Micah 3:1-4

Rulers and Prophets Denounced

1 And I said: ¹Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! ²Is it not for you to know justice? —

2 you ³who hate the good and love the evil, ⁴who tear the skin from off my people^[a] and their flesh from off their bones,

3 ⁵who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron.

4 ⁶Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them; ⁷he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.

Micah 3:1-4 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.

Cross References

• 1. 3:1 See ch. 1:2
• 2. 3:1 Jer. 5:5; [Ezek. 22:6, 27]
• 3. 3:2 [ver. 9]
• 4. 3:2 [Ezek. 34:3]
• 5. 3:3 [Ps. 14:4; Isa. 3:15]
• 6. 3:4 See Prov. 1:28
• 7. 3:4 Isa. 1:15; See Deut. 31:17

Footnotes

• [a] 3:2 Hebrew 'from off them'