John Calvin Commentary Micah 6:10-11

"Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a scant measure that is abominable? Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights?" — Micah 6:10-11 (ASV)

Interpreters differ regarding the word האש, eash. Some think that it should be read האיש, eaish, with an addition of two letters, and translate it, "Is it yet man?" But this would make the passage abrupt. Others translate, "Is there yet fire?" as if it were אש, ash; and they suppose that wealth, wickedly and unjustly acquired, is so called because it consumes itself.

But as this is contrary to what grammar requires, I am more inclined to the view of those who think that האש, eash, is to be taken here for היש, eish, aleph being put for jod; and they correctly consider that the sentence is to be read as a question: Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the ungodly? If this view is approved, then we must consider the Prophet as proposing a question about something truly monstrous: How can it be that treasures, gathered by plunder and wickedness, still remain with you, since you have been so often warned, and since God daily urges you to repentance?

How great is your hardness, that no fear of God takes hold of your minds? But the meaning would not be unsuitable if we were to regard God as a Judge examining them concerning an unknown matter: Are there still the treasures of impiety in the house of the ungodly? That is, "I will see whether the ungodly and wicked hide their treasures." For God often assumes the character of earthly judges; not that anything escapes His knowledge, but so that we may know that He is not hasty in deciding a question.

This view, then, is by no means inappropriate: that God here assumes the character of an earthly judge and speaks in this way, "I will see whether there are still treasures concealed by the ungodly; I will search their houses; I will know whether they have yet repented of their crimes." Thus, then, the words of the Prophet may be understood: Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the ungodly? For God, as I have already said, shows that He would know about the plunders and the various kinds of cruelty which they had practiced.

He then adds: Is there the bare measure—that is, a measure less than it should be—which is detestable? Then He says:

Shall I justify? etc. This verse is connected with the last and is added as an explanation. For God, having come forth as a Judge, now shows what sort of Judge He is—one who is not biased by favor, who does not change His judgment, who shows no partiality.

But people, for the most part, greatly deceive themselves when they transform God according to their own will and promise themselves that He will be favorable to them, provided they only make false claims to Him. God then declares here that He differs widely from earthly judges, who now incline to one side and then to another, who are changeable, and often deviate from the right course.

But, on the contrary, He says here, Shall I justify wicked balances? Shall I justify weights of fraud, or deceitful weights? That is, "Shake off all those delusions by which you are accustomed to deceive yourselves; for I do not change either My nature or My purpose. But according to the true teaching of My Law, I will punish all the wicked without any partiality: wherever wickedness and iniquity are found, punishment will be inflicted there."

We now understand then how these two verses harmonize. God shows that He will be a judge, and then, that He differs from humans, who often change, as has been said, in their decisions.

I will mention another meaning, which will perhaps be preferred by some. The question, in the Hebrew manner, may be taken as an affirmation, as if He had said that within a short time (for עוד, oud, sometimes means a short time), the treasures of iniquity would not be found, because they would be taken away. Then follows a confirmation, because frauds and robberies by false measures and deceitful weights could not escape God’s judgment. The meaning then would be that, as God must necessarily, according to His own office, punish thefts, it cannot be that He will allow those who cheat by false weights to continue always unpunished.