Micah 1 · Verse 13

Micah 1:13

O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.
Micah 1:13, King James Version

Micah 1:13 in other translations

BSBHarness your chariot horses, O dweller of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
WEBHarness the chariot to the swift steed, inhabitant of Lachish. She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
ASVBind the chariot to the swift steed, O inhabitant of Lachish: she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.
YLTBind the chariot to a swift beast, O inhabitant of Lachish, The beginning of sin is she to the daughter of Zion, For in thee have been found the transgressions of Israel.
DARBYBind the chariot to the swift steed, O inhabitress of Lachish: she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for in thee were found the transgressions of Israel.
BBELet the war-carriage be yoked to the quick-running horse, you who are living in Lachish: she was the first cause of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the wrongdoings of Israel were seen in you.
WebsterO thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

What does Micah 1:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. "Bind the chariot to the swift steed," in order by a hasty flight to escape the invading foe. Compare Note, see on Is 36:2, on "Lachish," at which Sennacherib fixed his headquarters (2Ki 18:14, 17; Jr 34:7). she is the beginning of the sin to ... Zion--Lachish was the first of the cities of Judah, according to this passage, to introduce the worship of false gods, imitating what Jeroboam had introduced in Israel. As lying near the border of the north kingdom, Lachish was first to be infected by its idolatry, which thence spread to Jerusalem.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 Inhabitant of Lachish - This city was in the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:39, and was taken by Sennacherib when he was coming against Jerusalem, 2Kgs 18:13, etc., and it is supposed that he wished to reduce this city first, that, possessing it, he might prevent Hezekiah's receiving any help from Egypt. She is the beginning of the sin - This seems to intimate that Lachish was the first city in Judah which received the idolatrous worship of Israel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Micah 1:8-16

The prophet laments that Israel's case is desperate; but declare it not in Gath. Gratify not those that make merry with the sins or with the sorrows of God's Israel. Roll thyself in the dust, as mourners used to do; let every house in Jerusalem become a house of Aphrah, "a house of dust." When God makes the house dust it becomes us to humble ourselves to the dust under his mighty hand. Many places should share this…

Read the full comment on Micah 1:8-16 →

Micah 1:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

רְתֹ֧םre.TomharnessH7573
הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֛הha.mer.ka.Vahthe chariotH4818
לָרֶ֖כֶשׁla.Re.kheshto the steedH7409
יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶתyo.She.vetO inhabitant[s] ofH3427
לָכִ֑ישׁla.KhishLachishH3923
רֵאשִׁ֨יתre.Shit[was the] beginning ofH7225
חַטָּ֥אתcha.TatsinH2403
הִיא֙hi'itH1931
לְבַת\־le.vat-for [the] daughter ofH1323
צִיּ֔וֹןtzi.YonZionH6726
כִּי\־ki-forH3588
בָ֥ךְvakhin you
נִמְצְא֖וּnim.tze.'Uthey were foundH4672
פִּשְׁעֵ֥יpish.'Ei[the] transgressions ofH6588
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Micah 1:13

  • 2 Kings 18:17

    And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab–shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

  • Joshua 10:3

    Wherefore Adoni–zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

  • 2 Chronicles 32:9

    After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,

  • 2 Kings 8:18

    And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

  • 1 Kings 13:33-34

    After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.

  • 2 Kings 16:3-4

    But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

  • Genesis 19:17

    And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

  • Ezekiel 23:11

    And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.

  • Micah 1:5

    For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem?

  • Revelation 2:20

    Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

  • Jeremiah 3:8

    And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

  • Jeremiah 4:29

    The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lachish.
Jos 15:39; 2Ki 18:13,14,17; 2Ch 11:9; 32:9; Isa 37:8
bind.
Ge 19:17; Isa 10:31; Jer 4:29
she.
Ex 32:21; 1Ki 13:33,34; 14:16; 16:31; Re 2:14,20; 18:1-5
for.
2Ki 8:18; 16:3,4; Jer 3:8; Eze 23:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Micah 1:12

    For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem.

  • Micah 1:13

    O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

  • Micah 1:14

    Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth–gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.

Read all of Micah 1

Micah 1:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Unce al carro dromedarios, oh moradora de Lachîs, que fuiste principio de pecado á la hija de Sión; porque en ti se inventaron las rebeliones de Israel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Attache le char au coursier, habitante de Lakis: elle a été les prémices du péché pour la fille de Sion; car en toi ont été trouvées les transgressions d’Israël.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Spanne die Renner an den Wagen, Bewohnerin von Lachis! Der Anfang der Sünde war es für die Tochter Zion; denn in dir sind die Übertretungen Israels gefunden worden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tumultus quadrigæ stuporis habitanti Lachis: principium peccati est filiæ Sion, quia in te inventa sunt scelera Israël.