the Third Week after Easter
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Good News Translation
Micah 3:1
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Then I said, “Now listen, leaders of Jacob,
I said, "Please listen, you heads of Ya`akov, And rulers of the house of Yisra'el: Isn't it for you to know justice?
And I said, Heare, I pray you, O heads of Iacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know iudgement?
And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?
And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?—
And I said, "Hear now, you leaders of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?
Then I said, "Listen, leaders of the people of Jacob; listen, you rulers of the nation of Israel. You should know how to decide cases fairly,
And I said, "Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know and administer justice?
And I sayd, Heare, I pray you, O heads of Iaakob, and yee princes of the house of Israel: should not ye knowe iudgement?
And I said, "Hear now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to know justice?
And I said,"Hear now, heads of JacobAnd rulers of the house of Israel.Is it not for you to know justice?
Then I said: "Hear now, O leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice?
Listen to me, you rulers of Israel! You know right from wrong,
"I said, ‘Please listen, leaders of Ya‘akov, rulers of the house of Isra'el: Shouldn't you know what justice is?
And I said, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know judgment?
Then I said, "Listen, leaders of Jacob and officers of the nation of Israel! You should know what justice is.
THEN the LORD said, Hear these things, O you chiefs of the house of Jacob and you princes of the house of Israel: Is it not meet for you to know justice?
And I said, "Listen, O heads of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?
And I said, Heads of Jacob and magistrates of the house of Israel, please hear. Is it not for you to know justice?
And I said, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know justice?
And I said, Give ear, now, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel: is it not for you to have knowledge of what is right?
And I said: Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know justice?
And I saide, heare I pray you O heads of Iacob, & ye princes of the house of Israel, shoulde not ye know iudgement?
And he shall say, Hear now these words, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and ye remnant of the house of Israel; is it not for you to know judgment?
And I said, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know judgment?
I said, "Please listen, you heads of Jacob, And rulers of the house of Israel: Isn't it for you to know justice?
And Y seide, Ye princis of Jacob, and duykis of the hous of Israel, here. Whether it be not youre for to knowe doom, whiche haten good,
And I said, Hear, I pray you, you heads of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know justice?
And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel: [Is it] not for you to know judgment?
I said, "Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the nation of Israel! You ought to know what is just,
And I said: "Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?
I said, "Listen, you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong,
And I said, "Hear now, leaders of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel! Should you not know what is fair?
And I said: Listen, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Should you not know justice?—
Then said I, Hear, I pray you, ye heads of Jacob, and ye judges of the house of Israel, - Is it not yours to know justice?
And I said: Hear, O ye princes of Jacob, and ye chiefs of the house of Israel: Is it not your part to know judgment,
And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice? --
And I say, `Hear, I pray you, heads of Jacob, And ye judges of the house of Israel, Is it not for you to know the judgment?
Heare, o ye heades of the house of Iacob, and ye leders of the house of Israel: Shulde not ye knowe, what were laufull and right?
Then I said: "Listen, leaders of Jacob, leaders of Israel: Don't you know anything of justice? Haters of good, lovers of evil: Isn't justice in your job description? But you skin my people alive. You rip the meat off their bones. You break up the bones, chop the meat, and throw it in a pot for cannibal stew."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Cir, am 3294, bc 710
Hear: Micah 3:9, Micah 3:10, Isaiah 1:10, Jeremiah 13:15-18, Jeremiah 22:2, Jeremiah 22:3, Hosea 5:1, Amos 4:1
Is it: Deuteronomy 1:13-17, Deuteronomy 16:18, 2 Chronicles 19:5-10, Psalms 14:4, Psalms 82:1-5, Jeremiah 5:4, Jeremiah 5:5, 1 Corinthians 6:5
Reciprocal: Exodus 23:6 - General Deuteronomy 1:17 - ye shall hear Deuteronomy 25:1 - General 1 Kings 21:19 - Hast thou killed 2 Chronicles 36:14 - all the chief Nehemiah 13:17 - I contended Psalms 58:2 - in heart Psalms 82:2 - judge Psalms 82:5 - know not Psalms 101:8 - early Proverbs 29:7 - but Proverbs 30:14 - to devour Ecclesiastes 5:8 - regardeth Isaiah 1:23 - princes Isaiah 3:5 - the people Isaiah 10:1 - them Isaiah 29:10 - rulers Isaiah 32:6 - empty Isaiah 59:6 - their works Jeremiah 6:7 - violence Jeremiah 7:2 - Hear Jeremiah 17:20 - General Jeremiah 21:11 - General Jeremiah 32:32 - they Jeremiah 38:4 - the princes Ezekiel 9:9 - perverseness Ezekiel 22:6 - the princes Ezekiel 34:2 - Woe Ezekiel 34:3 - ye kill Ezekiel 45:8 - and my princes Ezekiel 46:18 - thrust Hosea 12:7 - he loveth Joel 1:2 - Hear Amos 3:1 - Hear Amos 5:11 - treading Micah 6:12 - the rich Habakkuk 1:4 - for Zephaniah 3:3 - princes Zechariah 7:10 - oppress Zechariah 11:5 - possessors Mark 12:40 - devour Luke 13:32 - that fox Luke 18:2 - which Romans 13:4 - he is
Cross-References
The Lord God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it."
I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel."
If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him.
