But they don’t know the thoughts of Yahweh, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.
Parallel translations
- KJV But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
- BSB But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
- NKJV But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, Nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
- NASB “But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, And they do not understand His plan; For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
- NLT But they do not know the Lord’s thoughts or understand his plan. These nations don’t know that he is gathering them together to be beaten and trampled like sheaves of grain on a threshing floor.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The hostile nations do not realize that God has gathered them like sheaves for threshing. It reveals God's hidden purpose behind their assault.
Overview
What looks like the nations' attack is in fact God assembling them for judgment, as a farmer gathers grain to the threshing floor. They are ignorant of His 'thoughts' and 'counsel.' The verse assures believers that even hostile powers ultimately serve the sovereign plan of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Isa 55:8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh.
- Jer 29:11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
- Rom 11:33–34Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
- Zech 14:1–3Behold, a day of Yahweh comes, when your plunder will be divided within you.
- Luke 3:17whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
- Joel 3:12–13“Let the nations arouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
- Isa 21:10You are my threshing, and the grain of my floor!” That which I have heard from Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.
- Rev 14:14–20I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
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Christ at the center
Micah names the town — 'But you, Bethlehem... from you shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origins are from of old' — the birthplace of the eternal King.
How Micah 4:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.