Micah 6:5
in Micah 6My 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.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
O 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Micah 6
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Remember now - The word translated now is a very tender one, like our “do now remember” or “do remember,” beseeching instead of commanding.
This site's exposition
O my people, what have I done unto thee
on Micah 6:3-5
The Lord's opening plea is tenderness rather than accusation, O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee, testify against me, the defendant asking his accuser to name the offense. The evidence he offers is his own past faithfulness, bringing Israel up out of Egypt, redeeming her from the house of servants, and sending Moses, Aaron and Miriam before her, the three named together as the leadership he provided. Verse 5 recalls Balak's hire of Balaam to curse Israel and the Lord's turning of that curse into blessing (Numbers 22-24), offered as a further exhibit of the righteousness of the Lord toward a people who now stand accused of forgetting him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
You see the Lord is teaching you a lesson, challenging you to goodness by his own example, teaching you even when he reproves. When accusing the Jews, for instance, he says, "O my people, what have I done to you? Or wherein have I grieved you? Or wherein have I offended you? Answer me. Is it because I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and delivered you out of the house of bondage?" adding, "And I sent before your face Moses, Aaron and Miriam. O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised."
(Verse 3 onwards) O my people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember, I pray, what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord. LXX: My people, what have I done to you, or how have I troubled you? Answer me: for I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, and sent before you Moses, and Aaron, and Miriam. My people, remember what Balak, king of Moab, devised against you, and what Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him from Seir unto Gilgal; that the righteousness of the Lord might be known. Symmachus interpreted 'justitiis' or 'justitia' as 'misericordias', and where LXX Shanis; all translated it as Settim. It is the place where Balak, the king of the Moabites, gathered an army against Israel, like the trees that still grow through the desert of Mount Sinai. For in the LXX, whether it be the Ark of the Covenant, or the altar and tabernacle, and other things made of imperishable wood, they are called Settim in Hebrew, which resemble a tree that we commonly call the White Thorn. Therefore, I believe that both LXX σχίνον and σχοῖνοι have been interpreted as lentisk; but gradually, due to a mistake made by copyists, σχοῖνοι, meaning ropes, were read instead of σχίνοις, meaning lentisks. Therefore, God speaks to the people of Israel and challenges them to a judgment, granting them permission to argue against Him. My people, what have I done to you that I should not have done? Or how have I wearied you? Although this is not found in Hebrew. But the father is saddened by his son being flogged, and he visits the sins of the sheep with the shepherd's rod. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Shittim - This is the place where Balak began by the women of Midian to debauch Israel as Baalim had counselled, and so continued to do, even to Gilgal, all along the borders of his dominion. The righteousness - His mercy, justice and veracity.
O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted,.... What a scheme he had laid; what contrivances he had formed; what consultations he had with a soothsayer or diviner he sent for to curse Israel; how he sought to get the God of Israel on his side, and to set him against them, that he might be rid of them, and they be ruined and destroyed.
Here is the proposal for accommodation between God and Israel, the parties that were at variance in the beginning of the chapter. Upon the trial, judgment is given against Israel; they are convicted of injustice and ingratitude towards God, the crimes with which they stood charged.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They are here directed, and we in them, to look a great way back in their reviews of the divine favour; let them remember their former days, their first days, when they were formed into a people, and the great things God did for them, [1.] When he brought them out of Egypt, the land of their bondage,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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; 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).
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.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַמִּ֗י | ʾami | O people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| זְכָר־ | zekhor- | remember | H2142 → | |
| נָא֙ | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יָּעַ֗ץ | yaatz | did he plan | H3289 → | |
| בָּלָק֙ | balak | Balak | H1111 → | |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| מוֹאָ֔ב | moav | Moab | H4124 → | |
| וּמֶה־ | umeh- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| עָנָ֥ה | ʾanah | did he answer | H6030 → | 331 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּלְעָ֣ם | bilam | Balaam | H1109 → | |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בְּע֑וֹר | beor | Beor | H1160 → | |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשִּׁטִּים֙ | hashitim | <the> Shittim | H7851 → | |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל | hagilgal | <the> Gilgal | H1537 → | |
| לְמַ֕עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | |
| דַּ֖עַת | daat | to know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| צִדְק֥וֹת | tzidkot | [the] righteousness<es> of | H6666 → | |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
עַמִּ֗יO people my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
זְכָר־remember
zekhor-H2142 →
נָא֙please
na'H4994 →404 times
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
יָּעַ֗ץdid he plan
yaatzH3289 →
בָּלָק֙Balak
balakH1111 →
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
מוֹאָ֔בMoab
moavH4124 →
וּמֶה־and what?
umeh-H4100 →752 times
עָנָ֥הdid he answer
ʾanahH6030 →331 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
בִּלְעָ֣םBalaam
bilamH1109 →
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
בְּע֑וֹרBeor
beorH1160 →
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשִּׁטִּים֙<the> Shittim
hashitimH7851 →
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל<the> Gilgal
hagilgalH1537 →
לְמַ֕עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →
דַּ֖עַתto know
daatH3045 →945 times
צִדְק֥וֹת[the] righteousness<es> of
tzidkotH6666 →
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
2 Peter 2:15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
it leads to
- Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
- Deuteronomy 23:4–5
For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.
- Numbers 22:5–7
he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,” said Balak. “They cover the…
- Numbers 31:16
“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
- Revelation 2:14
Through
Judges 5:11the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went…
it leads to
- Judges 5:8
When they chose new gods, then war came to their gates. Not a shield or spear was found among forty thousand in Israel.
- 1 Samuel 12:7
Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers.
- Judges 5:8
Through
Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:8
We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
- 1 Corinthians 10:8
Where this verse is studied
About Micah

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonWildernessBalakKing of Moab who hired Balaam against the camp on his border and got four blessings and a prophecy of his own destroyer for his fe…
- PlaceJordan valley near JerichoGilgalIsrael's first Canaan camp where the stones were set and the reproach rolled away (Josh 4-5); later a corrupted shrine the prophet…
- PlaceTransjordanMoabThe high country east of the Dead Sea, home of Lot's descendants, where Balak hired Balaam, where Ruth was born, and where Moses l…
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, LETTER 41:24; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Micah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
