Mic 2:3-5 | JFB | STEP | 3. against this family-- against the nation, and especially against those reprobated in , . I devise an evil-- a happy antithesis between God's dealings and the Jews' dealings ( ). 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" ( , ), shall feel His iron yoke. go haughtily-- (Compare Note, see on ). 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 ; ).

‏ Micah 2:3-5

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).

4. one take up a parable against you--that is, Some of your foes shall do so, taking in derision from your own mouth your "lamentation," namely, "We be spoiled," &c.

lament with a doleful lamentation--literally, "lament with a lamentation of lamentations." Hebrew, naha, nehi, nihyah, the repetition representing the continuous and monotonous wail.

he hath changed the portion of my people--a charge of injustice against Jehovah. He transfers to other nations the sacred territory assigned as the rightful portion of our people (Mi 1:15).

turning away he hath divided our fields--Turning away from us to the enemy, He hath divided among them our fields. Calvin, as the Margin, explains, "Instead of restoring our territory, He hath divided our fields among our enemies, each of whom henceforward will have an interest in keeping what he hath gotten: so that we are utterly shut out from hope of restoration." Maurer translates as a noun, "He hath divided our fields to a rebel," that is, to the foe who is a rebel against the true God, and a worshipper of idols. So "backsliding," that is, backslider (Jr 49:4). English Version gives a good sense; and is quite tenable in the Hebrew.

5. Therefore--resumed from Mi 2:3. On account of your crimes described in Mi 2:1, 2.

thou--the ideal individual ("me," Mi 2:4), representing the guilty people in whose name he spoke.

none that ... cast a cord by lot--none who shall have any possession measured out.

in the congregation of the Lord--among the people consecrated to Jehovah. By covetousness and violence (Mi 2:2) they had forfeited "the portion of Jehovah's people." This is God's implied answer to their complaint of injustice (Mi 2:4).