The Meaning of Micah 6:7 Explained

Micah 6:7

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?

YLT: Is Jehovah pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my first-born for my transgression? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Darby: Will Jehovah take pleasure in thousands of rams, in 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?

ASV: will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Micah 6:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Or would the Lord take pleasure if he offered Him thousands of rams and an extravagant amount of oil, like Solomon and other kings had done (cf. Leviticus 2:1-16; 1 Kings 3:4; 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 30:24; 2 Chronicles 35:7)? Neither the quality of a sacrifice nor its quantity was the important issue. Perhaps making the ultimate sacrifice and offering his firstborn son to atone for his sins would please the Lord. Micah , of course, did not believe that these sacrifices by themselves would please Him, but he used them as examples of ritual worship that the Israelites thought would satisfy God.

Context Summary

Micah 6:1-16 - "what Doth The Lord Require Of Thee?"
In Micah 6:1-4 the prophet returns from his vision of the future to the actual condition of his people, which was utterly desperate. The mountains, as the most enduring monuments of nature, are summoned as witnesses in the great trial between Jehovah and His people. Like Israel, we have been delivered from the house of bondage with infinite love, but how wayward and willful we have been! Micah 6:5-8 prove the impotence of a religion which is only external.
Few have known more sublime truth than Baalim, Micah 6:5, but he loved the wages of unrighteousness; and this eclipsed the divine radiance that became overcast and finally overwhelmed. Micah 6:9-11 reveal the fruitlessness of a life of sin. Sooner or later nature herself becomes unresponsive-sowing, but no harvest; the treading of the press, but no juice. The only path to real satisfaction and peace is in the love and faithful service of God. Why are we so slow to tread it? [source]

Chapter Summary: Micah 6

1  God's punishment for ingratitude;
6  for ignorance,
10  for injustice;
16  and for idolatry

What do the individual words in Micah 6:7 mean?

will be pleased Yahweh 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
הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּאַלְפֵ֣י אֵילִ֔ים בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת נַֽחֲלֵי־ ؟ שָׁ֑מֶן הַאֶתֵּ֤ן בְּכוֹרִי֙ פִּשְׁעִ֔י פְּרִ֥י בִטְנִ֖י חַטַּ֥את ؟ נַפְשִֽׁי

הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה  will  be  pleased 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָצָא 
Sense: to be pleased with, be favourable to, accept favourably.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּאַלְפֵ֣י  with  thousands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, masculine plural construct
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
אֵילִ֔ים  of  rams 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אַיִל 
Sense: ram.
בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת  Ten  thousand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, feminine plural construct
Root: רְבָבָה  
Sense: multitude, myriad, ten thousand.
נַֽחֲלֵי־  rivers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
؟ שָׁ֑מֶן  of  oil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
הַאֶתֵּ֤ן  shall  I  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
בְּכוֹרִי֙  my  firstborn 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
פִּשְׁעִ֔י  [for]  my  transgression 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
פְּרִ֥י  the  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
בִטְנִ֖י  of  my  body 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בֶּטֶן  
Sense: belly, womb, body.
חַטַּ֥את  [for]  the  sin 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
؟ נַפְשִֽׁי  of  my  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.