Micah 3:1

Micah 3:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• New International Version (NIV)Then I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice,
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?—
• New King James Version (NKJV)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?

Context of Micah 3:1

Then I spoke to the leaders: Listen to me, I said. You are the leaders of Jacob's people, you are the rulers of Israel. You ought to know what is right or wrong. 2But you hate what is good. And you love what is bad. You would like to tear the skin off my people, and pull the meat from their bones. 3You look at my people and you are like butchers. They strip the skin off an animal and they break its bones. Then they cut the meat into pieces and they cook it in a pot. They are happy when they eat the meat.

Micah 3:1 word by word

וָאֹמַ֗ר שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ רָאשֵׁ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּקְצִינֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הֲל֣וֹא לָכֶ֔ם לָדַ֖עַת אֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• I pray you, O headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• and ye princesקָצִיןqâtsîyn · chiefH7101
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• not for you to knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941

Cross-references for Micah 3:1

• Micah 3:9So listen to this, you leaders of Jacob's people. You are Israel's rulers. But you never do what is right and fair. You take what is good. And you make it seem bad.
• Isaiah 1:10Yes, you are like the rulers of Sodom, so listen to the Lord's message! You are no better than the people in Gomorrah! So listen to what our God is saying to you.
• Jeremiah 13:15‘Listen carefully to me. Do not be too proud to listen! The Lord has spoken to you.
• Jeremiah 22:2“King of Judah, descendant of King David, listen to this message from the Lord. Your officers and the people of your palace must listen too.
• Hosea 5:1‘Listen to this, you priests! Listen carefully, you Israelites! Listen, you people of the royal family! You are guilty and you deserve punishment. You have caused trouble for people with your trap at Mizpah. You have caught people in your net at Tabor mountain.
• Amos 4:1Listen to this message, you women who live on the hill in Samaria. You are like fat cows that do not work hard for food. You are like the cows in Bashan. They eat on very good land by the Jordan river. You do not give to weak people what they need. You are not fair to poor people. Then you sit down and you say to your husbands, ‘Bring us more to drink.’
• Deuteronomy 1:13You must choose some wise men who understand what is right. Choose people that you know, from each of your tribes. Then I will give them authority as your leaders.’
• Deuteronomy 16:18Each tribe must choose judges and officers in every town that the Lord gives you. They must judge the people in a way that is fair.
• 2 Chronicles 19:5He chose men to be judges. He put them everywhere in Judah, in each strong city.
• Psalms 14:4Will those evil people never learn? They destroy my people, as if they are eating a meal. They never pray to the Lord.
• Psalms 82:1God calls the powerful rulers to meet in heaven. He sits on his throne to judge them.
• Jeremiah 5:4I thought, ‘These are poor, foolish people. They do not understand what the Lord wants them to do. They do not know his commands.
• 1 Corinthians 6:5I say this so that you will feel ashamed. There is surely a wise person in your group who could decide quarrels between yourselves.

Commentaries on Micah 3:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Hear - 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And I said - God‘s love for us is the great incitement, constrainer, vivifier of His creature‘s love. Micah had just spoken of God‘s 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 God‘s doings; this, God has in store for you hereafter. Even when mercy itself shall require…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The cruelty of the princes, and the falsehood of the prophets. (1-8) Their false security. (9-12) Verses 1-8 Men cannot expect to do ill, and fare well; but to find that done to them which they did to others. How seldom do wholesome truths reach the ears of those in high stations or in authority! Those who deceive others are preparing confusion for their own faces. The prophet had ardent love to God and to the souls of men; deep concern for his glory and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The leaders, expected to understand true judgment and justice (Micah 6:8; Deuteronomy 10:12–13), were morally responsible for Israel's guilt.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-121. princes--magistrates or judges. Is it not for you?--Is it not your special function (Jr 5:4, 5)? judgment--justice. Ye sit in judgment on others; surely then ye ought to know the judgment for injustice which awaits yourselves (Ro 2:1).Read the comment

Topics related to Micah 3:1

• Church
• Government
• Rulers
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Jacob
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Captain
• Divine
• Pluck
• Teach
• Micah (2)
• Ruler

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