Micah 3:5

Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. THUS SAITH THE LORD CONCERNING THE PROPHETS. Here he attacks the false prophets as before he had attacked the "princes." THAT MAKE MY PEOPLE ERR - knowingly mislead my people by not denouncing their sins as incurring judgment. THAT BITE WITH THEIR TEETH, AND CRY, PEACE - i:e., who, so long as they are supplied with food, promise peace and prosperity in their prophecies. AND HE THAT PUTTETH NOT INTO THEIR MOUTHS, THEY EVEN PREPARE WAR AGAINST HIM - whenever they are not supplied with food, they foretell war and calamity. PREPARE WAR - literally sanctify WAR - i:e., proclaim it as a holy judgment of God because they a...

Micah accuses here the Prophets, in the first place, of avarice and of a desire for filthy lucre. But he begins by saying that he spoke by God’s command, and as it were from his mouth, in order that his combination might have more weight and power. _Thus _then _saith Jehovah against the Prophets: _and he calls them the deceivers of the people: but at the same time he points out the source of the evil, that is, why or by what passion they were instigated to deceive, and that was, because the desire of gain had wholly possessed them, so that they made no difference between what was true and what was false, but only sought to please for the sake of gain. And he shows also, on the other hand, that they were so covetous of gain, that they _declared war, _if any one did not feed them. And God repeats again the name of his people: this had escaped my notice lately in observing on the words of M...

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 their salvation, and zeal against sin. The difficulties he met with did not drive him from his work. He had this strength; not from and of himself, but he was full of power by the Spirit of the Lord. Those who act honestly, may act boldly. And those who come to hear the word of God, must be willing to be told of their faults, must take it kindly, and be thankful....

Verse Micah 3:5. _THAT BITE WITH THEIR TEETH_] That eat to the full; that are well provided for, and as long as they are so, prophesy smooth things, and cry, _Peace_! i.e., Ye shall have nothing but peace and prosperity. Whereas the true prophet, "who putteth not into their mouths," who makes no provision for their evil propensities, "they prepare war against him." קדשו עליו מלחמה _kiddeshu alaiu_ _milchamah_, "They _sanctify a war_ against him." They call on all to help them to put down a man who is speaking evil of the _Lord's_ _people_; and predicting the destruction of _his temple_, and _Israel_ _his inheritance_....

THE PROPHETS THAT MAKE MY PEOPLE ERR - Flattering them in their sins and rebellions, promising that they shall go unpunished, that God is not so strict, will not put in force the judgments tie threatens. So Isaiah saith Isaiah 3:12; O my? people, they which lead thee, mislead thee; and (Isaiah 9:16, (Isaiah 9:15 in Hebrew)), the leaders of this people are its misleaders, and they that are led of them are destroyed. And Jeremiah, “The prophets have seen for thee vanity and folly; and they have not discovered thine iniquity to turn away thy captivity, and have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment” L

EXPOSITION VERSE 3:1-5:15 Part II. DENUNCIATION OF THE CRIMES OF THE GRANDEES, FOLLOWED BY A PROMISE OF THE GLORIFICATION OF ZION, THE BIRTH OF MESSIAH, AND THE HIGHEST EXALTATION OF THE PEOPLE. MICAH 3:1 § 1. _Sins of the rulers, and their punishment._ MICAH 3:1 The

THUS SAITH THE LORD, CONCERNING THE PROPHETS THAT MAKE MY PEOPLE ERR,.... The false prophets, as the Targum; and as the description given of them shows; who, instead of directing the people in the right way, as by their office and characters as prophets they should have done, they led them into mistakes about matters of religion and civil government, and out of the way of their duty to God and men, and exposed them to great danger and distress; and this was the more aggravating, as they were the Lord's people by name and profession, whom they caused to err from his ways and worship, which brought his displeasure upon them: THAT BITE WITH THEIR TEETH, AND CRY, PEACE; prophesy smooth things, promise all kind of prosperity and plenty, and bite their lips, and keep in those distresses and calamities which they could not but see coming upon the people; or, while they are prophesying good thi...

THE SECOND PROPHETIC MESSAGE CHAPTER 3 _ 1. Address to the godless princes and judges (Micah 3:1) _ 2. Address to the false prophets (Micah 3:5) 3. The verdict of judgment (Micah 3:9) Micah 3:1. The second prophetic message of Micah contains the great Messianic prophecies. But first the prophet gives a description of the degradation of the nation, the moral corruption of the leaders and judges, as well as the false prophets. It is all summed up in one sentence, “who hate the good, and love the evil.” The princes and judges robbed the people, treated them like cattle ...

THE UNJUST RULERS AND FALSE PROPHETS OF JUDAH. Micah first addresses those whose official duty it is to know justice, _i.e._ sympathetically, and declares that in fact they love its opposite, and cruelly oppress (_cf._ Isaiah 3:15) those they govern. In their (coming) distress, Yahweh will not heed them (_cf._ Isaiah 1:15). Micah then turns to the false prophets, whose utterances are dictated by self-interest, and proclaims against them, instead of the well-being they have foretold, the darkness of the Day of Yahweh (Amos 5:18), when there shall be no response to the diviners, and they shall go mourning. In contrast with them, Micah declares that Yahweh's Spirit has given him the inner qualities of independent strength a

ERR. go astray. BITE WITH THEIR TEETH. Alluding to the idolatrous practices of the heathen round the altars of Baal, biting an olive in their mouths and crying "peace", of which the olive was the symbol (Genesis 8:11). Compare Zechariah 9:7. AND HE, &C.. but against him that putteth not [the olive] into his mouth they declare war. WAR. crusade....