John Calvin Commentary Micah 4:11-13

"And now many nations are assembled against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye see [our desire] upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel; for he hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass; and thou shalt beat in pieces many peoples: and I will devote their gain unto Jehovah, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth." — Micah 4:11-13 (ASV)

The Prophet’s object here is to provide some comfort to the faithful, so that they would not succumb to their calamities. As we have stated, very severe evils were approaching, sufficient to overwhelm the minds of the godly. The Prophet, therefore, here lifts up with the most suitable comfort those who would have otherwise lost heart under their calamities.

The essence of it all is this: the faithful were not to be dismayed on finding the ungodly proudly triumphing, as they are accustomed to do when they seem to have achieved their desires. Since, then, the wicked show an arrogant spirit without limit, the Prophet exhorts the faithful to support themselves with God’s promises and not to be concerned about such insolence. He then adds a promise: that God would assemble all the forces of their enemies, as when one gathers many ears of corn into a bundle to thresh them on the floor. I will now come to the words of the Prophet.

He says, Assemble against you do nations, or strong nations. For by saying, גוים רבים, guim rebim, he indicates one of two things: either that they were strong, or that they were large in number. Regarding the meaning, there is no great difference. The Prophet intended this: that though the Church of God may be oppressed by a great multitude of enemies, it still should not be crushed in spirit, for the ungodly, while they cruelly dominate, do not understand God’s design.

So then, many nations assemble against you. He presents this reality to them to relieve their terror. For when we are out of harm’s way, we usually disregard all dangers too carelessly; and then, when we come to a real struggle, we tremble, or even fall and become completely weak.

This is why the Prophet lays before the Jews what was ahead for them, showing that the time was near when they would have to endure a siege, as enemies would surround them from every side. So nations assemble, strong or many nations. He shows here that the Jews had no reason to lose hope, though their enemies would far exceed them in number, forces, and courage, for it was sufficient for them to be under God’s protection.

Who say, “Zion shall now be condemned.” The verb חנף, chenaph, means to act wickedly and perversely. It may then be literally translated, “Zion shall be profane (Latin: scelerata); and our eye shall look on it.” But this word is often used metaphorically for condemnation. The meaning then is, “Zion is now condemned.” The Prophet, undoubtedly, intended to indicate here that the enemies would triumph as if Zion were not under God’s protection—just as when someone who has made himself hateful through his vices is abandoned and forsaken by his protectors. So, then, the Prophet here equips the faithful against the arrogance of their enemies, so that they might not despair when they found themselves condemned by universal agreement, and when everyone believed they were forsaken by God.

Consolation follows: But they do not know the thoughts of Jehovah, nor do they understand His counsel; for verbs in the past tense often have the meaning of the present. Here the Prophet directs the attention of the godly to a subject most suitable for them. For when the wicked rise up so cruelly against us, we are inclined to think that they are permitted to do anything. Then their reproaches and slanders immediately take possession of our minds and thoughts, so that we, in a way, measure God’s judgment by their words.

Therefore, when the ungodly mock our faith and boast that we are forsaken by God, we are overcome, as if filled with bewilderment. Nothing is easier than to cast off faith and the memory of God’s promises whenever the ungodly are so insolent. The Prophet, then, for good reason, applies a remedy which we should carefully observe.

Who say, “Zion is condemned”; but they are like the blind when judging colors, for they do not understand the counsel of Jehovah, and His thoughts they do not know. We now see, then, what the Prophet intended, which was to show that the faithful would be unwise and foolish if they formed an opinion of God’s judgment according to the boasting of the ungodly. For Satan sweeps them away in a frenzy; and when the Lord gives them freedom to do evil, they think they will be conquerors to the end. Since, then, the ungodly are thus drunk with foolish confidence and despise not only human beings but God Himself, the Prophet here upholds and supports the minds of the godly so that they might look higher. In this way, they can understand that God’s design was not the same as what the wicked thought—those who neither belonged to nor drew near to God.

