7 Then shall the seers H2374 be ashamed, H954 and the diviners H7080 confounded: H2659 yea, they shall all cover H5844 their lips; H8222 for there is no answer H4617 of God. H430
And it shall come to pass in that day, H3117 that the prophets H5030 shall be ashamed H954 every one H376 of his vision, H2384 when he hath prophesied; H5012 neither shall they wear H3847 a rough H8181 garment H155 to deceive: H3584
Forbear H1826 to cry, H602 make H6213 no mourning H60 for the dead, H4191 bind H2280 the tire of thine head H6287 upon thee, and put on H7760 thy shoes H5275 upon thy feet, H7272 and cover H5844 not thy lips, H8222 and eat H398 not the bread H3899 of men. H582
Stand H5975 now with thine enchantments, H2267 and with the multitude H7230 of thy sorceries, H3785 wherein H834 thou hast laboured H3021 from thy youth; H5271 if so be thou shalt be able H3201 to profit, H3276 if so be thou mayest prevail. H6206 Thou art wearied H3811 in the multitude H7230 of thy counsels. H6098 Let now the astrologers, H1895 H8064 the stargazers, H2374 H3556 the monthly H2320 prognosticators, H3045 stand up, H5975 and save H3467 thee from these things that shall come H935 upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; H7179 the fire H784 shall burn H8313 them; they shall not deliver H5337 themselves H5315 from the power H3027 of the flame: H3852 there shall not be a coal H1513 to warm H2552 at, nor fire H217 to sit H3427 before it.
And the leper H6879 in whom the plague H5061 is, his clothes H899 shall be rent, H6533 and his head H7218 bare, H6544 and he shall put a covering H5844 upon his upper lip, H8222 and shall cry, H7121 Unclean, H2931 unclean. H2931
The nations H1471 shall see H7200 and be confounded H954 at all their might: H1369 they shall lay H7760 their hand H3027 upon their mouth, H6310 their ears H241 shall be deaf. H2790
G3739 Now G1161 as G5158 Jannes G2389 and G2532 Jambres G2387 withstood G436 Moses, G3475 so G3779 do G436 these G3778 also G2532 resist G436 the truth: G225 men G444 of corrupt G2704 minds, G3563 reprobate G96 concerning G4012 the faith. G4102 But G235 they shall proceed G4298 no G3756 further: G1909 G4119 for G1063 their G846 folly G454 shall be G2071 manifest G1552 unto all G3956 men, as G5613 theirs G1565 also G2532 was. G1096
And the magicians H2748 did H6213 so with their enchantments H3909 to bring forth H3318 lice, H3654 but they could H3201 not: so there were lice H3654 upon man, H120 and upon beast. H929 Then the magicians H2748 said H559 unto Pharaoh, H6547 This is the finger H676 of God: H430 and Pharaoh's H6547 heart H3820 was hardened, H2388 and he hearkened H8085 not unto them; as the LORD H3068 had said. H1696
Behold, the days H3117 come, H935 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 that I will send H7971 a famine H7458 in the land, H776 not a famine H7458 of bread, H3899 nor a thirst H6772 for water, H4325 but of hearing H8085 the words H1697 of the LORD: H3068
But if H2006 ye will not H3809 make known H3046 unto me the dream, H2493 there is but one H1932 H2298 decree H1882 for you: for ye have prepared H2164 lying H3538 and corrupt H7844 words H4406 to speak H560 before H6925 me, till H5705 the time H5732 be changed: H8133 therefore H3861 tell H560 me the dream, H2493 and I shall know H3046 that H1768 ye can shew H2324 me the interpretation H6591 thereof. The Chaldeans H3779 answered H6032 before H6925 the king, H4430 and said, H560 There is H383 not H3809 a man H606 upon H5922 the earth H3007 that can H3202 shew H2324 the king's H4430 matter: H4406 therefore H6903 H1768 there is no H3809 king, H4430 lord, H7229 nor ruler, H7990 that asked H7593 such H1836 things H4406 at any H3606 magician, H2749 or astrologer, H826 or Chaldean. H3779 And it is a rare H3358 thing H4406 that the king H4430 requireth, H7593 and there is H383 none H3809 other H321 that can shew H2324 it before H6925 the king, H4430 except H3861 the gods, H426 whose dwelling H4070 is H383 not H3809 with H5974 flesh. H1321
We see H7200 not our signs: H226 there is no more any prophet: H5030 neither is there among us any that knoweth H3045 how long. H5704
And Samuel H8050 said H559 to Saul, H7586 Why hast thou disquieted H7264 me, to bring me up? H5927 And Saul H7586 answered, H559 I am sore H3966 distressed; H6887 for the Philistines H6430 make war H3898 against me, and God H430 is departed H5493 from me, and answereth H6030 me no more, neither by H3027 prophets, H5030 nor by dreams: H2472 therefore I have called H7121 thee, that thou mayest make known H3045 unto me what I shall do. H6213
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Micah 3
Commentary on Micah 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
Mic 3:1-12. The Sins of the Princes, Prophets, and Priests: The Consequent Desolation of Zion.
