Micah 2

Chapter 2 of Micah continues the message of chapter 1. Chapter 1 proclaims judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem and offers a lament over the towns of Judah. Chapter 2 sets out the specific injustices within Judah that are the reason for that judgment.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 pronounce woe on those who devise evil on their beds and carry it out by force when morning comes, and on those who covet and seize the fields and houses of others. The LORD devises disaster against this family. Their fields will be divided and given to others, and none of them will be left to cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the LORD.
• Verses 6–11 depict the people trying to silence prophecy with the words "Prophesy ye not." The prophet replies that the LORD's words do good to those who walk uprightly. He then condemns those who strip the robes from people passing by in peace and drive women and young children from their homes. He remarks pointedly that a liar who promises wine and strong drink would be just the prophet for this people.
• Verses 12–13 contain the LORD's promise to gather the company of Jacob and the remnant of Israel like the sheep of Bozrah. The one who breaks open the way and their king go before them, with the LORD at their head.

Key Verses

• Micah 2:2 "And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away" — shows that the economic injustice of seizing land and houses lies at the center of Micah's indictment.
• Micah 2:6 "Prophesy ye not" — reveals the conflict between the people, who want to suppress an unwelcome word, and the prophet.
• Micah 2:12 "I will surely gather the remnant of Israel" — speaks of restoration after judgment in terms of the remnant theme.

People and Places

• Micah: The prophet who delivers this message. According to Micah 1:1, he was a Morasthite.
• The house of Jacob: Used as a name for the people of God as a whole.
• Bozrah: Mentioned as a place known for its flocks. Some interpreters identify it as a city of Edom, while others read the same Hebrew word as "sheepfold."

Points for Reflection

• The lot and the cord (measuring line) in verse 5 recall the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes in Joshua. Underlying this indictment is the understanding that the land was an inheritance God had given to each family.
• Verses 12–13 are usually read as a promise of restoration. Some scholars, however, regard this passage as a quotation of the optimistic message of the false prophets mentioned earlier.
• Interpretations differ over the identity of "the breaker" (the one who opens the way) in verse 13. Proposed readings include the LORD himself, a Davidic king, and the Messiah. Christian interpretation sometimes connects the image of one who gathers the flock and goes before it with the Good Shepherd (John 10:4).