Micah 6:6 With 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?

◄ Micah 6:6 ►

New International Version
With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

New Living Translation
What can we bring to the LORD? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves?

English Standard Version
“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Berean Standard Bible
With 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?

King James Bible
Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

New King James Version
With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?

New American Standard Bible
With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

NASB 1995
With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

NASB 1977
With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

Legacy Standard Bible
With what shall I come before Yahweh And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

Amplified Bible
With what shall I come before the LORD [to honor Him] And bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves?

Christian Standard Bible
What should I bring before the LORD when I come to bow before God on high? Should I come before him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What should I bring before the LORD when I come to bow before God on high? Should I come before Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?

American Standard Version
Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old?

Contemporary English Version
What offering should I bring when I bow down to worship the LORD God Most High? Should I try to please him by sacrificing calves a year old?

English Revised Version
Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
What should I bring when I come into the LORD's presence, when I bow in front of the God of heaven? Should I bring him year-old calves as burnt offerings?

Good News Translation
What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him?

International Standard Version
How am I to present myself in the LORD's presence and bow in the presence of the High God? Should I present myself with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?

Majority Standard Bible
With 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?

NET Bible
With what should I enter the LORD's presence? With what should I bow before the sovereign God? Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?

New Heart English Bible
How shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old?

World English Bible
How shall I come before Yahweh, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
With what do I come before YHWH? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves—sons of a year?

Young's Literal Translation
With what do I come before Jehovah? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves -- sons of a year?

Smith's Literal Translation
With what shall I come before Jehovah? I will bow to the high God; shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves, the sons of a year?

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
What shall I offer to the Lord that is worthy? wherewith shall I kneel before the high God? shall I offer holocausts unto him, and calves of a year old?

Catholic Public Domain Version
What worthy thing might I offer to the Lord, as I bend the knee before God on high? How could I offer holocausts to him, and one year-old calves?

New American Bible
With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

New Revised Standard Version
“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
With what shall I come before the LORD, and how shall I be pleasing before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, or with calves of a year old?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
With what will I come before LORD JEHOVAH and will I please God Most High? Shall I come before him with peace burnings or with oneyear old calves?

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings, With calves of a year old?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Wherewithal shall I reach the Lord, and lay hold of my God most high? shall I reach him by whole-burnt-offerings, by calves of a year old?

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Case Against Israel
…5My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’ ” 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?…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

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.

Isaiah 1:11-17
“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. / When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. ...

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.

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. ...

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.”

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

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 10:5-10
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. / Then I said, ‘Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’” ...

Jeremiah 7:21-23
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! / 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.

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

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.

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Treasury of Scripture

With which shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

Wherewith.

2 Samuel 21:3
Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?

Matthew 19:16
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Luke 10:25
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

bow.

Psalm 22:29
All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

Psalm 95:6
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

Ephesians 3:14
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the high.

Genesis 14:18-22
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God…

Daniel 3:26
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

Daniel 4:9
O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

with.

Leviticus 1:3-17
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD…

Numbers 23:1-4,14,15,29,30
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams…

Hebrews 10:4-10
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins…

of a year old.

Exodus 12:5
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

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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

With what
This phrase introduces a question of approach and preparation. In the Hebrew context, it reflects a deep concern for the proper way to come before God. The Hebrew word "מָה" (mah) is an interrogative that seeks to understand the requirements or expectations of the divine. It sets the stage for a reflective inquiry into the nature of worship and relationship with God.

shall I come
The phrase "shall I come" indicates an action of drawing near or approaching. The Hebrew verb "קָדַם" (qadam) suggests a movement towards someone of higher status, in this case, God. It implies a sense of reverence and intentionality in the act of coming before the Lord, highlighting the importance of preparation and the right heart attitude.

before the LORD
This phrase identifies the object of the approach, the LORD, or "יְהוָה" (Yahweh) in Hebrew. It emphasizes the covenantal name of God, reminding the reader of the personal and relational aspect of God with His people. The use of "LORD" underscores the sovereignty and holiness of God, before whom one must come with humility and respect.

and bow before
The act of bowing is a physical expression of worship and submission. The Hebrew word "כָּפַף" (kafaf) conveys the idea of bending or prostrating oneself. This gesture is a sign of humility and acknowledgment of God's majesty and authority. It reflects the inner attitude of the worshiper, who recognizes their own unworthiness in the presence of the divine.

the exalted God?
This phrase describes God as "exalted," using the Hebrew word "מָרוֹם" (marom), which means high or lofty. It portrays God as transcendent and supreme, above all creation. The acknowledgment of God's exalted status calls for a response of awe and reverence, recognizing His greatness and the vast difference between the Creator and the created.

Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings
The mention of "burnt offerings" refers to a specific type of sacrifice in the Hebrew sacrificial system, known as "עוֹלָה" (olah). These offerings were completely consumed by fire, symbolizing total dedication and surrender to God. The question posed here reflects a deeper inquiry into the adequacy of external rituals in truly pleasing God, pointing to the need for sincerity and genuine devotion.

with year-old calves?
The reference to "year-old calves" highlights the quality and value of the sacrifice. In ancient Israel, a year-old calf was considered a prime offering, representing the best of one's flock. This phrase challenges the reader to consider whether even the most valuable sacrifices are sufficient to meet God's requirements, prompting a reflection on the heart's condition over mere ritualistic observance.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Wherewith shall I come . . .?--This has been taken by some commentators as Balak's question to Balaam, who gives his reply in Micah 6:8. Dean Stanley writes, after his picturesque manner, of "the short dialogue preserved, not by the Mosaic historian, but by the Prophet Micah, which at once exhibits the agony of the king and the lofty conceptions of the great Seer" (Jewish Church, Lect. 8). But it is rather in harmony with the context to understand it as the alarmed and conscience-stricken reply of the Jewish people impersonated in some earnest speaker to the pleading brought before them by the prophet in the Lord's name.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 6-8. - § 2. The people, awakened to its ingratitude and need of atonement, asks how to please God, and is referred for answer to the moral requirements of the Law. Verse 6. - It is greatly doubted who is the speaker here. Bishop Butler, in his sermon "Upon the Character of Balaam," adopts the view that Balak is the speaker of vers. 6 and 7, and Balaam answers in ver. 8. Knabenbauer considers Micah himself as the interlocutor, speaking in the character of the people; which makes the apparent change of persons in ver. 8 very awkward. Most commentators, ancient and modern, take the questions in vers. 6 and 7 to be asked by the people personified, though they are not agreed as to the spirit from which they proceed, some thinking that they are uttered in self-righteousness, as if the speakers had done all that and more than could be required of them; others regarding the inquiries as representing a certain acknowledgment of sin and a desire for means of propitiation, though there is exhibited a want of appreciation of the nature of God and of the service which alone is acceptable to him. The latter view is most reasonable, and in accordance with Micah's manner. Wherewith; i.e. with what offering? The prophet represents the congregation as asking him to tell them how to propitiate the offended Lord, and obtain his favour. Come before; go to meet, appear in the presence of the Lord. Septuagint, καταλάβω, "attain to." Bow myself before the high God; literally, God of the height, who has his throne on high (Isaiah 33:5; Isaiah 57:15); Vulgate, curvabo genu Deo excelso; Septuagint, ἀντιλήψομαι Θεοῦ μου ὑψίστου, "shall I lay hold of my God most high." Calves of a year old. Such were deemed the choicest victims (comp. Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 9:2, 3).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

With what
בַּמָּה֙ (bam·māh)
Preposition-b | Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

shall I come before
אֲקַדֵּ֣ם (’ă·qad·dêm)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6923: To project, precede, to anticipate, hasten, meet

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

when I bow
אִכַּ֖ף (’ik·kap̄)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3721: To bend, bend down, be bent or bowed

before the God
לֵאלֹהֵ֣י (lê·lō·hê)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

on high?
מָר֑וֹם (mā·rō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4791: Altitude

Should I come to Him
הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ (ha·’ă·qad·də·men·nū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6923: To project, precede, to anticipate, hasten, meet

with burnt offerings,
בְעוֹל֔וֹת (ḇə·‘ō·w·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5930: Whole burnt offering

with year-old
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

calves?
בַּעֲגָלִ֖ים (ba·‘ă·ḡā·lîm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5695: A, calf, one nearly grown

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OT Prophets: Micah 6:6 How shall I come before Yahweh (Mc Mic. Mi)