Micah 3:10

10 Who build up Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with iniquity:

Micah 3:10 Meaning and Commentary

Micah 3:10

They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
] Or, "O thou that buildest up" F7 or "everyone of them that buildeth up" F8 for the word is in the singular number; but, be fire words rendered either of these ways, they respect the heads and princes of the people; who either repaired the temple on Zion, or ornamented the king's palace, or built themselves fine stately houses in Jerusalem, or large streets there, by money they took of murderers to save them, as Kimchi; or by money got by rapine and oppression, by spoiling the poor of their goods and their livelihood, for them and their families, which was all one as shedding innocent blood; and by money obtained by bribes, for the perversion of justice, and such like illegal proceedings, truly called iniquity. The Targum is,

``who build their houses in Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with deceits.''

FOOTNOTES:

F7 (hnwb) "aedificans", Montanus, Munster, Burkius.
F8 "Quisque eorum aedificat", Vatablus, Piscator, Drusius.

Micah 3:10 In-Context

8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, And of justice and might, To declare to Jacob his transgression And to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this, You heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And pervert all equity,
10 Who build up Zion with bloodshed And Jerusalem with iniquity:
11 Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, "Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us."
12 Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.