Micah 2 · Verse 3

Micah 2:3

Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.
Micah 2:3, King James Version

Micah 2:3 in other translations

BSBTherefore this is what the LORD says: “I am planning against this nation a disaster from which you cannot free your necks. Then you will not walk so proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.
WEBTherefore the LORD says: “Behold, I am planning against these people a disaster, from which you will not remove your necks, neither will you walk haughtily, for it is an evil time.
ASVTherefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks, neither shall ye walk haughtily; for it is an evil time.
YLTTherefore, thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am devising against this family evil, From which ye do not remove your necks, Nor walk loftily, for a time of evil it is.
DARBYTherefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye walk haughtily: for it is an evil time.
BBEFor this cause the Lord has said, See, against this family I am purposing an evil from which you will not be able to take your necks away, and you will be weighted down by it; for it is an evil time.
WebsterTherefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

What does Micah 2:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. against this family--against the nation, and especially against those reprobated in Mi 2:1, 2. I devise an evil--a happy antithesis between God's dealings and the Jews' dealings (Mi 2:1). Ye "devise evil" against your fellow countrymen; I devise evil against you. Ye devise it wrongfully, I by righteous retribution in kind. from which ye shall not remove your necks--as ye have done from the law. The yoke I shall impose shall be one which ye cannot shake off. They who will not bend to God's "easy yoke" (Mt 11:29, 30), shall feel His iron yoke. go haughtily--(Compare Note, see on Jr 6:28). Ye shall not walk as now with neck haughtily uplifted, for the yoke shall press down your "neck." this time is evil--rather, "for that time shall be an evil time," namely, the time of the carrying away into captivity (compare Am 5:13; Ep 5:16).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 Against this family (the Israelites) do I devise an evil - You have devised the evil of plundering the upright; I will devise the evil to you of punishment for your conduct; you shall have your necks brought under the yoke of servitude. Tiglath-pileser ruined this kingdom, and transported the people to Assyria, under the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah; and Micah lived to see this catastrophe. See on Mic 2:9 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Micah 2:1-5

Woe to the people that devise evil during the night, and rise early to carry it into execution! It is bad to do mischief on a sudden thought, much worse to do it with design and forethought. It is of great moment to improve and employ hours of retirement and solitude in a proper manner. If covetousness reigns in the heart, compassion is banished; and when the heart is thus engaged, violence and fraud commonly occupy…

Read the full comment on Micah 2:1-5 →

Micah 2:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לָכֵ֗ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
כֹּ֚הkohthusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
הִנְנִ֥יhi.Nihere IH2005
חֹשֵׁ֛בcho.Shev[am] planningH2803
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥הha.mish.pa.Chahthe clanH4940
הַזֹּ֖אתha.Zot<the> thisH2063
רָעָ֑הra.'AhcalamityH7451
אֲ֠שֶׁר'a.SherwhichH834
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
תָמִ֨ישׁוּta.Mi.shuyou will removeH4185
מִשָּׁ֜םmi.Shamfrom thereH8033
צַוְּארֹֽתֵיכֶ֗םtza.ve.ro.tei.Khemnecks yourH6677
וְלֹ֤אve.Lo'and notH3808
תֵֽלְכוּ֙te.le.Khuyou will walkH1980
רוֹמָ֔הro.MahhaughtilyH7317
כִּ֛יkiforH3588
עֵ֥ת'et[will be] a timeH6256
רָעָ֖הra.'AhevilH7451
הִֽיא\׃Hi'itH1931

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Micah 2:3

  • Jeremiah 8:3

    And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Amos 5:13

    Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.

  • Isaiah 2:11-12

    The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

  • Jeremiah 18:11

    Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

  • Amos 9:1-4

    I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them: And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.

  • James 2:13

    For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

  • Isaiah 28:14-18

    Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. …

  • Lamentations 5:5

    Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.

  • Lamentations 2:17

    The Lord hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.

  • Jeremiah 13:15-17

    Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.

  • Amos 2:14-3:2

    Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord. Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, …

  • Isaiah 3:16

    Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
this family.
Jer 8:3; Am 3:1,2
do.
1; Jer 18:11; 34:17; La 2:17; Jas 2:13
from.
Am 2:14-16; 9:1-4; Zep 1:17,18
necks.
Jer 27:12; La 1:14; 5:5; Ro 16:4
go.
Isa 2:11,12; 3:16; 5:19; 28:14-18; Jer 13:15-17; 36:23; 43:2
Da 4:37; 5:20-23
for.
Am 5:13; Eph 5:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Micah 2:2

    And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

  • Micah 2:3

    Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

  • Micah 2:4

    In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.

Read all of Micah 2

Micah 2:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Por tanto, así ha dicho Jehová: He aquí, yo pienso sobre esta familia un mal, del cual no sacaréis vuestros cuellos, ni andaréis erguidos; porque el tiempo será malo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
C’est pourquoi, ainsi dit l’ Éternel: Voici, je médite contre cette famille un mal d’où vous ne pourrez pas retirer vos cous; et vous ne marcherez pas la tête haute, car c’est un temps mauvais.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Darum, so spricht Jehova: Siehe, ich sinne ein Unglück wider dieses Geschlecht, aus dem ihr eure Hälse nicht ziehen und unter welchem ihr nicht hoch einhergehen werdet; denn es ist eine böse Zeit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Idcirco hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce ego cogito super familiam istam malum, unde non auferetis colla vestra, et non ambulabitis superbi: quoniam tempus pessimum est.