Micah 7:2

2 The holy (man) perished from [the] earth, and (a) rightful (man) is not in men; all ambush, either set treason, in blood; a man hunteth his brother to death. (The holy people have perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among the people; all ambush, or set treason, for blood; everyone hunteth his brother, or his kinsman, unto the death.)

Micah 7:2 Meaning and Commentary

Micah 7:2

The good [man] is perished out of the earth
Here the prophet expresses in plain words what he had before delivered in figurative terms. The "good" or "godly" man, as in ( Psalms 12:1 ) ; is one that has received the grace of God, and blessings of grace from him, and lives a godly life and conversation; who has the good work of grace begun in him and is found in the performance of good works, and does his duty both to God and man from godly principles; and particularly is kind and merciful to the poor and needy, and those in distress. The complaint is, that there were few, or scarce any, of this character in the earth, in the land of Israel, where there used to be great numbers of them, but now they were all dead and gone; for this is to be understood, not of the perishing of their graces or comforts, much less of their perishing in their sins, or perishing eternally, but of their corporeal death: and [there is] none upright among men;
that are upright in heart and life; that have right spirits renewed in them, are Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile; and walk uprightly, according to the rule of the divine word, truly honest, faithful men; very few such were to be found, scarce any; see ( Psalms 12:1 ) ( Isaiah 57:1 ) ; they all lie in wait for blood;
for the substance, wealth, and riches of men, which is as their blood and life; is their livelihood, that on which they live; this they wait for an opportunity to get from them, and, when it offers, greedily seize it; and stick not even to shed blood, and take away life, for the sake of gain: they hunt every man his brother with a net;
as men lay nets for fish, and fowl, and beasts, and hunt them till they have got them into them; so these men laid snares, not for strangers only, but for their own brethren, to entangle them in, and cheat and defraud them of their substance; and this they would do, even to the destruction of them, as some ^F19 render it; for the word also signifies "anathema", destruction, as well as a "net". So the Targum.

``betray or deliver his brother to destruction.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Mrx) "ad necem", Tigurine version; "anathema, caedes", Drusius; "ad occasuinem", ibid.

Micah 7:2 In-Context

1 Woe to me, for I am made as he that gathereth in harvest (the) raisins of (the) grapes; there is no cluster for to eat; my soul desired (the) figs ripe before (the) others.

2 The holy (man) perished from [the] earth, and (a) rightful (man) is not in men; all ambush, either set treason, in blood; a man hunteth his brother to death. (The holy people have perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among the people; all ambush, or set treason, for blood; everyone hunteth his brother, or his kinsman, unto the death.)

3 The evil of their hands they say good; the prince asketh, and the doomsman is in yielding; and a great man spake the desire of his soul, and they troubled together it. (They say that the evil of their hands is good; the leader, or the ruler, and the judge, ask for gifts, or bribes; the great man spoke of the evil desire of his heart, and he got it; yea, they all make trouble together.)

4 He that is the best in them, is as a paliurus, that is, a teasel, either a sharp bush; and he that is rightful is as a thorn of hedge. The day of thy beholding, thy visiting cometh, now shall be destroying of them. (He who is the best in them, is like a paliurus, that is, a teasel, or a sharp bush; and he who is upright is like a thorn on a hedge. The day of thy beholding, and of thy punishment, cometh, yea, now shall be their destruction.)

5 Do not ye believe to a friend, and do not ye trust in a duke; from her that sleepeth in thy bosom, keep thou the closings of thy mouth. (Do not ye believe a friend, and do not ye trust in a leader; and keep thou the private, or the secret, words of thy mouth, from her who sleepeth in thy bosom.)