John Calvin Commentary Micah 1:11

"Pass away, O inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame: the inhabitant of Zaanan is not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ezel shall take from you the stay thereof." — Micah 1:11 (ASV)

The Prophet here addresses the cities that were on the borders of the kingdom of Israel, and through which the enemy would pass when entering the kingdom of Judah. He therefore tells the inhabitants of the city Saphir to pass on, and says that the city would be ashamed or shamefully naked.

The word שפיר, shaphir, means splendid. He then says, “You are now beautiful, but the Lord will uncover your shame, so that your nakedness shall be a shame to all, and the greatest disgrace to yourself.” There is a correspondence in the words, though not an alliteration. Therefore, the Prophet says that though the city was called splendid, it would yet be deformed, so that no one would deign to look at it, at least without feeling shame.

There is the same correspondence in the word Zaanan; for צעה, tsoe, means to transfer, as צען, tson, is to migrate. Therefore, the Prophet says, Go forth shall not the inhabitant of Zaanan for the mourning of Beth-Aezel; that is, he will remain quiet at home. This he will do contrary to what would be natural, for from where does the city get its name? It is from moving, for it was a place of much traffic. But he will remain, the Prophet says, at home: though he may see his neighbors dragged into exile, he will not dare to move from his place.

He now adds, Take will the enemy from you his station. The verb עמד, omad, means to stand; nor is there any doubt that when the Prophet says, "He will take from you his standing," he speaks of the standing or station of the enemy. However, interpreters vary here.

Some understand that when the enemy had continued long in the land, they would not depart before they possessed supreme power. It is as though he said, “You will think that your enemy can be worn out with delay and tediousness, when he is not able to conquer your cities soon: this, the Prophet says, will not be the case; for he will resolutely persevere, and his expectation will not disappoint him, for he will receive the reward of his station, that is, of his delay.” But some say, "He will receive his station from you."

They explain the verb לקח, lakech, metaphorically, as meaning to receive instruction from hand to hand; as though the Prophet had said, "Some, that is, your neighbors, will learn their own position from you." What does this mean? Zaanan will not go forth on account of the mourning of its neighboring city Aezel: others will afterwards follow this example.

How so? For Zaanan will be, as it were, the teacher to other cities. As it will not dare to show any sign of grief for its neighbors, being not able to help them, so also, when it is taken into exile in its turn, that is, its citizens and inhabitants, its neighbors will remain quiet, as though the condition of the miserable city was no object of their care.

They shall then learn from you their standing; that is, you will remain quiet and still when your neighbors are destroyed; the same thing will afterwards happen to you. But as this has little bearing on the main subjects, we may accept either of these views.