Micah 6:9-16

The Destruction of the Wicked

9 The voice of Yahweh calls to the city ([it is] sound judgment to fear your name): "Hear, [O] staff! Now who has appointed it?
10 Is there any longer a man [in] the house of the wicked treasures of wickedness, and the ephah of scarcity [which is] accursed?
11 Shall I regard as pure [the one] with scales of wickedness, and with a bag of deceitful weights?
12 Because her rich are full of violence, and her inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue [is] deceitful in their mouth.
13 And I also {have made you sick by striking you down}, making [you] desolate because of your sins.
14 You yourself will eat but not be satisfied; your hunger [will be] in your midst, and you will put away, but you will not save, and what you save I will hand over to the sword.
15 You yourself will sow, but you will not reap; you will tread olives, but you will not anoint yourself with oil; [you will tread] grapes, but you will not drink wine.
16 For you have observed the regulations of Omri and all the works of the house of Ahab. And you have walked in their counsels, so that I am making you a desolation and your inhabitants an object of scorn. So you will bear the scorn of my people.

Micah 6:9-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 6

This chapter contains reproofs of the people of Israel for their sins, threatening them with punishment for them. The prophet is bid to tell them of the controversy the Lord had with them, which he did, Mic 6:1,2; and the Lord calls upon them to declare if they had any thing to object to his attitude towards them, Mic 6:3; and then puts them in mind of the favours they had received from him, in bringing them out of Egypt, and giving them such useful persons to go before them, lead and instruct them, as he had, Mic 6:4; and also reminds them of what passed between Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam the soothsayer; the questions of the one, and the answer of the other; whereby the designs of the former against them were frustrated, Mic 6:5-8; but since the voice of the Lord by his prophet was disregarded by them, they are called upon to hearken to the voice of his rod, Mic 6:9; which should be laid upon them for their fraudulent dealings, injustice, oppression, lies, and deceit, Mic 6:10-12; and therefore are threatened with sickness and desolation, and a deprivation of all good things, the fruit of their labours, Mic 6:13-15; and that because the statutes of Omri, the works of Ahab, and their counsels, were observed by them, Mic 6:16.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Or "tribe"
  • [b]. The meaning of the Hebrew text is uncertain
  • [c]. Literally "I have made sick to strike you down"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.