New Living Translation
Micah 6:7
7Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?
Micah 6:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
- New International Version (NIV)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
Context of Micah 6:7
5Don’t you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, when I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.” 6What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? 8No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. 9Fear the Lord if you are wise! His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem: “The armies of destruction are coming; the Lord is sending them.
Read all of Micah 6Micah 6:7 word by word
הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּאַלְפֵ֣י אֵילִ֔ים בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת נַֽחֲלֵי־שָׁ֑מֶן הַאֶתֵּ֤ן בְּכוֹרִי֙ פִּשְׁעִ֔י פְּרִ֥י בִטְנִ֖י חַטַּ֥את נַפְשִֽׁי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Will the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- be pleasedרָצָהrâtsâh · to acceptH7521
- with thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- of ramsאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352
- with ten thousandsרְבָבָהrebâbâh · myriadH7233
- of riversנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: riverH5158
- of oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
- shall I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- my firstbornבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
- my transgressionפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
- the fruitפְּרִיperîy · fruitH6529
- of my bodyבֶּ֫טֶןbeţen · belly: bodyH990
- the sinחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
- of my soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
Cross-references for Micah 6:7
- 1 Samuel 15:22But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
- Psalms 10:8They lurk in ambush in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They are always searching for helpless victims.
- Psalms 50:9But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens.
- Psalms 51:16You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.
- Isaiah 1:11“What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
- Isaiah 40:16All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God.
- Jeremiah 7:21This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves!
- Hosea 6:6I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.
- Amos 5:22I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.
- Job 29:6My steps were awash in cream, and the rocks gushed olive oil for me.
- Judges 11:31I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
- 2 Kings 3:27Then the king of Moab took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelites withdrew and returned to their own land.
- 2 Kings 16:3Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. In this way, he followed the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.
- 2 Kings 21:6Manasseh also sacrificed his own son in the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger.
- 2 Kings 23:10Then the king defiled the altar of Topheth in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, so no one could ever again use it to sacrifice a son or daughter in the fire as an offering to Molech.
- Jeremiah 7:31They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!
Commentaries on Micah 6:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams - These might be procured, though with difficulty; but conscience says neither will these do. With ten thousands of rivers of oil - This is absurd and impossible; but could even these be procured, could they all make atonement for such guilt, and ingratitude, and rebellion? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression - This was sinful and wicked; but such offerings had been made by the Phoenicians, and…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-8Verses 6-8 These verses seem to contain the substance of Balak's consultation with Balaam how to obtain the favour of Israel's God. Deep conviction of guilt and wrath will put men upon careful inquiries after peace and pardon, and then there begins to be some ground for hope of them. In order to God's being pleased with us, our care must be for an interest in the atonement of Christ, and that the sin by which we displease him may be taken away. What will…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7Israel's situation seemed hopeless, so they asked the Lord how to please him. They offered increasingly significant items, from calves to rams, olive oil, and even firstborn children. None of these offerings was enough or acceptable to God, who judges the heart (1 Samuel 15:22; 16:7; Jeremiah 17:9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. rivers of oil--used in sacrifices (Le 2:1, 15). Will God be appeased by my offering so much oil that it shall flow in myriads of torrents? my first-born--(2Ki 3:27). As the king of Moab did. fruit of my body--my children, as an atonement (Psa 132:11). The Jews offered human sacrifices in the valley of Hinnom (Jr 19:5; 32:35; Eze 23:27).Read the comment
Topics related to Micah 6:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Micah 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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