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Micah 4:3

in Micah 4

Then He will judge between many peoples and arbitrate for strong nations far and wide. Then they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor will they train anymore for war.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

KJV

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

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This verse in Micah 4

Commentary

10 notes on this verse
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off,.... That are in the most distant parts of the world; not only the isles afar off, but the remotest parts of the continent, the American nations found out since.

This site's exposition

beat their swords into plowshares

on Micah 4:3-4

The Lord himself judges among the nations and rebukes them, and their own weapons become farm tools, sword to plowshare and spear to pruninghook, with the practice of war given up rather than merely lost. Every man sits under his own vine and fig tree with none to make him afraid, the stock Old Testament picture of settled peace and personal security (1 Kings 4:25), extended here to the whole earth rather than one kingdom. The mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it closes the promise on his own authority, the same formula the prophets use to mark a certain word.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers4 voices

A commentator

Justin Martyr

The First Apology, Chapter XXXIX · Written before 165.

And when the Spirit of prophecy speaks as predicting things that are to come to pass, He speaks in this way: "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." And that it did so come to pass, we can convince you.

A commentator

Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius

EPITOME OF THE DIVINE INSTITUTES 4:17 · Written before 325.

proposed

For Micah announced that the new law would be given in this way: "The law shall go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and he shall vanquish and rebuke nations." For that prior law that was given through Moses was given not on Mount Zion but on Mount Horeb. And the Sibyl showed that this would be destroyed by the Son of God. "But when all these things have been fulfilled which he spoke, at that time then the whole law is destroyed."

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

City of God 18.30 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

The prophet Micah employed the symbol of a high mountain to speak of the gathering of the nations in Christ. He has this to say: "And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains and high above the hills; and people shall flow to it. And many nations shall come in haste, and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law shall go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong nations afar off.' "

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Micah · Written before 420.

proposed

(Chapter IV - Verses 1 onwards) And it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.'

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

He - The Messiah shall act as a judge and king. Rebuke - So Christ commissioned his apostles, to teach all nations.
3 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Almost identical with Isa 2:2-4. the mountain of the house of the Lord--which just before (Mic 3:12) had been doomed to be a wild forest height. Under Messiah, its elevation is to be not that of situation, but of moral dignity, as the seat of God's universal empire. people shall flow into it--In Isaiah it is "all nations": a more universal prophecy.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

rebuke--convict of sin (Joh 16:8, 9); and subdue with judgments (Ps 2:5, 9; 12:5). many people . . . strong nations afar off--In Isa 2:4 it is "the nations . . . many people."

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

And He shall judge among many people and rebuke strong nations afar off - Hitherto, they had walked each in their own ways Isa 53:6; now, they sought to be taught in the ways of God. Before, they had been lords of the world; now they should own a Judge higher than themselves. They were no common, but mighty nations, such as had heretofore been the oppressors of Israel. They were to be many, and those mighty, nations.

The words behind it

24 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְשָׁפַ֗טand he will judge

    veshafatH8199 →202 times

  • בֵּ֚יןbetween

    beinH996 →

  • עַמִּ֣יםpeoples

    ʾamimH5971 →1873 times

  • רַבִּ֔יםmany

    rabimH7227 →454 times

  • וְהוֹכִ֛יחַand he will decide

    vehokhiachH3198 →

  • לְגוֹיִ֥םfor nations

    legoyimH1471 →561 times

  • עֲצֻמִ֖יםmighty

    ʾatzumimH6099 →

  • עַד־to

    ʾad-H5704 →1261 times

  • רָח֑וֹקfar away

    rachokH7350 →

  • וְכִתְּת֨וּand they will beat

    vekhitetuH3807 →

  • חַרְבֹתֵיהֶ֜םswords their

    charvoteihemH2719 →413 times

  • לְאִתִּ֗יםinto plowshares

    leitimH855 →

  • וַחֲנִיתֹֽתֵיהֶם֙and spears their

    vachanitoteihemH2595 →

  • לְמַזְמֵר֔וֹתinto pruning knives

    lemazmerotH4211 →

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • יִשְׂא֞וּthey will lift up

    yisuH5375 →656 times

  • גּ֤וֹיnation

    goyH1471 →561 times

  • אֶל־against

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • גּוֹי֙nation

    goyH1471 →561 times

  • חֶ֔רֶבa sword

    cherevH2719 →413 times

  • וְלֹא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • יִלְמְד֥וּןthey will learn !

    yilmedunH3925 →

  • ע֖וֹדagain

    odH5750 →490 times

  • מִלְחָמָֽה׃warfare

    milchamahH4421 →320 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Isaiah 2:4Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war.22 worksJoel 3:10Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’12 worksJoel 3:9–16Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!8 worksMatthew 25:31–32When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.7 worksJeremiah 33:6Nevertheless, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal its people and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.7 worksIsaiah 60:18No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.6 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Hosea 2:18On that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that crawl on the ground. And I will abolish bow and sword and weapons of war in the land, and will make them lie down in safety.5 worksIsaiah 65:25The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.5 worksActs 17:31For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”4 worksJoel 3:12Let the nations be roused and advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the nations on every side.4 worksPsalms 110:6He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead; He will crush the leaders far and wide.4 worksPsalms 110:5–6The Lord is at Your right hand; He will crush kings in the day of His wrath.3 worksJohn 5:22–23Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,3 worksPsalms 96:13before the LORD, for He is coming— He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.3 worksPsalms 98:9before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.3 worksJohn 5:27–29And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.3 worksZechariah 14:12–19And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.3 worksRevelation 19:17–21Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Isaiah 2:4

    Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against…

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 11:6–9

      The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Psalms 46:9

      He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Hosea 2:18

      On that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that crawl on the ground. And I will abolish…

    • Zechariah 9:10

      And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend…

    • Isaiah 60:17–18

      Instead of bronze I will bring you gold; I will bring silver in place of iron, bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stones. I will appoint peace as your governor and righteousness…

  • Through

    Hosea 2:18

    On that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that crawl on the ground. And I will abolish…

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 34:25

      I will make with them a covenant of peace and rid the land of wild animals, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.

  • Through

    Acts 17:31

    For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

    it leads to

    • Romans 2:16

      on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.

    • 2 Peter 3:7

      And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Where this verse is studied

About Micah

Micah Exhorts the Israelites to Repent, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Micah Exhorts the Israelites to Repent, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Micah: the study guide →Read Micah 4 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, City of God 18.30; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Micah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Justin Martyr, The First Apology, Chapter XXXIX; Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius, EPITOME OF THE DIVINE INSTITUTES 4:17 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Micah 4 →