Micah 3:2-12

2 "You who hate good and love evil, Who ¹tear off their skin from them And their flesh from their bones,

3 Who ²eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And ³chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle."

4 Then they will ⁴cry out to the LORD, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will ⁵hide His face from them at that time Because they have ⁶practiced evil deeds.

5 Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who ⁷lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They ⁸cry, "Peace," But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war.

6 Therefore it will be ⁹night for you-without vision, And darkness for you-without divination. The ¹⁰sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them.

7 The seers will be ¹¹ashamed And the ¹²diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all ¹³cover their mouths Because there is ¹⁴no answer from God.

8 On the other hand ¹⁵I am filled with power - With the Spirit of the LORD - And with justice and courage To ¹⁶make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.

9 Now hear this, ¹⁷heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who ¹⁸abhor justice And twist everything that is straight,

10 Who ¹⁹build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice.

11 Her leaders pronounce ²⁰judgment for a bribe, Her ²¹priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, "²²Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us."

12 Therefore, on account of you ²³Zion will be plowed as a field, ²⁴Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the ²⁵mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.

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Micah 3:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 3

In this chapter the prophet reproves and threatens both princes and prophets, first separately, and then conjunctly; first the heads and princes of the people, civil magistrates, for their ignorance of justice, and hatred of good, and love of evil, and for their oppression and cruelty; and they are threatened with distress when they should cry unto the Lord, and should not be heard by him, Mic 3:1-4; next the prophets are taken to task, for their voraciousness, avarice, and false prophesying; and are threatened with darkness, with want of vision, and of an answer from the Lord, and with shame and confusion, Mic 3:5-7; and the prophet being full of the Spirit and power of God, to declare the sins and transgressions of Jacob and Israel, Mic 3:8, very freely declaims against princes, priests, and prophets, all together; who, though guilty of very notorious crimes, yet were in great security, and promised themselves impunity, Mic 3:9-11; wherefore the city and temple of Jerusalem are threatened with an utter desolation, Mic 3:12.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 25

1. Psalms 53:4; Ezekiel 22:27; Micah 2:8; Micah 7:2, 3
2. Psalms 14:4; Psalms 27:2; Zephaniah 3:3
3. Ezek 11:3, 6, 7
4. Psalms 18:41; Proverbs 1:28; Isaiah 1:15; Jeremiah 11:11
5. Deuteronomy 31:17; Isaiah 59:2
6. Isaiah 3:11; Micah 7:13
7. Isaiah 3:12; Isaiah 9:15, 16; Jeremiah 14:14, 15
8. Jeremiah 6:14
9. Isaiah 8:20-22; Isaiah 29:10-12
10. Isaiah 59:10
11. Zechariah 13:4
12. Isaiah 44:25; Isaiah 47:12-14
13. Micah 7:16
14. 1 Samuel 28:6; Micah 3:4
15. Isaiah 61:1, 2; Jeremiah 1:18
16. Isaiah 58:1
17. Micah 1:1
18. Psalms 58:1, 2; Isaiah 1:23
19. Jeremiah 22:13, 17; Habakkuk 2:12
20. Isaiah 1:23; Micah 7:3
21. Jeremiah 6:13
22. Isaiah 48:2
23. Jeremiah 26:18
24. Psalms 79:1; Jeremiah 9:11
25. Micah 4:1

Footnotes 2

[a]. Lit "mustache"
[b]. Lit "house"