1.5 KiB
General Information:
Micah 1:8-16 is about God's judgment on Judah.
I will lament
Here "I" refers to Micah.
I will lament and wail
"Lament" refers to the inner feeling of sadness, and "wail" refers to the activity of making a loud, sad sound.
I will go barefoot and naked
This is a sign of extreme mourning and distress. Another possible meaning is "I will look like someone has taken off my clothes; I will be naked"
naked
probably wearing only a loincloth
like the jackals ... like owls
Jackals and owls live in wastelands, and their loud cries sound like people wailing or weeping. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile)
For her wound is incurable
Here "her" refers to the city of Samaria. This means nothing can stop the enemy army from destroying the people who live there. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
for it has come to Judah
Micah uses contagious disease as a metaphor for the army that Yahweh has sent to judge Samaria. Here "it" refers to the "wound," that is, to the army that God will use to punish Samaria. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
Beth Leaphrah
You may want to make a footnote saying, "The name of this city means 'house of dust.'" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names)
I roll myself in the dust
People under God's judgment are expressing their grief in a strong way. AT: "I roll myself on the ground" or "I roll myself in the mud" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction)