Micah 4 · Verse 12

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.
Micah 4:12, King James Version

Micah 4:12 in other translations

BSBBut they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
WEBBut they don’t know the thoughts of the LORD, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.
ASVBut they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel; for he hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor.
YLTThey have not known the thoughts of Jehovah, Nor have they understood His counsel, For He hath gathered them as a sheaf into a threshing-floor.
DARBYBut they know not the thoughts of Jehovah, neither understand they his counsel; for he hath gathered them together as the sheaves into the threshing-floor.
BBEBut they have no knowledge of the thoughts of the Lord, their minds are not able to see his purpose: for he has got them together like stems of grain to the crushing-floor.
WebsterBut they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he will gather them as sheaves into the floor.

What does Micah 4:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. thoughts of the Lord--Their unsearchable wisdom, overruling seeming disaster to the final good of His people, is the very ground on which the restoration of Israel hereafter (of which the restoration from Babylon is a type) is based in Is 55:8; compare with Mi 4:3, 12, 13, which prove that Israel, not merely the Christian Church, is the ultimate subject of the prophecy; also in Ro 11:13. God's counsel is to discipline His people for a time with the foe as a scourge; and then to destroy the foe by the hands of His people. gather them as ... sheaves--them who "gathered" themselves for Zion's destruction (Mi 4:11) the Lord "shall gather" for destruction by Zion (Mi 4:13), like sheaves gathered to be threshed (compare Is 21:10; Jr 51:33). The Hebrew is singular, "sheaf." However great the numbers of the foe, they are all but as one sheaf ready to be threshed [Calvin]. Threshing was done by treading with the feet: hence the propriety of the image for treading under foot and breaking asunder the foe.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 But they know not the thoughts of the Lord - These think that God has utterly rejected his people, and they shall have a troublesome neighbor no more: but this is not his design; he will afflict them for a time; but these, the enemies of his people, he will gather as sheaves into the threshing-floor, there to be trodden, and the wheel to go over them. This is the counsel, the purpose of God, which these do not understand. The persons here referred to are not only the Chaldeans which were threshed by the Persians and Medes; but the Idumeans, Ammonites, Moabites, and Philistines, which the Jews afterwards subdued.

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 4:12 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.

וְהֵ֗מָּהve.He.mahand theyH1992
לֹ֤אlo'notH3808
יָֽדְעוּ֙ya.de.'Uthey knowH3045
מַחְשְׁב֣וֹתmach.she.Vot[the] thoughts ofH4284
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
הֵבִ֖ינוּhe.Vi.nuthey understandH995
עֲצָת֑וֹa.tza.Tocounsel hisH6098
כִּ֥יkithatH3588
קִבְּצָ֖םki.be.Tzamhe has gathered themH6908
כֶּעָמִ֥ירke.'a.Mirlike <the> cut grainH5995
גֹּֽרְנָה\׃Go.re.nah[the] threshing floor towardsH1637

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

Cross references for Micah 4:12

  • Isaiah 55:8

    For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 29:11

    For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

  • Romans 11:33-34

    O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

  • Luke 3:17

    Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

  • Zechariah 14:1-3

    Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

  • Joel 3:12-13

    Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

  • Revelation 14:14-20

    And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they know.
Isa 55:8; Jer 29:11; Ro 11:33,34
for he shall.
Isa 21:10; Joe 3:12,13; Zec 14:1-3; Lu 3:17; Re 14:14-20

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Micah 4:13

    Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

Read all of Micah 4

Micah 4:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas ellos no conocieron los pensamientos de Jehová, ni entendieron su consejo: por lo cual los juntó como gavillas en la era.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais elles ne connaissent pas les pensées de l’ Éternel et ne comprennent pas son conseil; car il les a amassées comme la gerbe sur l’aire.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Aber sie kennen nicht die Gedanken Jehovas und verstehen nicht seinen Ratschluß; denn er hat sie gesammelt, wie man Garben auf die Tenne sammelt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ipsi autem non cognoverunt cogitationes Domini, et non intellexerunt consilium ejus, quia congregavit eos quasi fœnum areæ.