Attributed commentary excerpt
Barnes' Notes on Micah 6:16
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
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Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
For the statutes of Omri are kept - Rather, (like the English margin he doth much keep,) And he doth keep diligently for himself. Both ways express much diligence in evil . To “keep God’s commandments” was the familiar phrase, in which Israel was exhorted, by every motive of hope and fear, to obedience to God. “I know him,” God says of Abraham, “that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do judgment and justice” Genesis 18:19. This was the fundamental commandment immediately after the deliverance from Eyypt upon their first murmuring. “The Lord made there” (at Marah) “for them a statute and ordinance, and said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians” Exodus 15:25-26. In this character Ha revealed Himself on Mount Sinai, as “shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments” Exodus 20:6. This was their covenant, “Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes and His commandments and His judgments and to hearken unto His voice” Deuteronomy 26:17. This was so often enforced upon them in the law, as the condition upon which they should hold their land, if they kept the covenant (Exodus 19:5; the words of this covenant, Deuteronomy 29:9), the commmandmentsLeviticus 22:31; Leviticus 22:31; Leviticus 26:3; Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 6:17; Deuteronomy 7:11; Deuteronomy 8:6, Deuteronomy 8:11; Deuteronomy 10:13; Deuteronomy 11:1, Deuteronomy 11:8, Deuteronomy 11:22; Deuteronomy 13:5; Deuteronomy 15:5; Deuteronomy 19:9; Deuteronomy 27:1; Deuteronomy 28:9; Deuteronomy 30:10, the judgments Leviticus 18:5, Leviticus 18:26; Leviticus 20:22; Deuteronomy 7:11; Deuteronomy 8:11; Deuteronomy 11:1, the statutes (Leviticus 18:5, Leviticus 18:26; Leviticus 20:8, Leviticus 20:22; Deuteronomy 4:40; Deuteronomy 6:17; Deuteronomy 7:11; Deuteronomy 10:13; Deuteronomy 11:1; Deuteronomy 30:10), the testimonies Deuteronomy 6:17, the charge Leviticus 18:30; Deuteronomy 11:1 of the Lord. Under this term all the curses of the law were threatened, if they “hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord their God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded them” Deuteronomy 28:15. Under this again the future of good and evil was, in Solomon, set before the house of David; of unbroken succession on his throne, if “thou wilt keep My commandments; but contrariwise, if ye or your children will not keep My commandments and My statutes” 1 Kings 9:4-6, banishment, destruction of the temple, and themselves to be “a proverb and a byword among all people” This was the object of their existence, 1 Kings 9:7. “that they might keep His statutes and observe His laws” Psalms 105:45. This was the summary of their disobedience, “they kept not the covenant of God” Psalms 78:11. And now was come the contrary to all this. They had not kept the commandments of God; and those commandments of man which were the most contrary to the commandments of God, they had kept and did keep diligently. Alas! that the Christian world should be so like them! What iron habit or custom of man, what fashion, is not kept, if it is against the law of God? How few are not more afraid of man than God? Had God’s command run, Speak evil one…
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