1. princes—magistrates or judges.
Is it not for you?—Is it not your special function (Jer 5:4, 5)?
judgment—justice. Ye sit in judgment on others; surely then ye ought to know the judgment for injustice which awaits yourselves (Ro 2:1).
2. pluck off their skin … flesh—rob their fellow countrymen of all their substance (Ps 14:4; Pr 30:14).
3. pot … flesh within … caldron—manifold species of cruel oppressions. Compare Eze 24:3, &c., containing, as to the coming punishment, the same figure as is here used of the sin: implying that the sin and punishment exactly correspond.
4. Then—at the time of judgment, which Micah takes for granted, so certain is it (compare Mic 2:3).
they cry … but he will not hear—just as those oppressed by them had formerly cried, and they would not hear. Their prayer shall be rejected, because it is the mere cry of nature for deliverance from pain, not that of repentance for deliverance from sin.
ill in their doings—Men cannot expect to do ill and fare well.
5. Here he attacks the false prophets, as before he had attacked the "princes."
make my people err—knowingly mislead My people by not denouncing their sins as incurring judgment.
bite with … teeth, and cry, Peace—that is, who, so long as they are supplied with food, promise peace and prosperity in their prophecies.
he that putteth not into their mouths, they … prepare war against him—Whenever they are not supplied with food, they foretell war and calamity.
prepare war—literally, "sanctify war," that is, proclaim it as a holy judgment of God because they are not fed (see on Jer 6:4; compare Isa 13:3; Joe 1:14).
6. night … dark—Calamities shall press on you so overwhelming as to compel you to cease pretending to divine (Zec 13:4). Darkness is often the image of calamity (Isa 8:22; Am 5:18; 8:9).
7. cover their lips—The Orientals prided themselves on the moustache and beard ("upper lip," Margin). To cover it, therefore, was a token of shame and sorrow (Le 13:45; Eze 24:17, 22). "They shall be so ashamed of themselves as not to dare to open their mouths or boast of the name of prophet" [Calvin].
there is no answer of God—They shall no more profess to have responses from God, being struck dumb with calamities (Mic 3:6).
8. I—in contrast to the false prophets (Mic 3:5, 7).
full of power—that which "the Spirit of Jehovah" imparts for the discharge of the prophetical function (Lu 1:17; 24:49; Ac 1:8).
judgment—a sense of justice [Maurer]; as opposed to the false prophets' speaking to please men, not from a regard to truth. Or, "judgment" to discern between graver and lighter offenses, and to denounce punishments accordingly [Grotius].
might—moral intrepidity in speaking the truth at all costs (2Ti 1:7).
to declare unto Jacob his … sin—(Isa 58:1). Not to flatter the sinner as the false prophets do with promises of peace.
9. Hear—resumed from Mic 3:1. Here begins the leading subject of the prophecy: a demonstration of his assertion that he is "full of power by the Spirit of Jehovah" (Mic 3:8).
10. They—change of person from "ye" (Mic 3:9); the third person puts them to a greater distance as estranged from Him. It is, literally, "Whosoever builds," singular.
build up Zion with blood—build on it stately mansions with wealth obtained by the condemnation and murder of the innocent (Jer 22:13; Eze 22:27; Hab 2:12).
11. heads thereof—the princes of Jerusalem.
judge for reward—take bribes as judges (Mic 7:3).
priests teach for hire—It was their duty to teach the law and to decide controversies gratuitously (Le 10:11; De 17:11; Mal 2:7; compare Jer 6:13; Jude 11).
prophets … divine—that is, false prophets.
Is not the Lord among us?—namely in the temple (Isa 48:2; Jer 7:4, 8-11).
12. Jer 26:18 quotes this verse. The Talmud and Maimonides record that at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans under Titus, Terentius Rufus, who was left in command of the army, with a ploughshare tore up the foundations of the temple.
mountain of the house—the height on which the temple stands.
as the high places of the forest—shall become as heights in a forest overrun with wild shrubs and brushwood.