Bible Commentaries
Micah 3

Verses 1-8

Micah 3:1-8 . The Unjust Rulers and False Prophets of Judah.— Micah first addresses those whose official duty it is to “ know” justice, i.e. sympathetically, and declares that in fact they love its opposite, and cruelly oppress ( cf. Isaiah 3:15) those they govern. In their (coming) distress, Yahweh will not heed them ( cf. Isaiah 1:15). Micah then turns to the false prophets, whose utterances are dictated by self-interest, and proclaims against them, instead of the well-being they have foretold, the darkness of the “ Day of Yahweh” ( Amos 5:18), when there shall be no response to the diviners, and they shall go mourning. In contrast with them, Micah declares that Yahweh’ s Spirit has given him the inner qualities of independent strength and of justice, which underlie true prophecy, and are seen in the rebuke of sin.

Micah 3:2 . pluck off their skin, etc.: the description is, of course, figurative.

Micah 3:5 . J. M. P. Smith aptly compares the test of disinterestedness applied to prophets by the Didache, 11:3– 6.

Micah 3:7 . cover their lips: a sign of mourning ( cf. Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:22, Leviticus 13:45).

Micah 3:8 . Cf. Micaiah ben Imlah in 1 Kings 22; “ by the Spirit of the Lord” is perhaps a gloss, though a correct one.

Verses 9-12

Micah 3:9-12 . False Confidence issuing in the Destruction of Jerusalem.— Micah again addresses the rulers, who have founded the prosperity of the capital on violence and injustice ( Micah 3:9 f.; cf. Jeremiah 22:13 ff.). The sentence of the judge, the oracle of the priest, the divination of the prophet, are dictated by gain, not God; yet they flatter themselves that all is well, since Yahweh is in their midst (being visibly represented by His dwelling-place, the Temple; cf. Isaiah 1:10 ff., Amos 5:21 ff., Jeremiah 7:4). But Yahweh will lay Jerusalem in ruins, and the Temple-mount shall become a mere wooded hill-top. As Micah began ( Micah 1:5), so here he ends his prophecy on the keynote of the sin of the capital city. For the vivid impression left even a century later by this unprecedented conclusion, see Intro.

Micah 3:12 . high places: “ height” (sing. with LXX).