Micah 6:2 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Hear ye, O mountains: in the first verse God directs Micah to take the mountains and hills for witnesses; now in this verse he doth call upon those mountains to hear: it is a prosopoeia, an elegant personating of hearers and witnesses, as Deuteronomy 32:1 Isaiah 1:2, Isaiah 2:2. Some by mountains understand princes and nobles, and by strong foundations of the earth inferior magistrates, as Psalms 75:3; but it may as well, or better, be an appeal to these creatures in so just a cause for their Creator. The Lord's controversy, whose sovereign Majesty may well command what he pleaseth, and expect to be obeyed, and whose unparalleled goodness to Israel ought to have been uncontroverted motives to obey him in all things; yet the sovereign goodness is slighted and disobeyed; on which he now impleads his people, brings his action against them. Ye strong foundations of the earth; called before hills: it is an explanation of the former, mountains; or it may be an appeal to those deep foundations which are hid from any eye, and which seem most remote from what is done on earth; but the ill carriage, the disobedience, and sin of Israel is so notorious, that the whole creation may be subpoenaed witnesses against them. The Lord hath a controversy with his people; covenant, redeemed, and only people, as Amos 3:2. He will plead with Israel; no longer put off the cause, nor forbear to punish them and right himself, he will bring the cause to hearing judgment, and execution too. Hear ye, O mountains: in the first verse God directs Micah to take the mountains and hills for witnesses; now in this verse he doth call upon those mountains to hear: it is a prosopoeia, an elegant personating of hearers and witnesses, as Deuteronomy 32:1 Isaiah 1:2, Isaiah 2:2. Some by mountains understand princes and nobles, and by strong foundations of the earth inferior magistrates, as Psalms 75:3; but it may as well, or better, be an appeal to these creatures in so just a cause for their Creator. The Lord's controversy, whose sovereign Majesty may well command what he pleaseth, and expect to be obeyed, and whose unparalleled goodness to Israel ought to have been uncontroverted motives to obey him in all things; yet the sovereign goodness is slighted and disobeyed; on which he now impleads his people, brings his action against them. Ye strong foundations of the earth; called before hills: it is an explanation of the former, mountains; or it may be an appeal to those deep foundations which are hid from any eye, and which seem most remote from what is done on earth; but the ill carriage, the disobedience, and sin of Israel is so notorious, that the whole creation may be subpoenaed witnesses against them. The Lord hath a controversy with his people; covenant, redeemed, and only people, as Amos 3:2. He will plead with Israel; no longer put off the cause, nor forbear to punish them and right himself, he will bring the cause to hearing judgment, and execution too.