Micah 1:10 KJV
Declare ye it not at Gath,
weep ye not at all:
in the house of Aphrah
roll thyself in the dust.
Declare ye it not at Gath
Declare ye it not at Gath, lest the Philistines, our enemies, rejoice at our destruction.
Gath was one of the five cities of the Philistines, who would exult at the calamity of the Hebrews (2 Samuel 1:20). Gratify not those who exult over the falls of the Israel of God.
Gath
The meaning of the name Gath is “winepress”.
This city was located on the borders of Judea, and was one of the five royal or chief cities of the Philistines and the native city of Goliath.
Weep ye not at all
Do not betray your inward sorrow by outward weeping, within the cognizance of the enemy, lest they should exult at it.
Reland translates, “Weep not in Acco,” that is, Ptolemais, now St. Jean d’Acre, near the foot of Mount Carmel; allotted to Asher, but never occupied by that tribe (Judges 1:3); Acco’s inhabitants would, therefore, like Gath’s, rejoice at Israel’s disaster.
The Hebrews were not to expose their misery to foreigners, they ought to bewail it in their own cities.
House of Aphrah
Bethel–aphrah means “house belonging to Aphrah” or “house to (i.e. of) dust”. It was a Philistine city.
Some confuse this place with Ophrah (Joshua 18.23) but this points to a town of Benjamin approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of Bethel. An other place with the same name is found in Manasseh. This was the native place of Gideon; probably located close to Shechem
Roll thyself in the dust.
The name “Aphrah” signifies dust. Some think that Micah therefore wanted them to mourn and roll themselves in the dust, for their dusty city.
To “roll in the dust” marked deep sorrow (Jeremiah 6:26, Ezekiel 27:30).
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