The glory, 1, 2, and the peace of Christ's kingdom, 5. The restoration, 6-10, and victory of the church, 11-13.
1 But in the last days it shall come to pass,/
that the mountain of the house of the LORD/
shall be established on the top of the mountains,/
and it shall be exalted above the hills,/
and people shall flow to it.
2 And many nations shall come and say,/
"Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD/
and to the house of the God of Jacob,/
and he will teach us of his ways,/
and we will walk in his paths."/
For the law shall go forth from Zion/
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 And he shall judge among many people/
and rebuke strong nations afar off./
And they shall beat their swords into plow-shares/
and their spears into pruning-hooks./
Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,/
neither shall they learn war anymore.
4 But they shall each sit under his vine/
and under his fig-tree,/
and no one shall make them afraid./
For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken it.
5 For all people will each walk in the name of his god,/
and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God/
forever and ever.
6 "In that day," says the LORD,/
"I will assemble her who is lame./
I will gather her who is driven out/
and her whom I have afflicted.
7 I will make her who was lame a remnant/
and her who was cast far off a strong nation./
And the LORD will reign over them on mount Zion/
from now on, even forever."
8 And you, O tower of the flock,/
the stronghold of the daughter of Zion,/
it shall come to you,/
even the former dominion shall come,/
the kingdom to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why do you cry aloud?/
Is there no king in you?/
Has your counselor perished?/
For pangs have taken you as a woman in travail.
10 Be in pain and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion,/
like a woman in travail./
For now you shall go forth from the city/
and you shall dwell in the field,/
and you shall go even to Babylon./
There you shall be delivered./
There the LORD shall redeem you/
from the hand of your enemies.
11 Now also many nations are gathered against you,/
who say, "Let her be defiled,/
and let our eye look upon Zion."
12 But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD,/
neither do they understand his counsel,/
for he will gather them as sheaves into the floor.
13 "Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion,/
for I will make your horn iron/
and I will make your hooves brass./
And you shall beat many people in pieces./
And I will consecrate their gain to YAHWEH/
and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Micah, Chapter 4[➚]
John Gill's Chapter Summary:
This chapter contains some gracious promises concerning the glory and happiness of the church of Christ in the last days; as of its stability, exaltation, and increase, and of the spread of the Gospel from it (verses 1-2); and of the peace and security of it, and constant profession and exercise of religion in it (verses 3-5); and of the deliverance of it from affliction and distress, and the ample and everlasting kingdom of Christ in it (verses 6-8); and then follow some prophecies more particularly respecting the Jews; as that, though they should be in distress, and be carried captive into Babylon, they should be delivered from there (verses 9-10); and, though many people should be gathered against them, yet should not be able to prevail over them, but their attempts would issue in their own destruction (verses 11-13).
[v.1] - "flow to it" - This is the literal rendering of the Hebrew, but it can also be read as, "assemble there."
[v.3a] - "pruning-hooks" - Or, "scythes."
[v.3b] - "neither shall they learn war anymore" - This may also be read as, "neither shall they accustom themselves to war anymore."
[v.4b] - Reference, Leviticus 26:6.
[v.7] - "And the LORD will reign over them on mount Zion from now on, even forever" - Reference, Psalm 2:6, 125:1; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:14, 27; Joel 3:17; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15.
[v.8a] - "tower of the flock" - Concerning this tower, Adam Clarke said, "I believe Jerusalem, or the temple, or both, are meant." John Calvin essentially is in agreement with that, for he said it refers to "the holy city," or Jerusalem.
[v.11] - "look upon" - "To look on, is a Hebrew idiom, and means often to triumph or exalt over another, or to gain the upper hand. See Psalm 22:17, 118:7." —John Owen
[v.12] - "But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, neither do they understand his counsel" - Reference, Isaiah 55:8; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 11:33-34.
[v.13a] - "horn" - "Horn, in Scripture, means often elevation, dignity, power, strength. It means evidently the last (i.e., strength) here. Zion was made strong to thrash the nations, and supplied with strong hoofs to tread on them." —John Owen
[v.13b] - "beat... in pieces" - Or, "thrash out." "To thrash and to thrash out, is to conquer and to bring thoroughly under subjection." —John Owen