Micah 4 · Verse 11

Micah 4:11

Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
Micah 4:11, King James Version

Micah 4:11 in other translations

BSBBut now many nations have assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”
WEBNow many nations have assembled against you, that say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye gloat over Zion.”
ASVAnd now many nations are assembled against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye see our desire upon Zion.
YLTAnd now, gathered against thee have been many nations, who are saying: ‘Let her be defiled, and our eyes look on Zion.'
DARBYAnd now many nations are assembled against thee, that say, Let her be profaned, and let our eye look upon Zion.
BBEAnd now a number of nations have come together against you, and they say, Let her be made unclean and let our eyes see the fate of Zion.
WebsterNow also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

What does Micah 4:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. many nations--the subject peoples composing Babylon's armies: and also Edom, Ammon, &c., who exulted in Judah's fall (La 2:16; Ob 11-13). defiled--metaphor from a virgin. Let her be defiled (that is, outraged by violence and bloodshed), and let our eye gaze insultingly on her shame and sorrow (Mi 7:10). Her foes desired to feast their eyes on her calamities.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Many nations are gathered against thee - The Chaldeans, who were composed of many nations. And, we may add, all the surrounding nations were their enemies; and rejoiced when the Chaldean army had overthrown Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and led the people away captive. Let her be defiled - This was their cry and their wish: Let Jerusalem be laid as low as she can be, like a thing defiled and cast away with abhorrence; that their eyes might look upon Zion with scorn, contempt, and exultation.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Micah 4:9-13

Many nations would assemble against Zion to rejoice in her calamities. They would not understand that the Lord had collected them as sheaves are gathered to be threshed; and that Zion would be strengthened to beat them to pieces. Nothing has yet taken place in the history of the Jewish church agreeing with this prediction. When God has conquering work for his people to do, he will furnish them with strength and…

Read the full comment on Micah 4:9-13 →

Micah 4:11 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.

וְעַתָּ֛הve.'a.Tahand nowH6258
נֶאֶסְפ֥וּne.'es.Futhey have gatheredH622
עָלַ֖יִךְ'a.La.yikhon youH5921
גּוֹיִ֣םgo.YimnationsH1471
רַבִּ֑יםra.BimmanyH7227
הָאֹמְרִ֣יםha.'o.me.Rimthat are sayingH559
תֶּחֱנָ֔ףte.che.Naflet her be pollutedH2610
וְתַ֥חַזve.Ta.chazand let it lookH2372
בְּצִיּ֖וֹןbe.tzi.Yonon ZionH6726
עֵינֵֽינוּ\׃'ei.Nei.nueyes ourH5869

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

Cross references for Micah 4:11

  • Obadiah 1:12

    But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.

  • Isaiah 5:25-30

    Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: …

  • Micah 7:10

    Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

  • Lamentations 2:15-16

    All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.

  • Isaiah 8:7-8

    Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

  • Joel 3:2-15

    I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head; Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things: …

  • Jeremiah 52:4

    And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
many.
Isa 5:25-30; 8:7,8; Jer 52:4; La 2:15,16; Joe 3:2-15
let our.
7:10; Ob 1:12

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

Context

  • Micah 4:10

    Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

  • Micah 4:11

    Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.

  • Micah 4:12

    But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

Read all of Micah 4

Micah 4:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ahora empero se han juntado muchas gentes contra ti, y dicen: Sea profanada, y vean nuestros ojos su deseo sobre Sión.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et maintenant sont rassemblées contre toi beaucoup de nations qui disent: Qu’elle soit profanée, que notre œil voie Sion!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und nun haben sich viele Nationen wider dich versammelt, die da sprechen: Sie werde entweiht, und unsere Augen mögen an Zion ihre Lust sehen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et nunc congregatæ sunt super te gentes multæ, quæ dicunt: Lapidetur, et aspiciat in Sion oculus noster.