Micah 6:7 Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

◄ Micah 6:7 ►

New International Version
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?

New Living Translation
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?

English Standard Version
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?”

Berean Standard Bible
Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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?

New American Standard Bible
Does the LORD take pleasure in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give Him my firstborn for my wrongdoings, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

NASB 1995
Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

NASB 1977
Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my first-born for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Legacy Standard Bible
Is Yahweh pleased with thousands of rams, With ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Amplified Bible
Will the LORD be delighted with thousands of rams, Or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my acts of rebellion, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Christian Standard Bible
Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand streams of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the offspring of my body for my own sin?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand streams of oil? Should I give my firstborn for my transgression, the child of my body for my own sin?

American Standard Version
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?

Contemporary English Version
Will thousands of sheep or rivers of olive oil make God satisfied with me? Should I sacrifice to the LORD my first-born child as payment for my terrible sins?

English Revised Version
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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams or with endless streams of olive oil? Should I give him my firstborn child because of my rebellious acts? Should I give him my young child for my sin?

Good News Translation
Will the LORD be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins?

International Standard Version
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with endless rivers of oil? Am I to give my firstborn to pay for my rebellion, the fruit of my body in exchange for my soul?

Majority Standard Bible
Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

NET Bible
Will the LORD accept a thousand rams, or ten thousand streams of olive oil? Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion, my offspring--my own flesh and blood--for my sin?

New Heart English Bible
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Webster's Bible Translation
Will the LORD 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?

World English Bible
Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Is YHWH pleased with thousands of rams? With myriads of streams of oil? Do I give my firstborn [for] my transgression? The fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul?

Young's Literal Translation
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?

Smith's Literal Translation
Will Jehovah delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousands of torrents of oil? shall I give my first-born my transgression? the fruit of my belly, the sin of my soul?

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
May the Lord be appeased with thousands of rams, or with many thousands of fat he goats? shall I give my firstborn for my wickedness, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Would the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with many thousands of fat he-goats? How could I give up my firstborn because of my evil deed, the fruit of my womb because of the sin of my soul?

New American Bible
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

New Revised Standard Version
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?”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
The LORD will not be pleased with thousands of rams, nor with ten thousands of heifers; if I should offer my first-born, it is an iniquity to myself, and the fruit of my body, it is a sin against my soul.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
LORD JEHOVAH is not pleased with thousands of rams, neither with ten thousands of a host of heifers. If I shall give my first born, it is evil to me and the fruits of my belly are the sin of my soul

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, 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?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Will the Lord accept thousands of rams, or ten thousands of fat goats? should I give my first-born for ungodliness, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Case Against Israel
…6With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? 7Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Isaiah 1:11
“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

Psalm 51:16-17
For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. / The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Jeremiah 7:22-23
For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, / but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

Amos 5:21-24
“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ...

Proverbs 21:3
To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Mark 12:33
and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Hebrews 10:4-10
because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. / Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. / In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight. ...

Matthew 12:7
If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Isaiah 66:3
Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.

Psalm 40:6-8
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. / Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll: / I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

1 Corinthians 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Treasury of Scripture

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?

pleased.

1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Psalm 10:8-13
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor…

Psalm 50:9
I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.

rivers.

Job 29:6
When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

shall.

Judges 11:31,39
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering…

2 Kings 3:27
Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

2 Kings 16:3
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

body.

Philemon 1:12
Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

Jump to Previous

Acts Body Child Delight Disobedience First Firstborn First-Born Fruit Myriads Offer Oil Pleased Present Rams Rebellious Rivers Sheep Sin Soul Streams Ten Tens Thousand Thousands Transgression Wrongdoing

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Micah 6

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

Berean Study Bible

Will the LORD be pleased
The Hebrew word for "pleased" here is "רָצָה" (ratzah), which conveys the idea of acceptance or favor. In the context of ancient Israel, offerings and sacrifices were a means to seek God's favor. However, this rhetorical question challenges the notion that mere ritualistic offerings can earn divine approval. It emphasizes that God's pleasure is not in the quantity of sacrifices but in the heart and obedience of the worshiper.

with thousands of rams
Rams were commonly used in sacrificial offerings, symbolizing wealth and devotion. The mention of "thousands" underscores the hyperbolic nature of the question, suggesting that even an abundance of sacrifices is insufficient if the heart is not right with God. Historically, such offerings were part of the Levitical system, yet the prophet Micah points to a deeper requirement beyond ritual.

with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Oil was a valuable commodity in ancient Israel, used in anointing and offerings. The phrase "ten thousand rivers" is an exaggeration, illustrating the futility of trying to appease God with material wealth. This hyperbole serves to highlight the inadequacy of external rituals without genuine repentance and moral integrity.