It is especially necessary to know this truth. Some, at first glance, may think it uninspiring: “Oh, then, what does the Prophet mean? He says that what these people declare is not Jehovah’s design; and this we know.” But if everyone were to examine the subject, they would then unanimously confess that nothing could have been more timely than this consolation.

Now, we are wounded by reproaches, and this very often happens to sincere people. Then, while the ungodly vomit out their slanders, we think that God remains indifferent in heaven; and one of their words, like a cloud, obscures God’s judgment. As soon as any of the wicked mock us, laugh at our simplicity, threaten ferociously, and unleash their terrors, their words, as I have said, are like a cloud coming between us and God.

This is why the Prophet says here that Jehovah’s thoughts are different, and His counsel is different. In short, the Prophet’s object is to show that whenever the ungodly proudly despise us, and also reproachfully threaten and terrify us, we should raise our thoughts to heaven. Why? Because God’s design is different. Their boastings then will vanish, for they arise from nothing and they will come to nothing, but God’s purpose will stand.

But let us now see why the Prophet spoke here of God’s design and thoughts. For if only these two words are presented to us, there is certainly little true comfort, and nothing that has much strength or power. There is, then, another principle to understand: that God’s thoughts are known to us who are taught in His school.

God’s counsel, then, is not hidden, for it is revealed to us in His Word. Consolation, therefore, depends on a higher and more profound doctrine: that is, that the faithful, in their miseries, should contemplate God’s counsel as in a mirror.

And what is this? It is that when He afflicts us, He holds a remedy in His hand; and that when He throws us into the grave, He can restore us to life and safety. When, therefore, we understand this design of God—that He disciplines His Church with temporary afflictions, and that the outcome will always be most beneficial—when this is known by us, there is then no reason why the slanders of the ungodly should discourage us. When they vomit out all their reproaches, we should adhere firmly to this counsel of God.

That the ungodly are so proud is not surprising. For if they raise their horns against God, why should they not also despise us, who are so few in number and have very little influence, at least not equal to what they possess? The Church is indeed contemptible in the eyes of the world. It is no wonder if our enemies thus mock us and load us with ridicule and contempt, when they dare to act so perversely towards God. But it is sufficient for us to know that they do not understand God’s counsel.

He says, For you shall assemble them as a sheaf to the threshing floor. The Prophet adds this clause as an explanation, so that we may know what God’s counsel is, which he has mentioned: that God will collect the enemies as a sheaf. What is a sheaf?

It is a small quantity of grain; it may be three hundred or a thousand ears of corn. They are ears of corn, carried in a person’s hand. And then, what is to be done with the sheaf? It is to be threshed on the floor.

It was indeed difficult to believe that enemies, when thus gathered together from every side, would be like a sheaf. If an army assembled against us, not only ten or twenty thousand, but a much larger number, who would think, according to human judgment, that they would be like a sheaf? They will seem like so many deaths and graves. Yet the thought of God should matter more to us than the formidable power of human beings.

Whenever, therefore, our enemies surpass us in strength and number, let us learn to rise to understand that secret counsel of God, of which our Prophet now speaks. Then it will be easy for us to regard a vast multitude as no more than a handful. And he says that our enemies are to be gathered to a threshing floor, so that they may be threshed there. They assemble themselves for another purpose, for they think that we shall soon be in their power, so that they may swallow us up. But when they thus gather themselves and their forces, the Lord will thwart their purpose and cause them to be threshed by us.

Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion; for I have made your horn iron, and your hoofs brass. The Prophet here confirms what he had previously said. He exhorts the daughter of Zion to arise, for it was necessary for her to have been cast down, so as to lie prostrate on the ground.

God did not indeed immediately restore His Church, but afflicted her for a time, so that she was no different from a dead person. Just as a dead body lies on the ground without any sensation, so also did the Church of God lie prostrate. This is the reason why the Prophet now says, Arise, daughter of Zion; as if God, by His voice, roused the dead.

Thus we see that the word קומי, kumi, is emphatic. For the Prophet reminds us that there is no reason for the faithful to despair completely when they find themselves thus cast down, for their restoration is in God’s hand and power, as it is the unique role of God to raise the dead.

