Bible Commentaries
Micah 2

Verse 1

Mic 2:1. Work evil upon their beds. In the first Psalm David pronounces a blessing on the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates In that law day and night. The phrase cited from this verse gives an indication of the force of David’s statement as to the advantage of meditation. In the hours of night when the activities of life are subsided for the time being, these workers of iniquity were planning some kind of mischief for the next day. Then when the night was over they went forth to carry out their wicked plot. Because it is in the power of their hand. Having thought upon their evil work and figured out the details, these wicked men had only to perform the physical execution of it since the "head work" had been done,

Verse 2

Mic 2:2. Some details of the wicked schemes of these men are stated, A man would be lying in his bed thinking about increasing his possessions. He would think of some field that impressed him as being very desirable, but it might not be for sale so he would plan some way to get it by violence if necessary. There is a notable instance of this kind of wickedness performed by Ahab, recorded in 1Ki 21:1-16.

Verse 3

Mic 2:3. This family means such as the preceding verse describes. The evil the Lord devised against such a family was not something wrong, but it was to be the chastisement imposed through a foreign nation for the purpose of correction. The evil at the end of the verse is the same that is explained above, and it was so sure to come that Israet need not become haughty over it, for their neck® would not be released from it until the Lord’s plan was accomplished.

Verse 4

Mic 2:4. That day means the time when the prediction against Israel would be fulfilled. When that time arrives someone will express the situation with a doleful lamentation. The form of that lamentation is like that predicted by David in Psalms 137.

Verse 5

Mic 2:5. The one who will express such a depressing sentiment will not be popular in the minds of the people. Cord is from a word that means a group of people bound together by eorne common opinion. The meaning is that the man making the above lamentation will not have any group of sympathizers for his gloom in the congregation of the Lord.

Verse 6

Mic 2:6. The people did not like to hear predictions of such unpleasant experiences indicated by this doleful lamentation and they cried for the prophet to stop it. Isaiah bad the same objectors to contend with in his book, Isa 30:10, and they were like certain characters predicted by Paul in 2Ti 4:3-4.

Verse 7

Mic 2:7. This verse is a rebuke to the people for questioning the word of the Lord. Not straitened means the Lord’s word is not cramped or short of the truth, and hence the predictions expressed by the prophet are true, for they are according to divine Inspiration. 1 will caution the reader again not to be confused by the question form of the language. It is the Lord’s manner of making positive declarations through Micah.

Verse 8

Mic 2:8. Of late denotes that the accusation is a consideration of something very recent, showing that Cod was not complaining of something the people had done long ago and that should have been dealt with then or not at all. Robe with the garment. The last word is the article worn next to the body and was a close fitting piece, while the robe was like a mantle or loose piece that was worn over the other as an extra protection. These cruel thieves took both of the articles from their victims even as they were passing by. As men averse from tear. Had these men been in uniform and serving in the enemy’s army It would not have been so had to strip them of their clothing; but they were civilians quietly going about their own business.

Verse 9

Mic 2:9. The outrages against the helpless women was similar to that charged against the hypocrites by Jesus (Mat 23:14). It is one of the traits of men who are greedy of material gain to take advantage of those who cannot protect themselves.

Verse 10

Mic 2:10. Arise and depart is a prediction that they will depart from their home land and be lodged in the land of their exile. This is not your rest. They will not he permitted lo rest or remain in possession of their ill-gotten property. It is polluted. The very place where these gains were made was polluted with the corruptions of idolatry and for that reason the nation was doomed to be overthrown.

Verse 11

Mic 2:11. True prophets were required to make predictions about the false ones or otherwise describe them. In this verse Micah describes the kind of prophet that the people of Israel were willing to accept. Jeremiah 5; Jeremiah 31 also records a description of this conspiracy between the people and the false prophets.

Verse 12

Mic 2:12. The subject, changes and the prediction pertains to the restoration of Israel to the home land. Gather the remnant refers to the comparatively small number of the Jews that survived the ravages of the captivity (Ezr 2:64). Put them together as sheep denotes they will he gathered from their scattered condition and grouped together as a flock In their own fold. .Make a noise refers to the lively expressions that the people will make on being released.

Verse 13

Mic 2:13. Breaker is said with reference to the Lord because he will use his agency (the Persians) to break through the gates of the city to release His people. Their king means Cyrus who will be the instrument in God’s hands for the delivering of Israel.