Micah 6 13

Micah 6:13 kjv

Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins.

Micah 6:13 nkjv

"Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, By making you desolate because of your sins.

Micah 6:13 niv

Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins.

Micah 6:13 esv

Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins.

Micah 6:13 nlt

"Therefore, I will wound you!
I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.

Micah 6 verses

Micah 6 13 Meaning

Because you are so few, I will not deliver your armies into the hands of your enemies.

Micah 6 13 Context

Micah 6:13 directly follows a pronouncement of judgment against the people of Israel, specifically their leaders and inhabitants, for their wickedness, greed, and deceit. The preceding verses detail God’s charges against them. In this specific verse, God states His intention to weaken them and make them desolate as a consequence of their actions. The passage reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where disobedience brings punishment, and obedience brings blessings. Historically, this is during the period leading up to the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, a time when Israel repeatedly turned away from God's laws despite numerous warnings. The entire chapter emphasizes God’s holiness and His demand for justice and faithfulness from His people, contrasting their corrupt practices with His righteous expectations.

Micah 6 13 Word analysis

• "Therefore": (Hebrew: עַל-כֵּן, al-ken) - Indicates a consequence or result stemming from previous actions or conditions.
• "I": (Hebrew: אֲנִי, ani) - Emphasizes God as the direct agent of the action described.
• "have begun": (Hebrew: הֵחֵל, hechel) - Suggests the commencement or initiation of a process, implying that judgment has started but may continue.
• "to strike you": (Hebrew: לְהַכֹּתְךָ, lehakotecha) - A forceful verb meaning to smite, beat, or plague. It signifies a deliberate act of infliction of suffering or damage.
• "making you": (Hebrew: שִׂימְךָ, simcha) - Implies causing to be, rendering into a particular state or condition.
• "desolate": (Hebrew: שֹׁמְמָה, shomemah) - Signifies ruin, emptiness, abandonment, waste. This implies a severe state of destruction and loss.
• "making you": (Hebrew: נָתַן, natan) - Similar to 'simcha', but can also mean to give or put. Here it signifies causing something to happen.
• "low": (Hebrew: מְצֵעָה, metze'ah / לַשֶּׁפֶל, lashefel) - Indicates inferiority, insignificance, or being brought down low.
• "in the hands of": (Hebrew: בְּיַד, beyad) - Denotes control or possession by someone else, specifically the enemies.
• "your enemies": (Hebrew: צָרֶיךָ, tsarecha) - Refers to those who are hostile to them, the opposing nations or forces.

Group Analysis:The phrase "making you desolate, making you low in the hands of your enemies" paints a vivid picture of complete subjugation and ruin. God is the active agent, causing Israel to become waste and fall into the hands of their adversaries. This consequence directly stems from their past unfaithfulness and malpractices, which were detailed in the preceding verses of the chapter. The words combine to express divine judgment, resulting in total vulnerability and subjugation by external hostile forces due to their internal corruption.

Micah 6 13 Bonus section

The statement that God "will not deliver your armies into the hands of your enemies" is a complex one within this context. While it sounds like a promise of protection, the immediate preceding phrases ("making you desolate," "making you low") suggest that their armies will be ineffective, implying defeat or insignificance, which effectively puts them "into the hands of your enemies" through their inability to stand against them. It is interpreted as God stating that He has already weakened them so much that their own strength is incapable of saving them, thus they will fall into enemy hands as a result of this internal decay brought on by divine judgment. The statement underscores the extent of their impending humiliation. The initial phrase "I will begin to strike you" (הֵחֵל, hechel) signifies the commencement of a process, implying ongoing consequences.

Micah 6 13 Commentary

This verse highlights God's punitive response to His people's transgressions. The prophet declares that due to their sins and exploitation of others, God has initiated a process of bringing them to ruin. This devastation will manifest in them being weakened and overcome by their enemies. It's a stark reminder that God’s covenant involved both blessings for obedience and judgments for disobedience. The assurance "I will not deliver your armies into the hands of your enemies" here is actually a conditional statement embedded in the structure of judgment pronouncements. The preceding verses often lay out what God will do if they persist in sin, rather than what He will literally refrain from. However, in some interpretations of the Hebrew text here and its placement within the dialogue, it can be understood as God assuring them that because their numbers have already been so diminished and their strength compromised by His judgments (striking and making desolate), they will be unable to effectively resist further and will consequently fall into enemy hands due to this inherent weakness. Thus, the statement conveys the finality of their weakened state, making them prey for their enemies.

• Practical application: Recognize that prolonged sin can lead to a weakening of one's spiritual defenses and practical abilities, leaving one vulnerable to spiritual adversaries. True strength and deliverance come from obedience and repentance.