And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment? The Second Division (Micah 3:1; Micah 4:1; Micah 5:1) begins with the same summons as the first, "Hear ye." Abruptly, the prophet passes from the glorious promises at the clo... [ Continue Reading ]
Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones; WHO PLUCK OFF THEM SKIN FROM OFF THEM, AND THEIR FLESH - rob their fellow-countrymen of all their substance WHO PLUCK OFF THEM SKIN FROM OFF THEM, AND THEIR FLESH - rob their fello... [ Continue Reading ]
Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. AND THEY BREAK THEIR BONES, AND CHOP THEM IN PIECES, AS FOR THE POT, AND AS FLESH WITHIN THE CALDRON - manifold species of... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings. THEN - at the time of judgment, which Micah takes for granted, so certain is it (cf. , "Behold, against this family do I devise an... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. THUS SAITH THE LORD CONCERNING THE PROPHETS. Here he attacks the false prophets as before he had attacked th... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. THEREFORE NIGHT SHALL BE UNTO YOU, THAT YE SHALL NOT HAVE A VISION; AND IT SHALL BE DARK... [ Continue Reading ]
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God. THEN SHALL THE SEERS BE ASHAMED, AND THE DIVINERS CONFOUNDED; YEA, THEY SHALL ALL COVER THEIR LIPS. The Orientals prided themselves on the moustache and beard (margi... [ Continue Reading ]
But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. BUT TRULY I - in contrast to the false prophets (; ). AM FULL OF POWER BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD - that which "the Spirit of Yahweh" imparts fo... [ Continue Reading ]
Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. HEAR THIS, I PRAY YOU, YE HEADS OF THE HOUSE OF JACOB - resumed from . Here begins the leading subject of the prophecy: a demonstration of his assertion that he... [ Continue Reading ]
They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. THEY - change of person from "ye" (); the third person puts them to a greater distance, as estranged from him. It is literally 'Whosoever builds,' sing. BUILD UP ZION WITH BLOOD - build on it stately mansions with wealth obtained by the... [ Continue Reading ]
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. THE HEADS THEREOF - the princes of Jerusalem. JUDGE FOR REWARD - take bribes a... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. THEREFORE SHALL ZION FOR YOUR SAKE BE PLOWED AS A FIELD, AND JERUSALEM SHALL BECOME HEAPS, AND THE MOUNTAIN OF THE HOUSE AS THE HIGH PLACES OF... [ Continue Reading ]