Micah 6 · Verse 5

Micah 6:5

O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.
Micah 6:5, King James Version

Micah 6:5 in other translations

BSBMy people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”
WEBMy people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.”
ASVO my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; remember from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of Jehovah.
YLTO My people, remember, I pray you, What counsel did Balak king of Moab, What answer him did Balaam son of Beor, (From Shittim unto Gilgal,) In order to know the righteous acts of Jehovah.'
DARBYMy people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of Jehovah.
BBEO my people, keep in mind now what was designed by Balak, king of Moab, and the answer which Balaam, son of Beor, gave him; the events, from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may be certain of the upright acts of the Lord.
WebsterO my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

What does Micah 6:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. what Balak ... consulted--how Balak plotted to destroy thee by getting Balaam to curse thee (Nu 22:5). what Balaam ... answered--how the avaricious prophet was constrained against his own will, to bless Israel whom he had desired to curse for the sake of Balak's reward (Nu 24:9-11) [Maurer]. Grotius explains it, "how Balaam answered, that the only way to injure thee was by tempting thee to idolatry and whoredom" (Nu 31:16). The mention of "Shittim" agrees with this: as it was the scene of Israel's sin (Nu 25:1-5; 2Pe 2:15; Re 2:14). from Shittim unto Gilgal--not that Balaam accompanied Israel from Shittim to Gilgal: for he was slain in Midian (Nu 31:8). But the clause, "from Shittim," alone applies to Balaam. "Remember" God's kindnesses "from Shittim," the scene of Balaam's wicked counsel taking effect in Israel's sin, whereby Israel merited utter destruction but for God's sparing mercy, "to Gilgal," the place of Israel's first encampment in the promised land between Jericho and Jordan, where God renewed the covenant with Israel by circumcision (Jos 5:2-11). know the righteousness--Recognize that, so far from God having treated thee harshly (Mi 6:3), His dealings have been kindness itself (so "righteous acts" for gracious, Jud 5:11; Psa 24:5, 112:9).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 Remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted - He sent for Balaam to curse your fathers; but by my influence he was obliged to bless them. See Numbers 22 (note) and Numbers 23 (note), and the notes there, where this subject is largely considered. From Shittim unto Gilgal - From the encampment at Shittim, Num 25:1, on the way to that of Gilgal, Jos 4:19. Balaam gave different answers in the interval between these places. We may suppose that the encampments of Israel advanced slowly to that part of Jordan which was opposite to Gilgal. The Chaldee has, "Were there not wonderful things done in your behalf from the valley of Shittim to the house of Gilgal?" See Jos 3:1; Jos 4:20. Thus there will be a reference to the miraculous passage over Jordan. See Newcome. That ye may know the righteousness - The just, equitable, and merciful dealing of the Most High. Recollect those things, that ye may have a proper impression of this. There are many interpretations given of this rather obscure clause; what I have proposed seems to me the most simple. This is the sum of the address; and here the case of the plaintiff terminates, the prisoners being called to show why the sentence of the law should not be pronounced. I make no apology for using any forensic terms, as the passages before us refer to a case brought into a court to be judged, and the terms in the original are all such as are proper for a court of justice; and the thing itself is called the Lord's controversy, ריב יהוה rib Yehovah, Jehovah's suit at law. And hence it is said, He will plead, litigate, 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 6:5 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.

עַמִּ֗י'a.MiO people myH5971
זְכָר\־ze.khor-rememberH2142
נָא֙na'pleaseH4994
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
יָּעַ֗ץya.'Atzdid he planH3289
בָּלָק֙ba.LakBalakH1111
מֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king ofH4428
מוֹאָ֔בmo.'AvMoabH4124
וּמֶה\־u.meh-and what?H4100
עָנָ֥ה'a.Nahdid he answerH6030
אֹת֖וֹ'o.To<obj.> himH853
בִּלְעָ֣םbil.'AmBalaamH1109
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
בְּע֑וֹרbe.'orBeorH1160
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הַשִּׁטִּים֙ha.shi.Tim<the> ShittimH7851
עַד\־'ad-toH5704
הַגִּלְגָּ֔לha.gil.Gal<the> GilgalH1537
לְמַ֕עַןle.Ma.'anso asH4616
דַּ֖עַתDa.'atto knowH3045
צִדְק֥וֹתtzid.Kot[the] righteousness<es> ofH6666
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

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

Cross references for Micah 6:5

  • Joshua 5:9-10

    And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

  • Numbers 25:1

    And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

  • Judges 5:11

    They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates.

  • 2 Peter 2:15

    Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

  • Deuteronomy 16:3

    Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

  • Joshua 4:19

    And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.

  • Joshua 24:9-10

    Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you: But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

  • Psalms 143:11

    Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

  • Numbers 22:1-25

    And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. …

  • Deuteronomy 8:18

    But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

  • Deuteronomy 9:7

    Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.

  • 1 John 1:9

    If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
remember.
De 8:2,18; 9:7; 16:3; Ps 103:1,2; 111:4; Eph 2:11
Balak.
Nu 22:1-25:18; 31:16; De 23:4,5; Jos 24:9,10; Re 2:14
Balaam.
Nu 31:8; 2Pe 2:15; Jude 1:11
Shittim.
Nu 22:41; 23:13,14,27; 25:1; 33:49; Jos 4:19; 5:9,10; 10:42,43
know.
Jud 5:11; *marg:
Ps 36:10; 71:15,16,19; 143:11; Ro 3:25,26; 1Jo 1:9

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

Context

  • Micah 6:4

    For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

  • Micah 6:5

    O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.

  • Micah 6:6

    Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

Read all of Micah 6

Micah 6:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Pueblo mío, acuérdate ahora qué aconsejó Balac rey de Moab, y qué le respondió Balaam, hijo de Beor, desde Sittim hasta Gilgal, para que conozcas las justicias de Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Mon peuple, souviens-toi, je te prie, du dessein que forma Balak, roi de Moab, et de ce que Balaam, fils de Béor, lui répondit, de Sittim jusqu’à Guilgal, afin que vous connaissiez la justice de l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Mein Volk, gedenke doch, was Balak, der König von Moab, beratschlagt, und was Bileam, der Sohn Beors, ihm geantwortet hat, dessen, was von Sittim bis Gilgal geschehen ist; auf daß du die gerechten Taten Jehovas erkennest."
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Popule meus, memento, quæso, quid cogitaverit Balach, rex Moab, et quid responderit ei Balaam, filius Beor, de Setim usque ad Galgalam, ut cognosceres justitias Domini.