Shall I present my firstborn
The firstborn held a special place in Israelite society, often representing the family's future and hope. The suggestion of offering one's firstborn is a shocking hyperbole, reminiscent of pagan practices condemned in the Bible. This phrase underscores the absurdity of trying to atone for sin through extreme measures, pointing instead to the need for a heart aligned with God's will.

for my transgression
The Hebrew word "פֶּשַׁע" (pesha) refers to rebellion or willful sin. This term indicates a breach in the covenant relationship with God. The verse implies that no human offering can truly atone for such transgressions, pointing to the need for divine grace and forgiveness.

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
This phrase contrasts the physical with the spiritual, highlighting the inadequacy of physical offerings to address spiritual issues. The "fruit of my body" refers to one's offspring, while "the sin of my soul" points to the inner moral and spiritual failings. The rhetorical question emphasizes that true reconciliation with God requires more than external sacrifices; it demands a transformation of the heart and soul.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) The fruit of my body.--Will God require the sacrifice of such a precious possession, as Isaac was to Abraham, to atone for my wrong-doing? There may possibly be an allusion to human sacrifices, such as Ahaz offered to Molech, or to the act of Mesha, King of Moab, who "took his eldest son, that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him up for a burnt offering upon the wall."

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - Thousands of rams, as though the quantity enhanced the value, and tended to dispose the Lord to regard the offerer's thousandfold sinfulness with greater favour. Ten thousands of rivers (torrents, as in Job 20:17) of oil. Oil was used in the daily meal offering, and in that which accompanied every burnt offering (see Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 7:10-12; Numbers 15:4, etc.). The Vulgate has a different reading, In multis millibus hircorum pinguium; so the Septuagint, ἐν μυριάσι χιμάρων [ἀρνῶν, Alex.] πτόνων, "with ten thousands of fat goats," so also the Syriac. The alteration has been introduced probably with some idea of making the parallelism more exact. Shall I give my firstborn? Micah exactly represents the people's feeling; they would do anything but what God required; they would make the costliest sacrifice, even, m their exaggerated devotion, holding themselves ready to make a forbidden offering; but they would not attend to the moral requirements of the Law. It is probably by a mere hyperbole that the question in the text is asked. The practice of human sacrifice was founded on the notion that man ought to offer to God his dearest and costliest, and that the acceptability of an offering was proportioned to its preciousness. The Hebrews had learned the custom from their neighbours, e.g. the Phoenicians and Moabites (comp. 2 Kings 3:27), and had for centuries offered their children to Moloch, in defiance of the stern prohibitions of Moses and their prophets (Leviticus 18:21; 2 Kings 16:3; Isaiah 57:5). They might have learned, from many facts and inferences, that man's self-surrender was not to be realized by this ritual; the sanctity of human life (Genesis 9:6), the substitution of the ram for Isaac (Genesis 22:13), the redemption of the firstborn (Exodus 13:13), all made for this truth. But the heathen idea retained its hold among them, so that the inquiry above is in strict keeping with the circumstances. The fruit of my body; i.e. the rest of my children (Deuteronomy 28:4).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Would the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

be pleased
הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה (hă·yir·ṣeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7521: To be pleased with, to satisfy a, debt

with thousands
בְּאַלְפֵ֣י (bə·’al·p̄ê)
Preposition-b | Number - masculine plural construct
Strong's 505: A thousand

of rams,
אֵילִ֔ים (’ê·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 352: Strength, strong, a chief, a ram, a pilaster, an oak, strong tree

with ten thousand
בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת (bə·riḇ·ḇō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Number - feminine plural construct
Strong's 7233: Multitude, myriad, ten thousand

rivers
נַֽחֲלֵי־ (na·ḥă·lê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft

of oil?
שָׁ֑מֶן (šā·men)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8081: Grease, liquid, richness

Shall I present
הַאֶתֵּ֤ן (ha·’et·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

my firstborn
בְּכוֹרִי֙ (bə·ḵō·w·rî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

for my transgression,
פִּשְׁעִ֔י (piš·‘î)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6588: Transgression

the fruit
פְּרִ֥י (pə·rî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6529: Fruit

of my body
בִטְנִ֖י (ḇiṭ·nî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 990: The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything

[for] the sin
חַטַּ֥את (ḥaṭ·ṭaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender

of my soul?
נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (nap̄·šî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

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OT Prophets: Micah 6:7 Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands (Mc Mic. Mi)