View Micah 2 in the note window.
The sins of Israel and the judgments hanging over them, ver. 1 - 11.
Gracious promises of comfort, ver. 12, 13.
1: That devise - Contrive and frame mischief.
Evil work - Contrive how to work it. It is in the power - Because
they can; without regarding right or wrong.
2: And his house - His family, which by this means is left to poverty.
And his heritage - And this is done against ancient right and possession,
nay, in a case where God hath forbidden them to sell their heritage.
3: Against this family - God will devise evil against their family,
as they devised evil against the family of their neighbours.
Haughty - You have made others hang the head; so shall you now.
Is evil - Full of miseries on the whole family of Jacob.
4: A parable - A taunting proverb. And lament - Your friends for
you, and you for yourselves. He - God. Portion - Their wealth, plenty,
freedom, joy and honour, into poverty, famine, servitude, grief and
dishonour. How - How dreadfully hath God dealt with Israel; removing
their persons into captivity, and transferring their possession to
their enemies? Turning away - Turning away from us in displeasure.
God hath divided our fields among others.
5: Thou shalt have - None that shall ever return to this land,
to see it allotted by line and given them to possess it.
In the congregation - They shall no more be the congregation of the
Lord, nor their children after them.
6: They shall not prophesy - So God doth in his displeasure grant
their desire. Take shame - That will not take shame to themselves.
7: That art named - You are in name, not in truth, the seed of
Jacob. Straitened - The power, wisdom, and kindness of God is not
less now than formerly. Are these - Are these severe proceedings the
doings your God delighteth in? Do not my words - My words promise all
good, to those that with honest hearts walk in the ways of God.
8: Is risen up - They have risen up, Israel against Judah, and
Judah against Israel, and of late the tribes have conspired against
one another; subjects against their kings, and great ones against the
meaner sort. With the garment - You strip those that fearing no evil,
go about their private affairs.
9: The women - The widows. Of my people - Of Israelites, not
strangers, that were by peculiar provision from God's law, to
be tenderly dealt with, (Ex 22:22).
Cast out - You have turned out of their old habitations.
From their children - You have turned their children out of their
houses, and estates, which were secured by the law of God from any
sale beyond the jubilee; yet you have confiscated them for ever.
My glory - Which was the glory of my bounty to them.
10: Arise ye - Ye inhabitants of Israel, prepare for your
departure out of this land. Your rest - Though it was given this
people for a rest under God's wing; yet it was on condition of
continued obedience. Polluted - With many, and great, and old sins.
Destroy - It shall spue you out.
11: Walking - If a man pretend to have the spirit of prophesy.
Saying - You shall have plenty of days, and may eat, drink, and be merry.
He shall even be the prophet - Such they like and chuse.
12: Them - All the remnant. As the sheep - ln great numbers.
Their fold - Their own fold, where they are safe.
The multitude of men - This was fulfilled in part, when the Jews
returned out of Babylon, but more fully when Christ by his gospel
gathered together in one, all the children of God that were scattered
abroad.
13: The breaker - To break down all opposition. The gate - The door
of escape out of their captivity. No cities so strong, which the
Assyrians shall not take and possess, and enter in through the gates.
The Lord - Even Jehovah, as he was at the head of Israel, when he
brought them out of Egypt.