And this same truth ought to be applied for our use, whenever we are so cast down that no strength or vigor remains in us. How then can we rise again? By the power of God, who by His voice alone can restore us to life, which seemed to be completely extinct.

He afterwards adds, Thresh, for I have made your horn iron, and your hoofs brass. A method of threshing, we know, was in use among the Jews, the same as that in Italy and today in French Provence. We here thresh the corn with flails, but there by treading. The Prophet speaks here of this custom and compares the Church of God to oxen, as if he said, “The Jews shall be like oxen with iron horns and brass hoofs, so that they may strike down under them the whole strength of the nations. However much the nations may now excel, I will subject them under the feet of My people, as if sheaves were threshed by them.”

He then adds, And you shall separate or consecrate their wealth to Jehovah, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth. Here the Prophet specifies the purpose for which God had intended to subject the heathen nations to His chosen people—that He might be glorified.

This is the meaning. But those who have thought that this prophecy should be confined to the time of Christ have over-interpreted allegorically. For the Prophet undoubtedly meant to extend consolation to the whole kingdom of Christ, from the beginning to the end. Others, no more accurately, say that this is to be referred to the Babylonian captivity because then Daniel and some others “threshed” the people, when heathen kings were persuaded through their teaching to restore the temple and also to offer some worship to the God of Israel.

But on this point they are both mistaken, because they take the word “threshing” in a different sense from the Prophet. For it commonly means that heathen nations are to be subjected to the Church of God. This takes place whenever God extends His hand to the faithful and does not allow the ungodly to exercise their cruelty as they desire; indeed, when He makes them humbly supplicate the faithful.

This often happens in the world, as it is written of Christ, Your enemies shall lick the earth (Psalms 72:9). But this prophecy will not be fulfilled until the last coming of Christ. We indeed begin to tread on our enemies whenever God by His power destroys them, or at least causes them to tremble and to be cast down. We find that they dread whenever any change takes place; and then they smoothly profess that they desire to serve God. So today it has happened both in France and in Italy. How many hypocrites, for the sake of an earthly advantage, have submitted themselves to God? And how many such did England produce when the Gospel flourished there? All the courtiers, and others who were unwilling to incur the king’s displeasure, professed themselves to be the very best lovers of religion (optimos pietatis cultores — the best observers of piety). But yet this is always the case,

Aliens have been false to you (Psalms 18:44).

Thus we see what the prophet means when he speaks of threshing: he indicates that the Lord would often cause the enemies of the Church to be bruised, though no one crushed them. But, as I have said, we must look forward to the last day if we wish to see the complete fulfillment of this prophecy.

He afterwards adds, You shall consecrate their wealth to Jehovah, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth. The Prophet shows here that dominion should not be hoped for by the children of God so that they may abound in worldly pleasures, appropriate everything to themselves, and also abuse their power, as ungodly people are accustomed to do. Instead, all is to be dedicated to the worship and the glory of God.

For what purpose, then, does God intend for His Church to become eminent? So that He Himself may alone shine forth, and that the faithful may rightly enjoy their honor and not become proud as a result. There is, therefore, nothing more alien to the power of the Church than pride, cruelty, or avarice. What is said here, then, should be carefully observed: Their wealth you shall consecrate to Jehovah.

He had spoken before of power: “You shall bind strong people, you shall thresh them, and you shall tread them under your feet.” But so that the faithful should not turn all this to a purpose the Lord had not designed, a very suitable correction is immediately added: that this power shall not be exercised according to the will of human beings, but according to the will of God. You shall then consecrate, etc.; and he uses the word חרם, cherem, which means to make a thing an anathema or an offering. It is as if he said, “God will raise His Church so that it may rule over its enemies; but let the faithful at the same time be careful that they do not rule tyrannically, for God always intends to reign alone. Therefore, the whole excellence, the whole dignity, the whole power of the Church ought to be used for this purpose—that all things may become subject to God, and everything among the nations may be altogether sacred to Him, so that the worship of God may flourish among the conquerors as well as among the conquered.” We now perceive the Prophet’s object in speaking of consecrating the wealth of the nations.