On that day the Lord will use his powerful and deadly sword to punish Leviathan, that wriggling, twisting dragon, and to kill the monster that lives in the sea.
Then the Devil came to him and said, "If you are God's Son, order these stones to turn into bread."
and said to him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down, for the scripture says, ‘God will give orders to his angels about you; they will hold you up with their hands, so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.'"
"All this I will give you," the Devil said, "if you kneel down and worship me."
"Listen! I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as cautious as snakes and as gentle as doves.
Well, no wonder! Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light!
In the same way you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are more delicate than you. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God's gift of life. Do this so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And I said, hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel,.... This seems to be a new sermon or discourse, delivered at another time and to another people than the preceding for, as that chiefly concerns the ten tribes, this the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and was spoken to them in the times of Hezekiah, as appears from Jeremiah 26:18; for though Jacob and Israel generally design the ten tribes, yet here the other two, as is manifest from the above cited place, and also from Micah 3:9; and not only heads of families, but such as were the highest posts under the government, the sanhedrim of the nation, judges, rulers, and nobles, are here addressed; and who had a great share in national guilt, being ringleaders in sin, who ought to have set good examples to others; and these are not to be spared because of their grandeur and dignity, but to faithfully reproved for their vices, and which they should diligently attend unto; though they are to be addressed in a respectful and honourable manner, and be entreated to hearken to the word of the Lord by his prophet; all which was carefully observed by Micah; and it was with pleasure he could reflect upon his plain, faithful, and affectionate reproof of those great men:
[is it] not for you to know judgment? what is just and right to be done by men, and what sentence is to be passed in courts of judicature, in cases brought before them and not only to know, in a speculative way, what is equitable, but to practise it themselves, and see that it is done by others; and when they duly considered this, they would be able to see and own that what the prophet from the Lord would now charge them with, or denounce upon them, was according to truth and justice.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And I said - Godâs love for us is the great incitement, constrainer, vivifier of His creatureâs love. Micah had just spoken of Godâs love of Israel; how He would gather them into one fold under One Shepherd, guard them, lead them, remove all difficulties before them, be Himself their Head and enable them to follow Him. He turns then to them. These are Godâs doings; this, God has in store for you hereafter. Even when mercy itself shall require chastisement, He doth not cast off forever. The desolation is but the forerunner of future mercy. What then do ye? The prophet appeals to them, class by class. There was one general corruption of every order of men, through whom Judah could be preserved, princes Micah 3:1-4, prophets Micah 3:5-7, priests Micah 3:11. The salt had lost its savor; wherewith could it be seasoned? whereby could the decaying mass of the people be kept from entire corruption?
Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel - He arraigns them by the same name, under which He had first promised mercy. He had first promised mercy to all Jacob and the remnant of Israel. So now he upraids the âheads of Jacob, and the princes of the house of Israel,â lest they should deceive themselves. At the same time he recalls them to the deeds of their father. Judah had succeeded to the birthright, forfeited by Reuben, Simeon and Levi; and in Judah all the promises of the Messiah were laid up. But he was not like the three great patriarchs, the father of the faithful (Abraham), or the meek Isaac, or the much-tried Jacob. The name then had not the reminiscences, or force of appeal, contained in the titles, seed of Abraham, or Isaac, or Israel.
Is it not for you to know judgment? - It is a great increase of guilt, when persons neglect or pervert what it is their special duty and office to guard; as when teachers corrupt doctrine, or preachers give in to a low standard of morals, or judges pervert judgment. The âprincesâ here spoken or are so named from judging, âdecidingâ causes. They are the same its the ârulers,â whom Isaiah at the same time upbraids, as being, from their sins, rulers of Sodom , whose hands were full of blood Isaiah 1:15. They who do not right, in time cease, in great measure, to know it. As God withdraws His grace, the mind is darkened and can no longer see it. So it is said of Eliâs sons, they were sons of Belial, they knew not the Lord 1 Samuel 2:12; and, Into a malicious soul Wisdom shall not enter, nor dwell in a body that is subject unto sin (Wisd. 1:4). Such , âattain not to know the judgments of God which are a great deep: and the depth of His justice the evil mind findeth not.â But if men will not âknow judgmentâ by doing it, they shall by suffering it.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER III
In this chapter the prophet inveighs with great boldness and
spirit against the princes and prophets of Judah; and foretells
the destruction of Jerusalem as the consequence of their
iniquity, 1-12.
The last verse was fulfilled to a certain extent by
Nebuchadnezzar; but most fully and literally by the Romans
under Titus. See Josephus.
NOTES ON CHAP. III
Verse Micah 3:1. Hear - O heads of Jacob — The metaphor of the flock is still carried on. The chiefs of Jacob, and the princes of Israel, instead of taking care of the flocks, defending them, and finding them pasture, oppressed them in various ways. They are like wolves, who tear the skin of the sheep, and the flesh off their bones. This applies to all unjust and oppressive rulers.
Suetonius tells us, in his Life of Tiberius, that when the governors of provinces wrote to the emperor, entreating him to increase the tributes, he wrote back: "It is the property of a good shepherd to shear his sheep, not to skin them." Praesidibus onerandas tributo provincias suadentibus rescripsit: BONI PASTORIS esse TONDERE pecus, non DEGLUBERE. This is a maxim which many rulers of the earth do not seem to understand.
