Micah 2 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Micah 2

Woe to the Oppressors

2:1   Woe to those who devise wickedness
    and work evil on their beds!
  When the morning dawns, they perform it,
    because it is in the power of their hand.
2   They covet fields and seize them,
    and houses, and take them away;
  they oppress a man and his house,
    a man and his inheritance.
3   Therefore thus says the LORD:
  behold, against this family I am devising disaster,¹
    from which you cannot remove your necks,
  and you shall not walk haughtily,
    for it will be a time of disaster.
4   In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you
    and moan bitterly,
  and say, “We are utterly ruined;
    he changes the portion of my people;
  how he removes it from me!
    To an apostate he allots our fields.”
5   Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot
    in the assembly of the LORD.
6   “Do not preach”—thus they preach—
    “one should not preach of such things;
    disgrace will not overtake us.”
7   Should this be said, O house of Jacob?
    Has the LORD grown impatient?²
    Are these his deeds?
  Do not my words do good
    to him who walks uprightly?
8   But lately my people have risen up as an enemy;
  you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly
    with no thought of war.³
9   The women of my people you drive out
    from their delightful houses;
  from their young children you take away
    my splendor forever.
10   Arise and go,
    for this is no place to rest,
  because of uncleanness that destroys
    with a grievous destruction.
11   If a man should go about and utter wind and lies,
    saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”
    he would be the preacher for this people!
12   I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob;
    I will gather the remnant of Israel;
  I will set them together
    like sheep in a fold,
  like a flock in its pasture,
    a noisy multitude of men.
13   He who opens the breach goes up before them;
    they break through and pass the gate,
    going out by it.
  Their king passes on before them,
    the LORD at their head.

Footnotes

[1] 2:3 The same Hebrew word can mean evil or disaster, depending on the context
[2] 2:7 Hebrew Has the spirit of the Lord grown short?
[3] 2:8 Or returning from war

Commentary

v1-2: Some plan sins, reflecting the normal human heart full of iniquity, delighting in evil. It seems the rich and influential are specifically referred to here. We must be careful not to misuse our authority.

Micah names certain sins; we name sins so that there might be repentance. Compare Amos 2.6-8 in relation to the injustices that the leaders perpetrate.

v3: The sins of Judah cause the Lord to devise disaster against her; this is the clear response to their sins. They plan iniquity; He plans disaster.

v4-5: The bitter lamentation. Having shown injustice in the ownership of land, they will experience the loss of that land.

v6: The true prophet is rejected; his message of "disgrace" not palatable. The false prophets oppose his message.

v7: The real message is that the Spirit of God is angry with the people of God.

The message is good in that the people could repent, and enjoy God's blessing. The message is also good to those who walk uprightly, for they have a blessing from God. The Scriptures are a savour of life to life, John 3.21.

Micah refers to the Spirit of the Lord, see also 3.8; He is the Spirit of righteousness, empowering the prophet to declare the message of God.

v8-9: They mistreat others, and deceive them.

v10: The people effectively reject God; and He will reject them, turning them out of their "resting place."

v11: The false prophet and his message is heeded; his promises of personal pleasure accepted.

v12-13: The future regathering of Israel, as a shepherd gathers his sheep. The Lord will be at the head, indicating the restored relationship with Him.