Berean Standard Bible
Micah 7:3
3Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.
Micah 7:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
- New International Version (NIV)Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.
- New King James Version (NKJV)That they may successfully do evil with both hands— The prince asks for gifts, The judge seeks a bribe, And the great man utters his evil desire; So they scheme together.
Context of Micah 7:3
1Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave. 2The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net. Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together. 4The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion. 5Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
Read all of Micah 7Micah 7:3 word by word
עַל־הָרַ֤ע כַּפַּ֙יִם֙ לְהֵיטִ֔יב הַשַּׂ֣ר שֹׁאֵ֔ל וְהַשֹּׁפֵ֖ט בַּשִׁלּ֑וּם וְהַגָּד֗וֹל דֹּבֵ֨ר הַוַּ֥ת נַפְשׁ֛וֹ ה֖וּא וַֽיְעַבְּתֽוּהָ׃Read the interlinear
- ·עַל‛al · uponH5921
- Both handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
- are skilledיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- at evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- the princeשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- and the judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- demandשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- a bribeשִׁלּוּםshillûm shillûm · recompenseH7966
- When the powerfulגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- uttersדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- hisהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- evilהַוָּהhavvâh · desireH1942
- desireנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: appetiteH5315
- they all conspire togetherעָבַת‛âbath · to weaveH5686
Cross-references for Micah 7:3
- Proverbs 4:16For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
- Jeremiah 3:5Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ This you have spoken, but you keep doing all the evil you can.”
- Ezekiel 22:6See how every prince of Israel within you has used his power to shed blood.
- Micah 3:11Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”
- Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
- Jeremiah 8:10Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
- Ezekiel 22:27Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.
- Hosea 4:18When their liquor is gone, they turn to prostitution; their rulers dearly love disgrace.
- Amos 5:12For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.
- Matthew 26:15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
- 1 Kings 21:9In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
- Isaiah 26:21For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
- Luke 12:1In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
- 1 Corinthians 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
Commentaries on Micah 7:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3That they may do evil with both hands - That is, earnestly, greedily, to the uttermost of their power. The Vulgate translates: Malum manuum suarum dicunt bonum; "The evil of their hands they call good." The prince asketh - A bribe, to forward claims in his court. The judge asketh for a reward - That he may decide the cause in favor of him who gives most money, whether the cause be good or evil. This was notoriously the case in our own country before the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3That they may do evil with both hands earnestly - (Literally, upon evil both hands to do well,) that is, “both their hands are upon evil to do it well,” or “earnestly”, as our translation gives the meaning; only the Hebrew expresses more, that evil is their good, and their good or excellence is in evil. Bad men gain a dreadful skill and wisdom in evil, as Satan has; and cleverness in evil is their delight. Jerome: “They call the evil of their hands good.”…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3skilled at evil: That is, they had learned how to do evil very well. the prince and the judge demand a bribe: The law forbade rulers and judges from accepting bribes or turning justice in the wrong direction (Exodus 18:19–22; Deuteronomy 16:18–20). Because of this, Israel’s legal system no longer worked in a fair way.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly--literally, "Their hands are for evil that they may do it well" (that is, cleverly and successfully). the great man, he--emphatic repetition. As for the great man, he no sooner has expressed his bad desire (literally, the "mischief" or "lust of his soul"), than the venal judges are ready to wrest the decision of the case according to his wish. so they wrap it up--The Hebrew is used of intertwining cords…Read the comment
Topics related to Micah 7:3
In the dictionaries
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
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