Micah 1 10

Micah 1:10 kjv

Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.

Micah 1:10 nkjv

Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at all; In Beth Aphrah Roll yourself in the dust.

Micah 1:10 niv

Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah roll in the dust.

Micah 1:10 esv

Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all; in Beth-le-aphrah roll yourselves in the dust.

Micah 1:10 nlt

Don't tell our enemies in Gath ;
don't weep at all.
You people in Beth-leaphrah,
roll in the dust to show your despair.

Micah 1 verses

Micah 1 10 Meaning

Micah 1:10 delivers a powerful and poignant lament over the impending destruction of Judah and Samaria due to their widespread idolatry and sin. The verse opens with an urgent command to suppress the news of national devastation from external enemies, specifically the Philistines in Gath, preventing their gloating. It then uses evocative wordplay connected to geographical names to emphasize the intensity and widespread nature of the sorrow and disgrace awaiting the people. The command to "weep ye not at all" is an ironic or hyperbolic expression of the immense grief, implying tears so copious they defy control. The final phrase, linked to "Beth-le-Aphrah," instructs the afflicted to wallow in the dust, a vivid act of extreme humiliation, mourning, and repentance, highlighting the depth of their disgrace and loss. The message is one of profound national distress that must, ironically, be concealed from foes yet will be profoundly felt internally.

Micah 1 10 Context

Micah 1:10 stands within the opening chapter of the prophet Micah’s oracle. This chapter serves as a stark introduction to God’s impending judgment, primarily targeting the capital cities of both Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem), but also encompassing surrounding towns and regions. Micah has just described the Lord descending in cosmic wrath to punish the idolatry prevalent in the "high places" of both nations (vv. 3-5), noting that Samaria’s judgment will spread to Judah (v. 9).

Verse 10 marks a shift in tone to a dirge or lament, emphasizing the utter desolation that will follow the judgment. The commands are a powerful, ironic expression of profound national humiliation and grief that should ideally be concealed from enemies. It initiates a series of plays on the names of towns in Judah (vv. 10-15), a literary device common in Hebrew prophecy, especially in lament or judgment oracles. These plays highlight the specific impacts of the invasion and serve as a rhetorical device to connect the fate of these towns directly to their names, making the message more vivid and unforgettable for the original audience, who would have understood these linguistic nuances. The overall context is one of divine justice being enacted upon a faithless people, leading to immense suffering and the breaking of national pride.

