Albert Barnes Commentary Micah 1:12

"For the inhabitant of Maroth waiteth anxiously for good, because evil is come down from Jehovah unto the gate of Jerusalem." — Micah 1:12 (ASV)

For the inhabitant of Maroth – (bitterness) – waited carefully for good. She waited carefully for the good which God gives, not for the Good which God is. She looked, longed for, good, as men do; but with that her longing ended. She longed for it amid her own evil, which brought God’s judgments upon her. Maroth is mentioned here only in Holy Scripture and has not been identified. It too was probably selected for its meaning. The inhabitant of bitternesses—she to whom bitternesses, or perhaps rebellions, were as the home in which she dwelt, which always encircled her, in which she reposed, and in which she spent her life—waited for good!

Strange contradiction! Yet it is a contradiction that the whole un-Christian world continually enacts. Indeed, it is one from which Christians often need to be awakened: looking for good for themselves, even praying for temporal good, while living in bitternesses—bitter ways, displeasing to God. These words are suited to be a religious proverb. “Living in sin,” as we say, dwelling in bitternesses, she looked for good!

Bitternesses! For it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that My fear is not in thee (Jeremiah 2:19).

But evil came down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem. It came like the sulphur and fire God rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah, but still only to the gate of Jerusalem, not upon the city itself.

“Evil came down upon them from the Lord; that is, I was grieved, I chastened, I brought the Assyrian upon them, and from My anger came this affliction upon them. But it was removed, My Hand prevailing and marvelously rescuing those who worshiped My Majesty. For the trouble shall come to the gate. But we know that Rabshakeh, with many horsemen, came to Jerusalem and almost touched the gates. But he did not take it, for in one night the Assyrian was consumed.”

The two instances of “for” are seemingly coordinate and assign the reasons for the foretold evils (Micah 1:3–11)—on man’s part and on God’s part.

On man’s part, because he looked for good which could not come in that manner; on God’s part, because evil, which alone could be expected, and which, amid man’s evil, alone could be good for man, came from Him.

Losing the true Good, man lost all other good; and dwelling in the bitterness of sin and provocation, he indeed dwelt in bitterness of trouble.