Micah 2:11

11 If a man walks about in a spirit of deception and lies, [saying] "I will preach to you of wine and strong drink," then he would be a preacher [for] this people!

Micah 2:11 Meaning and Commentary

Micah 2:11

If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie
Who pretends to be a prophet, and a spiritual man, and to be under the inspiration and influence of the Spirit of God, but utters nothing but lies and falsehoods; or who is actuated by a spirit of falsehood and lying; or, as in the margin, "walks with the wind, and lies falsely" {u}; is full of wind and vanity; "after the wind" F23; and follows the dictates of his vain mind, and coins lies, and speaks false things: [saying], I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink;
or "drop [a word] unto thee" F24; that there will be good times, and nothing but good eating and drinking; and that men need not fear such dismal things befalling them as the prophets of the Lord spoke of; but may be cheerful and merry, and drink wine and strong drink, and not be afraid of their evil tidings: or, for wine and strong drink F25, so Kimchi; and the meaning is, that if they would give him a cup of wine, or a draught of strong drink, he would prophesy good things to them; the reverse of what is before said, as that they should continue in their land, and not depart from it; that this should be their rest, and they should remain therein, and not be destroyed in it, or cast out of it: he shall even be the prophet of this people;
a "dropper" F26 to them; see ( Micah 2:6 ) ; such an one shall be acceptable to them; they will caress him, and prefer him to the true prophets of the Lord; which is mentioned to show the temper of the people, and how easily they were imposed upon, and their disrespect to the prophets of the Lord, as in ( Micah 2:6 Micah 2:7 ) ; to which subject the prophet here returns, as Kimchi observes.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 (bzk rqvw xwr Klwh) "qui ambulat cum vento et falsitate mentiatur", Piscator; "ambulantem cum vento et fasitate mendacem", Cocceius.
F23 So Hillerus in Burkius.
F24 (Kl Pyja) "stillabo tibi", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Burkius.
F25 (Nyyl) "pro vino", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius.
F26 (Pyjm) "stillator", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius, Cocceius.

Micah 2:11 In-Context

9 You have driven out the women of my people from the houses of their pleasure. From their children you have taken away my glory forever.
10 Arise and go, for this [is] no resting place, on account of uncleanness [that] destroys with painful destruction.
11 If a man walks about in a spirit of deception and lies, [saying] "I will preach to you of wine and strong drink," then he would be a preacher [for] this people!
12 I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely gather together the remainder of Israel. I will set them like sheep of Bozrah. Like a herd in the midst of their pasture they will be in tumult from people.
13 The one who breaks out before them goes up; they break through and pass the gate, going out through it. Their king passes before them, Yahweh at their head.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.