Micah 1 11

Micah 1:11 kjv

Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.

Micah 1:11 nkjv

Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of Shaphir; The inhabitant of Zaanan does not go out. Beth Ezel mourns; Its place to stand is taken away from you.

Micah 1:11 niv

Pass by naked and in shame, you who live in Shaphir. Those who live in Zaanan will not come out. Beth Ezel is in mourning; it no longer protects you.

Micah 1:11 esv

Pass on your way, inhabitants of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitants of Zaanan do not come out; the lamentation of Beth-ezel shall take away from you its standing place.

Micah 1:11 nlt

You people in Shaphir,
go as captives into exile ? naked and ashamed.
The people of Zaanan
dare not come outside their walls.
The people of Beth-ezel mourn,
for their house has no support.

Micah 1 verses

Micah 1 11 Meaning

Micah 1:11 is a prophetic declaration of God's impending judgment, manifested as military conquest and its devastating aftermath, upon specific towns in the Shephelah region of Judah. It foretells the forced exile, humiliation, and desolation that will befall these communities due to their disobedience. The verse vividly portrays a scene of intense grief and the complete dismantling of stability, where the very act of lamentation for one place drains the support and security from others.

Micah 1 11 Context

Micah 1:11 falls within the prophet Micah's initial prophecy (chapter 1) concerning the judgment of God. This chapter begins with God descending from heaven to punish the wickedness of both Samaria (the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Jerusalem (the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah), directly accusing them of idolatry and rebellion.

From verse 10 onwards, the prophecy shifts to a vivid and specific list of towns in Judah's Shephelah (foothills) that would directly suffer under the impending invasion, primarily referring to the Assyrian campaign led by Sennacherib around 701 BC. Micah uses paronomasia (wordplay on town names) to underscore the severity and poetic justice of the judgment. Each town mentioned in verses 10-15 receives a specific pronouncement of woe, depicting the devastation, exile, and despair that will envelop the region. Verse 11 contributes to this grim catalog of towns, emphasizing the public shame, inability to assist neighbors, and the pervasive breakdown of support structures under the weight of lamentation. The judgment described is not distant or abstract, but tangible and personal to the people of these specific communities.

Micah 1 11 Word analysis

• Pass on your way: (עברי לכם ivri lakem)
  • Word: ʿivri is an imperative from the Hebrew verb ʿāvar (עָבַר), meaning "to pass over, to cross, to go on."
  • Significance: It serves as a command for forced departure, flight, or procession into exile. It's a dire injunction, indicating the inhabitants must abandon their homes and security.
• O inhabitant of Shaphir: (יושבת שפיר yosheveth Shaphir)
  • Word: Yosheveth refers to the "female inhabitant" or collectively "those who dwell." Shaphir (שפיר) means "beautiful" or "pleasant."
  • Significance: The designation Shaphir is ironic. The "beautiful city" is now commanded to move away, highlighting the contrast between its past reputation and its impending ruined state. It's likely a location in the Judean lowlands, though its exact site is debated.
• in nakedness and shame!: (עריה בושת ʿaryah vosheth)
  • Word: ʿAryah (עריה) means "nakedness" or "unclothed." Bosheth (בושת) means "shame," "disgrace," or "confusion."
  • Significance: This is a powerful metaphor for extreme vulnerability, destitution, and public humiliation. It implies having all possessions stripped away and being utterly exposed without protection, dignity, or honor. This was a common depiction of captives or a city after a devastating defeat.
• The inhabitant of Zaanan: (יושבת צאֲנָן yosheveth Tsa'anan)
  • Word: Yosheveth again refers to the "inhabitant" or "dwellers." Tsa'anan (צאֲנָן) likely means "place of flocks" or "going out/issuing forth." Some texts suggest Zenan.
  • Significance: This continues the list of specific Judean towns under judgment.
• has not come out: (לֹא יצא lo yatsa')
  • Word: Lo is "not." Yatsa' (יצא) is "to go out, to come forth."
  • Significance: This creates a potent wordplay with the name Zaanan ("going out"). It can mean the people of Zaanan are unable to come out (perhaps due to siege, destruction, or their own fear) to mourn or help their neighbors, highlighting their desperate plight and isolation.
• the lamentation of Bethez-ezel: (מִסְפַּד בֵּית הָאֵצֶל misped Bet hā-'Eṣel)
  • Word: Misped (מספד) means "lamentation," "mourning," or a "funeral dirge." Bet hā-'Eṣel (בית האצל) is a specific place name, "House of Nearness" or "House of Taking Away" or "House of the Side." Its location is uncertain, possibly near Lachish.
  • Significance: This personifies the act of lamentation, making it an active agent. The grief of Bethez-ezel is so overwhelming that it has consequences for others. The place name itself might also contain wordplay.
• shall take away from you its standing place: (יִקַּח מִכֶּם מַעֲמָדוֹ yiqaḥ mimməkem ma'amadoh)
  • Word: Yiqaḥ (לקח) is "it shall take" or "it shall seize." Ma'amadoh (מעמדו) refers to "its standing," "its foundation," "its stability," or "its support."
  • Significance: This phrase carries significant weight. It suggests that the overwhelming mourning emanating from Bethez-ezel will not only express sorrow but actively strip others of their stability, support, or hope. It can mean that the shared tragedy (lamentation) causes the remaining communities to lose their own foothold or security, emphasizing the pervasive and destabilizing effect of God's judgment across the region.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Pass on your way, O inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame!": This sequence delivers a potent visual of forced expulsion, stripping away all dignity and material possessions. It communicates not just physical displacement but utter degradation and public humiliation, serving as a warning of divine judgment that leaves no one unscathed.
• "The inhabitant of Zaanan has not come out": This segment highlights the isolation and inability to respond or assist others during the crisis. The grim irony tied to Zaanan's name—"coming out"—serves to underscore the complete paralysis or devastating impact that prevents its people from engaging with the widespread suffering. It paints a picture of societal breakdown and a lack of mutual aid.
• "the lamentation of Bethez-ezel shall take away from you its standing place": This depicts a profound, destabilizing sorrow. The sheer weight of grief from one town is so overwhelming it drains the remaining hope, stability, and even the literal ability to "stand firm" from neighboring communities. It speaks to a ripple effect of despair, signifying a complete loss of security and a foundational breakdown resulting from divine punishment.

