Micah 3:3-12

3 Who ¹eat the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones And ²chop them up as for the pot And as meat in a kettle."

4 Then they will ³cry out to the LORD, But He will not answer them. Instead, He will ⁴hide His face from them at that time Because they have ⁵practiced evil deeds.

5 Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who ⁶lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They ⁷cry, "Peace," But against him who puts nothing in their mouths They declare holy war.

6 Therefore it will be ⁸night for you-without vision, And darkness for you-without divination. The ⁹sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them.

7 The seers will be ¹⁰ashamed And the ¹¹diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all ¹²cover their mouths Because there is ¹³no answer from God.

8 On the other hand ¹⁴I am filled with power - With the Spirit of the LORD - And with justice and courage To ¹⁵make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.

9 Now hear this, ¹⁶heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who ¹⁷abhor justice And twist everything that is straight,

10 Who ¹⁸build Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with violent injustice.

11 Her leaders pronounce ¹⁹judgment for a bribe, Her ²⁰priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, "²¹Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us."

12 Therefore, on account of you ²²Zion will be plowed as a field, ²³Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the ²⁴mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.

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Micah 3:3-12 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 24

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

Footnotes 2

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