Micah 2:8

8 The Lord replies, "You attack my people like enemies. Men return from battle, thinking they are safe at home, but there you are, waiting to steal the coats off their backs.

Micah 2:8 Meaning and Commentary

Micah 2:8

Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy
Or "yesterday" F15; meaning a very little while before this prophecy, the people of Israel, those of the ten tribes, who were the people of God by profession, rose up as an enemy, not only to God and true religion, worshipping idols; but rather to their brethren, those of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin; as they did in the times of Pekah king of Israel, who slew a hundred and twenty thousand of them in one day, ( 2 Chronicles 28:6 ) ; and which is here mentioned as a reason why the Spirit of the Lord in his prophets threatened them with evil, and did not promise them good things: ye pull off the robe with the garment;
the upper and nether garment, and so stripped them naked: or, "they stripped the robe from off the garment", as some F16; they took the upper garment or cloak from them, and left them only the under garment: for them that pass by securely, as men averse from war:
who were travelling from place to place about their proper business, and thought themselves very safe; were peaceable men themselves, and suspected no harm from others: or, "returning from war" F17; such who escaped in the battle, and fled for their lives; and when they imagined they, were safe, and out of danger, fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped them of their garments. Gussetius F18 interprets it of such who were returning to the battle, and yet so used.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (lwmta) "heri", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Burkius.
F16 (hmlv lwmm) "a veste togam spoliatis", Noldius; "a veste pallium exuitis", Burkius.
F17 (hmxlm ybwv) "revertentibus a bello", Piscator; "redeunt a bello", Cocceius; "et revertuntur a bello", De Dieu; "uti essetis reversi ex bello", Burkius.
F18 "Redeuntes in bellum", Comment. Ebr. p. 836.

Micah 2:8 In-Context

6 The people preach at me and say, "Don't preach at us. Don't preach about all that. God is not going to disgrace us.
7 Do you think the people of Israel are under a curse? Has the Lord lost his patience? Would he really do such things? Doesn't he speak kindly to those who do right?"
8 The Lord replies, "You attack my people like enemies. Men return from battle, thinking they are safe at home, but there you are, waiting to steal the coats off their backs.
9 You drive the women of my people out of the homes they love, and you have robbed their children of my blessings forever.
10 Get up and go; there is no safety here any more. Your sins have doomed this place to destruction.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [Probable text] You attack my people; [Hebrew] Recently my people have attacked.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.