Micah 2 · Verse 6

Micah 2:6

Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
Micah 2:6, King James Version

Micah 2:6 in other translations

BSB“Do not preach,” they preach. “Do not preach these things; disgrace will not overtake us.”
WEB“Don’t prophesy!”—they prophesy— “Don’t prophesy about these things. Disgrace won’t overtake us.”
ASVProphesy ye not, thus they prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these: reproaches shall not depart.
YLTYe do not prophesy--they do prophesy, They do not prophesy to these, It doth not remove shame.
DARBYProphesy ye not, they prophesy. If they do not prophesy to these, the ignominy will not depart.
BBELet not words like these be dropped, they say: Shame and the curse will not come to the family of Jacob!
WebsterProphesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.

What does Micah 2:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. Prophesy ye not, say they--namely, the Israelites say to the true prophets, when announcing unwelcome truths. Therefore God judicially abandons them to their own ways: "The prophets, by whose ministry they might have been saved from shame (ignominious captivity), shall not (that is, no longer) prophesy to them" (Is 30:10; Am 2:12; 7:16). Maurer translates the latter clause, "they shall not prophesy of such things" (as in Mi 2:3-5, these being rebellious Israel's words); "let them not prophesy"; "they never cease from insult" (from prophesying insults to us). English Version is supported by the parallelism: wherein the similarity of sound and word implies how exactly God makes their punishment answer to their sin, and takes them at their own word. "Prophesy," literally, "drop" (De 32:2; Eze 21:2).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Prophesy ye not - Do not predict any more evils - we have as many as we can bear. We are utterly ruined - shame and confusion cover our faces. The original is singular, and expressive of sorrow and sobbing. Literally, "Do not cause it to rain; they will cause it to rain; they cannot make it rain sooner than this; confusion shall not depart from us." To rain, often means to preach, to prephesy; Eze 20:46, Eze 21:2; Amo 7:16; Deu 32:2; Job 29:22; Pro 5:3, etc. The last line Bp. Newcome translates, "For he shall not remove from himself reproaches;" and paraphrases, "The true prophet will subject himself to public disgrace by exercising his office."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Micah 2:6-11
Since they say, "Prophesy not," God will take them at their word, and their sin shall be their punishment. Let the physician no longer attend the patient that will not be healed. Those are enemies, not only to God, but to their country, who silence good ministers, and stop the means of grace. What bonds will hold those who have no reverence for God's word? Sinners cannot expect to rest in a land they have polluted. You shall not only be obliged to depart out of this land, but it shall destroy you. Apply this to our state in this present world. There is corruption in the world through lust, and we should keep at a distance from it. It is not our rest: it was designed for our passage, but not for our portion; our inn, but not our home; here we have no continuing city; let us therefore arise and depart, let us seek a continuing city above. Since they will be deceived, let them be deceived. Teachers who recommend self-indulgence by their doctrine and example, best suit such sinners.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Micah 2:6 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.

אַל\־'al-may notH408
תַּטִּ֖פוּta.Ti.fuyou prophesyH5197
יַטִּיפ֑וּןya.ti.Funthey prophesy !H5197
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
יַטִּ֣פוּya.Ti.futhey will prophesyH5197
לָאֵ֔לֶּהla.'E.lehof these [things]H428
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יִסַּ֖גyi.Sagit will be turned backH5253
כְּלִמּֽוֹת\׃ke.li.Motignomini[es]H3639

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

Cross references for Micah 2:6

  • Amos 2:12

    But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.

  • Isaiah 30:10

    Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

  • Acts 5:40

    And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

  • Ezekiel 3:26

    And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.

  • Psalms 74:9

    We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

  • Amos 8:11-13

    Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

  • Amos 7:13

    But prophesy not again any more at Beth–el: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court.

  • Jeremiah 26:8-9

    Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

  • Acts 4:17

    But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

  • Jeremiah 26:20-23

    And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath–jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah: And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt; And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt. And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

  • Acts 5:28

    Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.

  • Micah 6:16

    For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Prophesy ye, etc. or, Prophesy not as they prophesy. Heb.Drop. etc.
Isa 30:10; Jer 26:8,9,20-23; Eze 20:46; 21:2; Am 2:12; 7:13
Ac 4:17; 5:28,40; 7:51; 1Th 2:15,16
they shall not prophesy.
Ps 74:9; Eze 3:26; Am 8:11-13
that they.
Jer 6:14,15; 8:11,12

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

Context

  • Micah 2:5

    Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord.

  • Micah 2:6

    Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.

  • Micah 2:7

    O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

Read all of Micah 2

Micah 2:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
No profeticéis, dicen á los que profetizan; no les profeticen que los ha de comprender vergüenza.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Ne prophétisez point, prophétisent-ils. S’ils ne prophétisent pas à ceux-ci, l’ignominie ne s’éloignera pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871
"Weissaget nicht", weissagen sie Weissagt man nicht jenen so wird die Schmach nicht weichen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ne loquamini loquentes; non stillabit super istos, non comprehendet confusio.