The Meaning of Micah 6:2 Explained

Micah 6:2

KJV: Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD'S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

YLT: Hear, O mountains, the strife of Jehovah, Ye strong ones -- foundations of earth! For a strife is to Jehovah, with His people, And with Israel He doth reason.

Darby: Hear, ye mountains, Jehovah's controversy, and ye, unchanging foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

ASV: Hear, O ye mountains, Jehovah's controversy, and ye enduring foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hear  ye, O mountains,  the LORD'S  controversy,  and ye strong  foundations  of the earth:  for the LORD  hath a controversy  with his people,  and he will plead  with Israel. 

What does Micah 6:2 Mean?

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 6:2 mean?

Hear you mountains - the complaint of Yahweh and you enduring foundations of the earth for a complaint has Yahweh against His people and with Israel He will contend
שִׁמְע֤וּ הָרִים֙ אֶת־ רִ֣יב יְהוָ֔ה וְהָאֵתָנִ֖ים מֹ֣סְדֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהוָה֙ עִם־ עַמּ֔וֹ וְעִם־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְוַכָּֽח

שִׁמְע֤וּ  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הָרִים֙  you  mountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
רִ֣יב  the  complaint 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רִיב 
Sense: strife, controversy, dispute.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
וְהָאֵתָנִ֖ים  and  you  enduring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אֵיתָן  
Sense: perpetual, constant, perennial, ever-flowing.
מֹ֣סְדֵי  foundations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֹוסָדָה  
Sense: foundation.
אָ֑רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
רִ֤יב  a  complaint 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רִיב 
Sense: strife, controversy, dispute.
לַֽיהוָה֙  has  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
עִם־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
עַמּ֔וֹ  His  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְעִם־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
יִתְוַכָּֽח  He  will  contend 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָכַח  
Sense: to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right.