New International Version
Micah 3:11
11Her 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.”
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.
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God’s laws only for a price; you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord. “No harm can come to us,” you say, “for the Lord is here among us.”
Context of Micah 3:11
9Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; 10who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. 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.” 12Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.
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 skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together.
- Numbers 16:15Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”
- 1 Samuel 8:3But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
- 1 Samuel 12:3Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”
- Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.
- Ezekiel 22:12In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
- Hosea 4:18Even when their drinks are gone, they continue their prostitution; their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
- Zephaniah 3:3Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning.
- Jeremiah 6:13“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
- Jeremiah 8:10Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
- Malachi 1:10“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.
- 1 Timothy 3:3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
- 1 Peter 5:2Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;
- Micah 3:5This is what the Lord says: “As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them.
- Isaiah 56:11They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain.
- Acts 8:18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at 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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