Micah 1 11 Bonus section

• Poetic Devices: Micah 1:11, like many other verses in Micah 1:10-15, utilizes the poetic device of paronomasia (wordplay or pun). This literary technique makes the prophecy more memorable, impactful, and often bitterly ironic. For example:

  • Shaphir (meaning "beautiful") is prophesied to suffer "nakedness and shame." The contrast emphasizes the defilement of beauty.
  • Zaanan (perhaps related to "coming out") is where people "do not come out." This highlights their inescapable entrapment or inability to act.
  • Bethez-ezel (potentially "house of side/nearness" or related to "taking away") contributes to a lamentation that "takes away" ma'amadoh (standing place). This complex wordplay heightens the sense of a divinely orchestrated disintegration.
  • These wordplays served to drive the message deep into the original hearers' consciousness, connecting the impending judgment directly to the very identity of their places.

• Echoes of Assyrian Tactics: The "nakedness and shame" directly reflect known Assyrian military practices of humiliating conquered populations. Prisoners were often stripped of clothing and paraded publicly as a show of dominion and a deterrent. Micah's prophecy, therefore, accurately portrays the very real consequences of resisting or incurring the wrath of an empire often used by God as His instrument of judgment.

Micah 1 11 Commentary

Micah 1:11 encapsulates the stark reality of God's judgment descending upon Judah, portrayed through the fate of its individual towns. The verse, rich in wordplay and poignant imagery, predicts a calamitous invasion where communities like Shaphir, the "beautiful" one, are stripped bare and driven into humiliating exile. It underscores the severity of their punishment, marked by physical nakedness and profound public shame—a tangible symbol of their sin and God's righteous retribution.

Furthermore, the prophecy illustrates the isolation and paralysis that accompanies such judgment. The inhabitants of Zaanan, whose name evokes "going out," are trapped, unable to "come out" to aid or even mourn with their neighbors. This portrays a society fractured by disaster, where mutual support crumbles. Finally, the personified lamentation from Bethez-ezel underscores the overwhelming, pervasive nature of grief that does more than just express sorrow; it actively dismantles any remaining sense of security or stability among the survivors. This collective sorrow and vulnerability underscore that no human construct or place of solace can withstand God's just recompense for sin, leading to a complete unmooring of society. The prophecy thus serves as a grim warning of the pervasive and deeply unsettling consequences of unfaithfulness.