1.
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?
Hear. This is no indication of Structure. It is a continuation of the threatening against the rulers (Micah 3:1-4 , p. 1253, corresponding with "-3", Micah 3:9-12 , below).
princes = judges.
2.
Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
3.
Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
chop them in pieces, as for the pot = spread them out, as flesh for the pot.
4.
Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
hear = answer.
hide His face. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 31:17 ; Deuteronomy 32:20 ). App-92 . Compare Isaiah 59:1-15 .Jeremiah 33:5 .
5.
Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
err = go astray.
bite with their teeth. Alluding to the idolatrous practices of the heathen round the altars of Baal, biting an olive in their mouths and crying "peace", of which the olive was the symbol (Genesis 8:11 ). Compare Zechariah 9:7 .
and he, &c. = but against him that putteth not [the olive] into his mouth they declare war.
war = crusade.
6.
Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
that ye shall not divine. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 18:10 , Deuteronomy 18:14 .Numbers 22:7 ; Numbers 23:23 ). App-92 .
7.
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
8.
But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
9.
Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
10.
They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
iniquity = deceit. Hebrew. 'aval. App-44 . Not the same word as in Micah 2:1 .
11.
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
judge for reward, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 23:8 . Deuteronomy 10:17 ; Deuteronomy 16:19 ; Deuteronomy 27:25 . The same word in all these passages). App-92 .
12.
Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.
Zion. See App-68 .
be plowed as a field. This is true of the site on Ophel, but not true of the traditional site south-west of Jerusalem. See App-68 . Compare Micah 1:6 . Jeremiah 26:18 .
Jerusalem. The city proper, on Mount Moriah.
heaps = ruins. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia ( App-6 ). Hebrew. yirushalaim 'iyyin. Compare Micah 1:6 .
the mountain of the house. Moriah and the Temple. See App-68 .
the high places of the forest. = a height of a jungle.