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Jonathan Micah

Targum Jonathan to the Prophets

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The Mountain of the Lord’s Sanctuary

Chapter 4

1 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s sanctuary will stand firmly at the head of the mountains, raised above the hills. Kingdoms will turn to worship on it. 2 Many peoples will go and say, “Come, let’s climb the mountain of the Lord’s sanctuary, to the house of the Shekinah of Jacob’s God. He will teach us⁠ ways that are right before Him, and we will follow the teaching of His Torah.” For the Torah will go out from Zion, and instruction in the Lord’s word from Jerusalem.

3 He will judge between many peoples and settle matters for powerful kings forever. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into sickles. No people will take up weapons against another, and they will no longer train for war. 4 Each person will sit beneath the fruit of his vines and fig trees, with no one to frighten him. For this is what the Memra of the Lord of armies has decreed.

5 All the peoples⁠ will be condemned because they worshiped idols. But we will rely on the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.

The Kingdom Restored

6 At that time, says the Lord God, I will gather those driven into exile, and bring together those scattered, and those treated harshly⁠ because of My people’s sins.

7 I will make the displaced into a surviving remnant, and the scattered into a strong people. The Lord’s⁠ kingdom will be revealed over them on Mount Zion, from this time and forever.

8 And you,⁠ Messiah of Israel, hidden because of the sins of Zion’s congregation, the kingdom is destined to come to you. The former rule will return to the kingdom of Jerusalem’s congregation.

Exile and Deliverance

9 Why do you join yourself to the nations? Is there no king among you? Have your royal advisers perished? For distress and trembling have seized you like a woman’s labor pains.

10 Tremble and shake, congregation of Zion, like a woman giving birth. For you will leave the city and camp in the fields, going as far as Babylon. There you will be rescued. There the Lord will redeem you from your enemies’ power.

11 Many nations will gather against you, saying, “When will she be condemned, so that we can see Zion’s downfall?”

12 But they do not know the Lord’s secrets or understand His plans. He has brought them together like sheaves on a threshing floor.

13 Rise and strike down your enemies, congregation of Zion! I will⁠ make your people strong as iron and their survivors hard as bronze. You will strike down many peoples. You will destroy their property before the Lord, and their precious wealth before the Lord of the whole earth.

14 Now gather in troops, city under siege! They struck Israel’s judges on the cheek with a staff.

Texts in conversation

Compare Micah 4:2 and Jonathan Micah 4:2

Hebrew Bible · Targum

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Summary

In the Hebrew version of Micah, nations seek God’s ways. In the Aramaic translation in Targum Jonathan, they learn conduct acceptable to him and follow the Torah, distinguishing human obedience from God’s own actions.

Passages

Micah 4:2

Hebrew Bible
1 And in future days the Lord’s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all; it will be more prominent than other hills. People will stream to it.2 Many nations will come, saying, “Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the temple of Jacob’s God, so he can teach us his ways and we can live by his laws.” For instruction will proceed from Zion, the Lord’s message from Jerusalem.3 He will arbitrate between many peoples and settle disputes between many distant nations. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will not use weapons against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.4 Each will sit under his own grapevine or under his own fig tree without any fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has decreed it.
740–401 BCE Read in Micah

Jonathan Micah 4:2

Targum · Targum Jonathan to the Prophets
1 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s sanctuary will stand firmly at the head of the mountains, raised above the hills. Kingdoms will turn to worship on it. 2 Many peoples will go and say, “Come, let’s climb the mountain of the Lord’s sanctuary, to the house of the Shekinah of Jacob’s God. He will teach us ways that are right before Him, and we will follow the teaching of His Torah.” For the Torah will go out from Zion, and instruction in the Lord’s word from Jerusalem.3 He will judge between many peoples and settle matters for powerful kings forever. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into sickles. No people will take up weapons against another, and they will no longer train for war. 4 Each person will sit beneath the fruit of his vines and fig trees, with no one to frighten him. For this is what the Memra of the Lord of armies has decreed.

References

“... According to the thinking of the Targumist humans can learn acceptable modes of conduct from God, but they and God do not act in the same way. ‘MT “his paths”. 78. avoids the implication of MT that God engages in the human activity of walking (albeit figurative here), but takes the opportunity to stress the observance of the law. ...”
Kevin J. Cathcart and Robert P. Gordon, The Targum of the Minor Prophets, ArBib 14 (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, 1989), 119.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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