsayers or false prophets. Then, when evil began to spread and add other vices to the previous ones, then Israel finally united and completely strived towards one goal, and indulged in sin not in any part of itself, but all in general and in every possible way. So, from the drop, he says, which the word of the false prophets will drop upon them (for very many of Ephraim were accustomed to do this), all Jacob will gather, he says, that is, he will come to one conviction and this illness will cover everything. But I will not bring punishment on them for this in parts; on the contrary, I will wait to join those who have already died 14. This means “accept the remnants of Israel.” And then finally I will commit the same disgust from everyone 15. This may serve as evidence of God's characteristic long-suffering, because He does not immediately punish, but graciously postpones punishment and waits for the correction and conversion of those who err. If this does not happen, on the contrary, it turns out that the illness is intensifying, then he will finally and reluctantly turn away from them. But disgust will certainly be followed by His pity for those who were subjected to this. Therefore, the divine David sings: “Do not turn Your face away from me, and do not turn aside in anger from Your servant” (Ps. 26:9). You need to know that Beelzebub, as it were, poured drop by drop into the scribes (only) and the Pharisees a false and perverse opinion about Christ, but this illness had already taken possession of everyone, and the rest of the people were carried away by the errors of the leaders. Therefore, having been subjected to the same sentence leading to condemnation and rejection, they will suffer punishments fully corresponding to their sins. Micah 2:12–13. Like sheep in affliction, for the flock in the midst of their bed is cut off from men 16 ... by cutting before them: they cut down the gate, and came in, and came out through it: and their king came out before them, and the Lord 17 will be their leader 18 . Usually holy prophets contemplate how what they have foretold will one day come to fulfillment, and they see as present and now happening what will be revealed later after many times. So the blessed prophet Isaiah, narrating what will one day happen to Christ, and seeing Him as if led to saving suffering, says: “Like a sheep led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearers is silent” (Is. 53:7). Another prophet, as if contemplating the places of the nails, asks Him and says to Him, that is, to our Lord Jesus Christ: “Why are these plagues in the midst of your hand? , - and He answered: I was wounded in the image of my beloved” (Zech. 13:6). And the divine Jeremiah, foretelling the future war against Jerusalem and seeing (obviously in prophetic contemplation) a great multitude of already killed Jews, mourns them, saying: “Woe is me, for my soul disappears over those killed” (Jer. 4:31). So the blessed prophet Micah seems to see future turmoil in the cities of Samaria, many already seized with fear, others running and jumping over walls and ditches, and the very hordes of enemies breaking through the gates, and through them rushing into the city along with the military leaders, and God seems to be protecting them and inciting them against the descendants of Israel, as if offended by them. So, he says, they will be struck with the same fear that a sheep experiences during pursuit, or a whole herd if it were located in lairs, and some would want to catch it; Then they would see sheep jumping up and down, and if there was a gap, then walking through it. So, he says, those against whom the Babylonian war will go will do. Cutting the gates, with their own eyes or in front of them, they will ascend and go out through them, that is, without difficulty and without any fear they will ascend into the cities, having the Lord of all as their leader; because the dominion over Israel is not the work of their own strength, but the consequence of God giving it over to them. He says that the same thing happened to those who acted impudently with Emmanuel; for their cities and villages were also devastated, after Vespasian and Titus conquered them and carried out divine wrath against them. In glory added: “to you”, as in some. In glory the following words: “in the assembly of the Lord” are assigned to verse 5, as in most lists and editions, as well as in the Vulgate and Hebrew, but in St. Cyril, they form the beginning of verse 6, as in the ancient Vatican and Alexandrian codes. At St. Kirill added: “to you”. At St. Cyril added: “to the house of Israel.” Those. until the rest join those who have already died. In glory according to the Complutensian Bible and others. here verse 12 ends, and the next verse 13 begins like this: “Ask up by cutting.” At St. Kirill: “like the Lord.” You might be interested in: