Micah 2:11

11 Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like!

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 evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.
10 Up! Begone! This is no longer your land and home, for you have filled it with sin and ruined it completely.
11 Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like!
12 “Someday, O Israel, I will gather you; I will gather the remnant who are left. I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture. Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds!
13 Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile, out through the gates of the enemy cities, back to your own land. Your king will lead you; the LORD himself will guide you.”
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.