Micah 1 10 Word analysis

• Tell it not: אַל־תַּגִּידוּ (al-taggidu).
  • אַל (al): A strong negative particle, expressing a prohibition, equivalent to "do not" or "by no means."
  • תַּגִּידוּ (taggidu): Second person plural, hiphil imperative of נג"ד (nagad), meaning "to tell, report, declare."
  • Significance: This imperative functions as a rhetorical device to underscore the national shame so severe it should not be broadcast to enemies who would gloat. It implies profound disgrace.
• in Gath: בְּגַת (bə·ḡaṯ).
  • בְּ (bə): Preposition "in."
  • גַּת (Gat): A major Philistine city, often an enemy of Israel/Judah (e.g., David vs. Goliath).
  • Significance: The explicit reference to Gath directly echoes David's lament in 2 Samuel 1:20 after the death of Saul and Jonathan, making the national tragedy here comparable in scope to that momentous loss, but perhaps even worse, as it speaks of collective national destruction rather than personal losses. It highlights the concern over enemy schadenfreude.
• weep ye not at all: אַל־תִּבְכּוּ בָכוֹ (al-tibku bakho).
  • אַל (al): "Do not" (prohibition).
  • תִּבְכּוּ (tibku): Second person plural, qal imperative of בכ"ה (bakha), "to weep."
  • בָכוֹ (bakho): A substantive form, literally "weeping." Used as an internal accusative (weep a weeping), which intensifies the verb, meaning "weep intensely," "weep bitterly," or "weep at all" in the sense of holding back. Some ancient translations and scholarly theories suggest a pun or a lost place name similar to "Acco" or "Bochim," linking it geographically. However, the dominant and most grammatically straightforward interpretation based on the Masoretic Text is an intensified injunction not to weep.
  • Significance: This phrase is a powerful expression of either desperate restraint from mourning due to enemy presence, or, ironically, an acknowledgement of such overwhelming grief that the command "do not weep" is futile, suggesting constant weeping that cannot be suppressed or contained. The textual ambiguity about a place like "Acco" highlights the prophet's complex wordplay, which could also allude to "Bochim" ("weepers") from Judg 2:1-5, further connecting it to national lamentation and spiritual failure.
• in Beth-le-Aphrah: בְּבֵית לְעַפְרָה (bə·ḇêṯ lə·ʿap̄·rāh).
  • בְּ (bə): Preposition "in."
  • בֵּית (Beit): "House of."
  • לְעַפְרָה (le-`Aphrah): Meaning "for dust" or a play on "of Aphrah." Beth-le-Aphrah likely means "House of Dust."
  • Significance: This is a prominent example of Micah's prophetic wordplay. The name of the town is linked to its fate. The city named "House of Dust" will literally become a place where people "roll in the dust" due to calamity, symbolizing profound devastation and national shame.
• roll thyself in the dust: עָפָר הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי ('ā·p̄ār hit·pal·lā·šî).
  • עָפָר ('āphār): "Dust."
  • הִתְפַּלָּשִׁי (hitpallashî): Feminine singular, hitpael imperative of פל"ש (palash), meaning "to roll, wallow oneself." The feminine singular addresses a personification of the towns/people (e.g., "Daughter of Zion" or the inhabitant).
  • Significance: This is an action indicative of extreme sorrow, mourning, repentance, and utter humiliation in the ancient Near East. It signifies absolute abasement before God in light of devastating judgment. It's a public display of national grief and disgrace, perfectly linking to the name "Beth-le-Aphrah."

Micah 1 10 Bonus section

Micah's use of a lamentation or funeral dirge in Chapter 1 is significant. A typical funeral dirge in ancient Israel mourned the death of a person. By employing this literary form for towns and nation (starting with v. 10 and continuing through v. 15), Micah implicitly declares that Judah and Samaria, due to their rebellion against God, are already as good as dead or are on the verge of experiencing national "death" and collapse. This reinforces the severity of the impending divine judgment.

The rhetorical commands within the verse, such as "tell it not" and "weep ye not," function as bitter ironies. They suggest an overwhelming disaster that cannot be hidden and a sorrow so profound it cannot be suppressed. The prophet is using hyperbole to convey the depth of the tragedy. Furthermore, the selection of towns in this "name-pun" passage (vv. 10-15) often traces the path of an invading army from the Philistine plain towards Jerusalem, indicating the specific direction and reality of the threat. "Gath" (a Philistine city), appearing first, underscores this route.

Micah 1 10 Commentary

Micah 1:10 is a poignant and multi-layered declaration of coming judgment and the resulting deep lamentation. Its opening phrase, directly echoing David's lament, immediately situates the impending disaster as a tragedy of immense national proportions, so shameful that even enemies like the Philistines should not hear of it lest they rejoice over Israel's downfall. This desire for secrecy paradoxically highlights the extreme vulnerability and public humiliation the people will face. The phrase "weep ye not at all" uses rhetorical intensification to underscore the overwhelming nature of the sorrow, implying tears beyond measure or a desperate plea to hold back tears in front of their foes, though such restraint is futile.

The heart of the verse lies in Micah’s masterly use of wordplay, especially with "Beth-le-Aphrah" and the command to "roll thyself in the dust." By linking the town's name ("House for Dust") to the ritual act of extreme mourning and abasement, the prophet powerfully illustrates the literal fulfillment of the town's destiny. This is not just poetic embellishment but a theological statement: God’s judgment will bring His people to such a state of utter humility and disgrace that it fulfills a prophecy inherent in the very names of their places. It underscores that every aspect of their existence, even their geography, is subject to the divine decree. This lament serves as a stark warning, but also an invitation for the people to acknowledge the severity of their sins that necessitate such profound national suffering.