Micah 2:1-5

Woe to Oppressors

1 Woe to those who ¹scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! ²When morning comes, they do it, For it is in the ³power of their hands.

2 They ⁴covet fields and then ⁵seize them, And houses, and take them away. They ⁶rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.

3 Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am ⁷planning against this ⁸family a calamity From which you ⁹cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk ¹⁰haughtily, For it will be an ¹¹evil time.

4 "On that day they will ¹²take up against you a taunt And ¹³utter a bitter lamentation and say, 'We are completely ¹⁴destroyed! He exchanges the portion of my people; How He removes it from me! To the apostate He ¹⁵apportions our fields.'

5 "Therefore you will have no one ¹⁶stretching a measuring line For you by lot in the assembly of the LORD.

Micah 2:1-5 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 2

In this chapter complaint is made of the sins of the people of Israel, and they are threatened with punishment for them. The sins they are charged with are covetousness, oppression, and injustice, which were premeditated, and done deliberately, Mic 2:1,2; therefore the Lord devised evil against them, they should not escape; and which would bring down their pride, and cause them to take up a lamentation, because they should not enjoy the portion of land that belonged to them, Mic 2:3-5; they are further charged with opposing the prophets of the Lord, the folly and wickedness of which is exposed, Mic 2:6,7; and with great inhumanity and barbarity, even to women and children, Mic 2:8,9; and therefore are ordered to expect and prepare for a removal out of their land, Mic 2:10; and the rather, since they gave encouragement and heed to false prophets, and delighted in them, Mic 2:11; and the chapter is concluded with words of comfort to the remnant among them, and with precious promises of the Messiah, and the blessings of grace by him, Mic 2:12,13.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 36:4; Isaiah 32:7; Nahum 1:11
• 2. Hosea 7:6, 7
• 3. Genesis 31:29; Deuteronomy 28:32; Proverbs 3:27
• 4. Jeremiah 22:17; Amos 8:4
• 5. Isaiah 5:8
• 6. 1 Kings 21:1-15
• 7. Deuteronomy 28:48; Jeremiah 18:11
• 8. Jeremiah 8:3; Amos 3:1, 2
• 9. Lamentations 1:14; Lamentations 5:5
• 10. Isaiah 2:11, 12
• 11. Amos 5:13
• 12. Habakkuk 2:6
• 13. Jer 9:10, 17-21; Micah 1:8
• 14. Isaiah 6:11; Isaiah 24:3; Jeremiah 4:13
• 15. Jeremiah 6:12; Jeremiah 8:10
• 16. Num 34:13, 16-29; Deuteronomy 32:8; Joshua 18:4, 10

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "In the light of the morning"
• [b]. Lit "oppress"
• [c]. Or "proverb"
• [d]. Lit "lament"
• [e]. Lit "casting"