Micah 7:4

Micah 7:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
• New International Version (NIV)The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day God visits you has come, the day your watchmen sound the alarm. Now is the time of your confusion.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be their perplexity.

Context of Micah 7:4

2The godly person [who is faithful and loyal to God] has perished from the earth, And there is no upright person [one with good character and moral integrity] among men. They all lie in wait to shed blood; Each hunts the other with a net. 3Concerning evil, both of their hands pursue it and do it diligently and thoroughly; The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, And a great man speaks the [evil] desire of his soul. So they twist the course of justice between them. The best of them is [injurious] like a briar; The most upright is [prickly] like a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen [that is, the time predicted by the prophets] And your punishment comes; Now shall be their confusion. 5Do not trust in a neighbor [because of the moral corruption in the land]; Do not have confidence in a friend. Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom. 6For the son dishonors the father and treats him contemptuously, The daughter rises up [in hostility] against her mother, The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— A man’s enemies are the men (members) of his own household.

Micah 7:4 word by word

טוֹבָ֣ם כְּחֵ֔דֶק יָשָׁ֖ר מִמְּסוּכָ֑ה י֤וֹם מְצַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ פְּקֻדָּתְךָ֣ בָ֔אָה עַתָּ֥ה תִהְיֶ֖ה מְבוּכָתָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The bestטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• as a brierחֵ֫דֶקchêdeq · briarH2312
• the most uprightיָשָׁרyâshâr · uprightH3477
• than a thorn hedgeמְסוּכָהmesûkâh · hedgeH4534
• the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of thy watchmenצָפָהtsâphâh · to watchH6822
• thy visitationפְּקֻדָּהpeqûddâh · punishmentH6486
• comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• now shall be their perplexityמְבוּכָהmebûkâh · confusionH3998

Cross-references for Micah 7:4

• 2 Samuel 23:6But the wicked and worthless are all to be thrown away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken with the hand;
• Isaiah 55:13Instead of the thorn bush the cypress tree will grow, And instead of the nettle the myrtle tree will grow; And it will be a memorial to the Lord, For an everlasting sign [of His mercy] which will not be cut off.”
• Ezekiel 2:6And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words; though briars and thorns are all around you and you sit among scorpions, neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.
• Hebrews 6:8but if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
• Ezekiel 12:23Therefore tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “I will put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel.” But say to them, “The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision.
• Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come; The days of retribution are at hand; Let Israel know this! The prophet is [considered] a fool; The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented, Because of the abundance of your wickedness and guilt, And because your deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great.
• Amos 8:2And He said, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come for My people Israel. I will spare them no longer [for the nation is ripe for judgment].
• Isaiah 10:3Now what will you do in the day of [God’s] punishment, And in the storm of devastation which will come from far away? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth [for safekeeping]?
• Jeremiah 8:12Were they ashamed because of the extremely disgusting and shamefully vile things they had done? They were not at all ashamed, And they did not know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall; At the time of their punishment they shall be overthrown,” Says the Lord.
• Jeremiah 10:15They are worthless and devoid of promise, a work of delusion and mockery; In their time of [trial and] punishment they will perish [without hope].
• Isaiah 22:5For the Lord God of hosts has a day of panic and of tumult, of trampling, of confusion In the Valley of Vision, A [day of] breaking down walls And a crying [for help] to the mountain.
• Luke 21:25“There will be signs (attesting miracles) in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth [there will be] distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves,

Commentaries on Micah 7:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The best of them is as a brier - They are useless in themselves, and cannot be touched without wounding him that comes in contact with them. He alludes to the thick thorn hedges, still frequent in Palestine. The day of thy watchmen - The day of vengeance, which the prophets have foreseen and proclaimed, is at hand. Now shall be their perplexity; no more wrapping up, all shall be unfolded. In that day every man will wish that he were different from what he…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The best of them is as a brier - The gentlest of them is a thorn, strong, hard, piercing, which letteth nothing unresisting pass by but it taketh from it, “robbing the fleece, and wounding the sheep.” “The most upright”, those who, in comparison of others still worse, seem so, “is sharper than a thorn hedge”, (literally, the upright, them a thorn hedge.) They are not like it only, but worse, and that in all ways; none is specified, and so none excepted…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The day for your watchmen has come: The people of Israel will soon be conquered by the Assyrians. The people of Judah will soon face destruction by the Babylonians. All the people of the earth will soon face God in judgment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. as a brier--or thorn; pricking with injury all who come in contact with them (2Sa 23:6, 7; Is 55:13; Eze 2:6). the day of thy watchmen--the day foretold by thy (true) prophets, as the time of "thy visitation" in wrath [Grotius]. Or, "the day of thy false prophets being punished"; they are specially threatened as being not only blind themselves, but leading others blindfold [Calvin]. now--at the time foretold, "at that time"; the prophet transporting…Read the comment

Topics related to Micah 7:4

• Depravity of Man
• Despondency
• Hedge
• Rulers
• Sin
• Thorn
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Apple
• Brier
• Light
• Mouth
• Net
• Thorn
• Hedge
• Micah (2)
• Thorns, Thistles, Etc.
• Visitation

Commentaries on Micah 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings