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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
3:1-5:15 The Present Injustice and Future Prospect of Just Rule in Jerusalem. The second section focuses on the corrupt leadership in the house of Israel (3:1-12); Jerusalem's restoration among the nations is promised (4:1-7) and accomplished (4:8-5:15).
3:1-12 Present Leaders Denounced. The abuse of power (vv. 1-4) and flagrant misuse of prophetic office (vv. 5-8) is followed by a general indictment of the leadership, followed by the sentence (vv. 9-12).
3:1-4 Judgment against the Heads of Jacob. Micah describes the depraved character of the civil leaders using the gruesome imagery of cannibalism.
3:1-2a Is it not for you to know justice? Delighting in God's law and discerning what is right should be the joy of those given judicial responsibility (Isa. 5:20).
3:2b-3 tear . . . eat . . . flay . . . break . . . chop. The imagery of cannibalism is used to symbolize the destructive violence of the leaders against the oppressed (cf. Ps. 14:4; 27:2; Prov. 30:14; Isa. 9:19-21).
3:4 he will not answer . . . he will hide his face. In just retribution (see notes on 2:3; 2:4), those who would not hear the cries of the people will now find that God will not hear them. God's silence is part of their sentence.
3:5-8 Judgment against the Prophets. Micah rebukes the false prophets (cf. 2:11). Just as civil leaders will receive no answer from the Lord, so erring prophets will receive no vision.
3:5 when they have something to eat (lit., "who bite [Hb. nashak] with their teeth"). The verb in this form generally refers to the deadly bite of a serpent (Gen. 49:17; Num. 21:6); in another form it refers to lending money with interest (Deut. 23:19-20). Peace . . . war. Thus, profit-seeking prophets proclaim that all is well with the world, as long as they receive what they ask for.
3:6-7 darkness (Hb. khashak) to you. The "biting" (Hb. nashak, v. 5) of the false prophets results in "blindness." no answer from God. As with the civil leaders (cf. v. 4), God's silence is part of their sentence.
3:8 But as for me distinguishes Micah and his unpopular message from that of the false prophets. to declare. The true prophet is filled with (i.e., empowered by) the Spirit of the Lord.
3:9-12 Judgment against the Heads of Jacob. This climactic third oracle of judgment adds priests to the previously addressed civil rulers (vv. 1-4) and false prophets (vv. 5-8).
3:9 detest justice. The rulers were meant to know and do justice (cf. vv. 1, 8), but instead they find it abhorrent. make crooked. Leaders who "hate the good and love the evil" (v. 2) continue that pattern with twisted judicial decisions.
3:11 The heads . . . priests . . . prophets (all the main groups of leaders) give desired results in exchange for compensation. lean on the Lord. Profession of faith without justice is lifeless (James 2:14-18). No disaster. There is no basis for their confidence that they will escape that which the Lord has appointed (Mic. 1:12; 2:3).
3:12 This verse is quoted in Jer. 26:16-19. because of you. As the leaders had built Jerusalem with injustice and violent acts (Mic. 3:10), so they are responsible for its "unbuilding." mountain of the house. This sets up a contrast with "mountain of the house of the Lord" (4:1). The temple without the Lord's presence becomes simply a structure on a hill.
