Micah 6:9-16

9 The voice of the LORD will call to the city - And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time?
10 "Is there yet a man in the wicked house, Along with treasures of 1wickedness And a 2short measure that is cursed?
11 "Can I justify wicked 3scales And a bag of deceptive weights?
12 "For the rich men of the city are full of 4violence, Her residents speak 5lies, And their 6tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 "So also I will make you 7sick, striking you down, 8Desolating you because of your sins.
14 "You will eat, but you will 9not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will 10not preserve anything, And what you do preserve I will give to the sword.
15 "You will sow but you will 11not reap. You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will 12not drink wine.
16 "The statutes of 13Omri And all the works of the house of 14Ahab are observed; And in their devices you 15walk. Therefore I will give you up for 16destruction And your inhabitants for 17derision, And you will bear the 18reproach of My people."

Micah 6:9-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 6

This chapter contains reproofs of the people of Israel for their sins, threatening them with punishment for them. The prophet is bid to tell them of the controversy the Lord had with them, which he did, Mic 6:1,2; and the Lord calls upon them to declare if they had any thing to object to his attitude towards them, Mic 6:3; and then puts them in mind of the favours they had received from him, in bringing them out of Egypt, and giving them such useful persons to go before them, lead and instruct them, as he had, Mic 6:4; and also reminds them of what passed between Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam the soothsayer; the questions of the one, and the answer of the other; whereby the designs of the former against them were frustrated, Mic 6:5-8; but since the voice of the Lord by his prophet was disregarded by them, they are called upon to hearken to the voice of his rod, Mic 6:9; which should be laid upon them for their fraudulent dealings, injustice, oppression, lies, and deceit, Mic 6:10-12; and therefore are threatened with sickness and desolation, and a deprivation of all good things, the fruit of their labours, Mic 6:13-15; and that because the statutes of Omri, the works of Ahab, and their counsels, were observed by them, Mic 6:16.

Cross References 18

  • 1. Jeremiah 5:26, 27; Amos 3:10
  • 2. Ezekiel 45:9, 10; Amos 8:5
  • 3. Leviticus 19:36; Hosea 12:7
  • 4. Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 5:7; Amos 6:3, 4; Micah 2:1, 2
  • 5. Jer 9:2-6, 8; Hosea 7:13; Amos 2:4
  • 6. Isaiah 3:8
  • 7. Micah 1:9
  • 8. Isaiah 1:7; Isaiah 6:11
  • 9. Isaiah 9:20
  • 10. Isaiah 30:6
  • 11. Deuteronomy 28:38-40; Jeremiah 12:13
  • 12. Amos 5:11; Zephaniah 1:13
  • 13. 1 Kings 16:25, 26
  • 14. 1 Kings 16:29-33
  • 15. Jeremiah 7:24
  • 16. Jeremiah 18:16; Micah 6:13
  • 17. Jeremiah 19:8; Jeremiah 25:9, 18; Jeremiah 29:18
  • 18. Psalms 44:13; Jeremiah 51:51; Hosea 12:14

Footnotes 5

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