Micah 6 · Verse 2

Micah 6:2

Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

Micah 6:2, King James Version

Micah 6:2 in other translations

BSB	Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s indictment, you enduring foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against His people, and He will argue it against Israel:
WEB	Hear, you mountains, the LORD’s indictment, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel.
ASV	Hear, O ye mountains, Jehovah’s controversy, and ye enduring foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
YLT	Hear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones--foundations of earth! For a strife is to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason.
DARBY	Hear, ye mountains, Jehovah's controversy, and ye, unchanging foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
BBE	Give ear, O you mountains, to the Lord's cause, and take note, you bases of the earth: for the Lord has a cause against his people, and he will take it up with Israel.
Webster	Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

What does Micah 6:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. Lord's controversy--How great is Jehovah's condescension, who, though the supreme Lord of all, yet wishes to prove to worms of the earth the equity of His dealings (Is 5:3; 43:26).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Hear ye, O mountains - Micah, as God's advocate, summons this people into judgment, and makes an appeal to inanimate creation against them. He had spoken to the priests, to the princes, to the people. He had done every thing that was necessary to make them wise, and holy, and happy; they had uniformly disobeyed, and were ever ungrateful. It was not consistent with either the justice or mercy of God to permit them to go on without reprehension and punishment. He now calls them into judgment; and such was the nature of their crimes that, to heighten the effect, and show what reason he had to punish such a people, he appeals to inanimate creation. Their ingratitude and rebellion are sufficient to make the mountains, the hills, and the strong foundations of the earth to hear, tremble, and give judgment against them. This, then, is the Lord's controversy with his people, and thus he will plead with Israel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Micah 6:1-5

The people are called upon to declare why they were weary of God's worship, and prone to idolatry. Sin causes the controversy between God and man. God reasons with us, to teach us to reason with ourselves. Let them remember God's many favours to them and their fathers, and compare with them their unworthy, ungrateful conduct toward him.

Read the full comment on Micah 6:1-5 →

Micah 6:2 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.

שִׁמְע֤וּshim.'UhearH8085

הָרִים֙ha.RimO mountainsH2022

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

רִ֣יבriv[the] case ofH7379

יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068

וְהָאֵתָנִ֖יםve.ha.'e.ta.Nimand O enduring [ones]H386

מֹ֣סְדֵיMo.se.dei[the] foundations ofH4144

אָ֑רֶץ'A.retz[the] earthH776

כִּ֣יkiforH3588

רִ֤יבriva case at lawH7379

לַֽיהוָה֙la.Yah.weh[belongs] to YahwehH3068

עִם\־'im-withH5973

עַמּ֔וֹa.Mopeople hisH5971

וְעִם\־ve.'im-and withH5973

יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

יִתְוַכָּֽח\׃yit.va.Kachhe will argueH3198

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

Cross references for Micah 6:2

Hosea 4:1
Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Hosea 12:2
The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Jeremiah 25:31
A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord.
2 Samuel 22:16
And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
Proverbs 8:29
When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
Psalms 104:5
Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
Ezekiel 20:35-36
And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.
2 Samuel 22:8
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Isaiah 5:3
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
Jeremiah 2:29-35
Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord. In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. O generation, see ye the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

foundations.
De 32:22; 2Sa 22:8,16; Ps 104:5; Pr 8:29; Jer 31:37
a controversy.
Isa 1:18; 5:3; 43:26; Jer 2:9,29-35; 25:31; Eze 20:35,36; Ho 4:1
Ho 12:2

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

Context

Micah 6:1
Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
Micah 6:2
Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
Micah 6:3
O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

Read all of Micah 6

Micah 6:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Oid, montes, y fuertes fundamentos de la tierra, el pleito de Jehová: porque tiene Jehová pleito con su pueblo, y altercará con Israel.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Écoutez, montagnes, le plaidoyer de l’ Éternel, et vous, fondements immuables de la terre; car l’ Éternel a un débat avec son peuple, et il conteste avec Israël.
German Elberfelder 1871	Höret, ihr Berge, den Rechtsstreit Jehovas, und ihr Unwandelbaren, ihr Grundfesten der Erde! Denn Jehova hat einen Rechtsstreit mit seinem Volke, und mit Israel wird er rechten.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Audiant montes judicium Domini, et fortia fundamenta terræ; quia judicium Domini cum populo suo, et cum Israël dijudicabitur.