1 Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. 2 They covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away: and they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. 3 Therefore thus says Yahweh: "Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily; for it is an evil time. 4 In that day they will take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, saying, 'We are utterly ruined! My people's possession is divided up. Indeed he takes it from me and assigns our fields to traitors!'" 5 Therefore you will have no one who divides the land by lot in the assembly of Yahweh. 6 "Don't prophesy!" They prophesy. "Don't prophesy about these things. Disgrace won't overtake us." 7 Shall it be said, O house of Jacob: "Is the Spirit of Yahweh angry? Are these his doings? Don't my words do good to him who walks blamelessly?" 8 But lately my people have risen up as an enemy. You strip the robe and clothing from those who pass by without a care, returning from battle. 9 You drive the women of my people out from their pleasant houses; from their young children you take away my blessing forever. 10 Arise, and depart! For this is not your resting place, because of uncleanness that destroys, even with a grievous destruction. 11 If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood lies: "I will prophesy to you of wine and of strong drink;" he would be the prophet of this people. 12 I will surely assemble, Jacob, all of you; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as a flock in the midst of their pasture; they will swarm with people. 13 He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. And their king passes on before them, with Yahweh at their head.
Here the prophet denounces a wo against the plotters of wickedness, the covetous and the oppressor, Micah 2:1, Micah 2:2. God is represented as devising their ruin, Micah 2:3. An Israelite is then introduced as a mourner, personating his people, and lamenting their fate, Micah 2:4. Their total expulsion is now threatened on account of their very numerous offenses, Micah 2:5-10. Great infatuation of the people in favor of those pretenders to Divine inspiration who prophesied to them peace and plenty, Micah 2:11. The chapter concludes with a gracious promise of the restoration of the posterity of Jacob from captivity; possibly alluding to their deliverance from the Chaldean yoke, an event which was about two hundred years in futurity at the delivery of this prophecy, Micah 2:12, Micah 2:13.
INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 2
In this chapter complaint is made of the sins of the people of Israel, and they are threatened with punishment for them. The sins they are charged with are covetousness, oppression, and injustice, which were premeditated, and done deliberately, Micah 2:1; therefore the Lord devised evil against them, they should not escape; and which would bring down their pride, and cause them to take up a lamentation, because they should not enjoy the portion of land that belonged to them, Micah 2:3; they are further charged with opposing the prophets of the Lord, the folly and wickedness of which is exposed, Micah 2:6; and with great inhumanity and barbarity, even to women and children, Micah 2:8; and therefore are ordered to expect and prepare for a removal out of their land, Micah 2:10; and the rather, since they gave encouragement and heed to false prophets, and delighted in them, Micah 2:11; and the chapter is concluded with words of comfort to the remnant among them, and with precious promises of the Messiah, and the blessings of grace by him, Micah 2:12.
(Micah 2:1-5) The sins and desolations of Israel.
(Micah 2:6-11) Their evil practices.
(Micah 2:12, Micah 2:13) A promise of restoration.
Guilt and Punishment of Israel. Its Future Restoration - Micah 2:1-13
After having prophesied generally in ch. 1 of the judgment that would fall upon both kingdoms on account of their apostasy from the living God, Micah proceeds in Micah 2:1-13 to condemn, as the principal sins, the injustice and oppressions on the part of the great (Micah 2:1, Micah 2:2), for which the nation was to be driven away from its inheritance (Micah 2:3-5). He then vindicates this threat, as opposed to the prophecies of the false prophets, who confirmed the nation in its ungodliness by the lies that they told (Micah 2:6-11); and then closes with the brief but definite promise, that the Lord would one day gather together the remnant of His people, and would multiply it greatly, and make it His kingdom (Micah 2:12, Micah 2:13). As this promise applies to all Israel of the twelve tribes, the reproof and threat of punishment are also addressed to the house of Jacob as such (Micah 2:7), and apply to both kingdoms. There are no valid grounds for restricting them to Judah, even though Micah may have had the citizens of that kingdom more particularly in his mind.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.