Christian Standard Bible
Micah 3:11
11Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.”
Micah 3:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us.”
Context of Micah 3:11
9Listen to this, leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert everything that is right, 10who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with injustice. Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.” 12Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become ruins, and the temple’s mountain will be a high thicket.
Read all of Micah 3Micah 3:11 word by word
רָאשֶׁ֣יהָ׀ בְּשֹׁ֣חַד יִשְׁפֹּ֗טוּ וְכֹהֲנֶ֙יהָ֙ בִּמְחִ֣יר יוֹר֔וּ וּנְבִיאֶ֖יהָ בְּכֶ֣סֶף יִקְסֹ֑מוּ וְעַל־יְהוָה֙ יִשָּׁעֵ֣נוּ לֵאמֹ֔ר הֲל֤וֹא יְהוָה֙ בְּקִרְבֵּ֔נוּ לֹֽא־תָב֥וֹא עָלֵ֖ינוּ רָעָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- thereof judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- for rewardשֹׁ֫חַדshachad · bribeH7810
- and the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- thereof teachיָרָהyârâh yârâ' · to showH3384
- for hireמְחִירmechîyr · priceH4242
- and the prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- thereof divineקָסַםqâsam · to divineH7080
- for moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- yet will they leanשָׁעַןshâ‛an · to leanH8172
- upon the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
- us? none evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
- can comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for Micah 3:11
- Micah 7:3Both hands are good at accomplishing evil: the official and the judge demand a bribe; when the powerful man communicates his evil desire, they plot it together.
- Numbers 16:15Then Moses became angry and said to the Lord, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”
- 1 Samuel 8:3However, his sons did not walk in his ways — they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.
- 1 Samuel 12:3Here I am. Bring charges against me before the Lord and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Who have I wronged or mistreated? Who gave me a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you.”
- Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love graft and chase after bribes. They do not defend the rights of the fatherless, and the widow’s case never comes before them.
- Ezekiel 22:12People who live in you accept bribes in order to shed blood. You take interest and profit on a loan and brutally extort your neighbors. You have forgotten me. This is the declaration of the Lord God.
- Hosea 4:18When their drinking is over, they turn to promiscuity. Israel’s leaders fervently love disgrace.
- Zephaniah 3:3The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning.
- Jeremiah 6:13For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
- Jeremiah 8:10Therefore, I will give their wives to other men, their fields to new occupants, for from the least to the greatest, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
- Malachi 1:10“I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.
- 1 Timothy 3:3not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.
- 1 Peter 5:2Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly;
- Micah 3:5This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who proclaim peace when they have food to sink their teeth into but declare war against the one who puts nothing in their mouths.
- Isaiah 56:11These dogs have fierce appetites; they never have enough. And they are shepherds who have no discernment; all of them turn to their own way, every last one for his own profit.
- Acts 8:18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
Commentaries on Micah 3:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11The heads thereof judge for reward - This does not apply to the regular law officers, who have their proper salaries for giving up their whole time and attention to the conscientious discharge of the duties of their office; but to those who take a reward, who take Bribes, for the perversion of justice; who will decide in favor of those from whom they get the greatest reward. The prophets - divine for money - These are evidently the false prophets; for…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11The heads thereof judge for reward - Every class was corrupted. One sin, the root of all evil 1 Timothy 6:10, covetousness, entered into all they did. It, not God, was their one end, and so their God. Her heads, the secular authority who Acts 23:3 sat to judge according to the law, judged, contrary to the law, “for rewards.” They sat as the representatives of the Majesty of God, in whose Name they judged, whose righteous Judgment and correcting Providence…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 Zion's walls owe no thanks to those that build them up with blood and iniquity. The sin of man works not the righteousness of God. Even when men do that which in itself is good, but do it for filthy lucre, it becomes abomination both to God and man. Faith rests in the Lord as the soul's foundation: presumption only leans upon the Lord as a prop, and would use him to serve a turn. If men's having the Lord among them will not keep them from…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Is not the LORD among us?: This expression shows the Lord's approval (see Exodus 3:12, 14; 25:8; Micah 2:5; Zechariah 2:11) and his presence among his people. The false prophets wrongly claimed God's presence.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. heads thereof--the princes of Jerusalem. judge for reward--take bribes as judges (Mi 7:3). priests teach for hire--It was their duty to teach the law and to decide controversies gratuitously (Le 10:11; De 17:11; Mal 2:7; compare Jr 6:13; Jude 11). prophets ... divine--that is, false prophets. Is not the Lord among us?--namely in the temple (Is 48:2; Jr 7:4, 8-11).Read the comment
Topics related to Micah 3:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Micah 3
- 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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