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Selected Verse: Micah 3:9 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Mic 3:9	Strong Concordance	Hear [08085] this, I pray you, ye heads [07218] of the house [01004] of Jacob [03290], and princes [07101] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478], that abhor [08581] judgment [04941], and pervert [06140] all equity [03477].
	King James	Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Hear--resumed from Mic 3:1. Here begins the leading subject of the prophecy: a demonstration of his assertion that he is "full of power by the Spirit of Jehovah" (Mic 3:8).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Hear--resumed from Mic 3:1. Here begins the leading subject of the prophecy: a demonstration of his assertion that he is "full of power by the Spirit of Jehovah" (Mic 3:8).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Hear this, I pray you - The prophet discharges upon them that "judgment" whereof, by the Spirit of God, he was full, and which they "abhorred; judgment" against their perversion of judgment. He rebukes the same classes as before "the heads and judges" Mic 3:1, yet still more sternly. They abhorred judgment, he says, as a thing loathsome and abominable, such as men cannot bear even to look upon; they not only dealt wrongly, but they "perverted, distorted, all equity:" "that so there should not remain even some slight justice in the city" . "All equity;" all of every sort, right, rectitude, uprightness, straight-forwardness, whatever was right by natural conscience or by God's law, they distorted, like the sophists making the worse appear the better cause. Naked violence crushes the individual; perversion of equity destroys the fountain-head of justice. The prophet turns from them in these words, as one who could not bear to look upon their misdeeds, and who would not speak to them; "they pervert;" building; "her heads, her priests, her prophets;" as Elisha, but for the presence of Jehoshaphat, would not look on Jehoram, nor see him Kg2 3:14. He first turns and speaks of them, as one man, as if they were all one in evil;

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Third strophe. - Mic 3:9. "Hear this, I pray, O he heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, who abhor right, and bend all that is straight. Mic 3:10. Building Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Mic 3:11. Their heads, they judge for reward; and their priests, they teach for hire; and their prophets, they divine for money, and lean upon Jehovah, saying, Is not Jehovah among us? evil will not come upon us." With the words "Hear this, I pray," the address returns to its starting-point in Mic 3:1, but only to announce to the leaders of the people the threat of punishment for which the way has been prepared by Mic 3:2-7. To this end their God-forgetting conduct is briefly summed up once more in Mic 3:10, Mic 3:11. The summons to hear is really attached to the end of Mic 3:8. They are to hear the sin of Jacob (Mic 3:9-11); but they are also to hear the punishment for their sin, to which the word "this" points. The civil rulers only are addressed in Mic 3:9, - namely, those who were charged with the administration of justice and of the affairs of the state, but who did the very opposite, who abhorred justice, and made the straight crooked, because they passed sentence for bribes (Mic 3:11). They thereby build Zion with blood, etc., i.e., obtain the means of erecting splendid buildings by cruel extortions, and partly also by actual judicial murders, as Ahab (1 Kings 21 compared with Mic 6:16), and after him Jehoiakim, had done (Jer 22:13-17). The Chaldeans built with blood in a different sense (Hab 2:12). The participle bōneh (building) is also in apposition to râ'shē bēth (heads of the house, etc.), and the singular without the article is to be taken collectively. They do not, however, truly build the city by this, they simply labour for its destruction (Mic 3:12). But before saying this, Micah once more sums up briefly all the sins of the leading ranks. The teaching of the priests for reward refers to the fact that they had to give instruction as to the ritual requirements of the law, and were to do this gratuitously (cf. Lev 10:11; Deu 17:11; Deu 33:10), and that in disputed cases the judges were to pronounce sentence accordingly. At the same time, these men (not the prophets merely, but also the priests and the heads of the nation as the administrators of justice) placed their reliance upon Jehovah, upon the assurance that He was in the midst of them enthroned in His temple at Jerusalem, and that He would protect the city and its inhabitants from misfortune, without ever reflecting that Jehovah as the Holy One demands sanctification of life, and exterminates the sinners out of His people.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Third strophe. - Mic 3:9. "Hear this, I pray, O he heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, who abhor right, and bend all that is straight. Mic 3:10. Building Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Mic 3:11. Their heads, they judge for reward; and their priests, they teach for hire; and their prophets, they divine for money, and lean upon Jehovah, saying, Is not Jehovah among us? evil will not come upon us." With the words "Hear this, I pray," the address returns to its starting-point in Mic 3:1, but only to announce to the leaders of the people the threat of punishment for which the way has been prepared by Mic 3:2-7. To this end their God-forgetting conduct is briefly summed up once more in Mic 3:10, Mic 3:11. The summons to hear is really attached to the end of Mic 3:8. They are to hear the sin of Jacob (Mic 3:9-11); but they are also to hear the punishment for their sin, to which the word "this" points. The civil rulers only are addressed in Mic 3:9, - namely, those who were charged with the administration of justice and of the affairs of the state, but who did the very opposite, who abhorred justice, and made the straight crooked, because they passed sentence for bribes (Mic 3:11). They thereby build Zion with blood, etc., i.e., obtain the means of erecting splendid buildings by cruel extortions, and partly also by actual judicial murders, as Ahab (1 Kings 21 compared with Mic 6:16), and after him Jehoiakim, had done (Jer 22:13-17). The Chaldeans built with blood in a different sense (Hab 2:12). The participle bōneh (building) is also in apposition to râ'shē bēth (heads of the house, etc.), and the singular without the article is to be taken collectively. They do not, however, truly build the city by this, they simply labour for its destruction (Mic 3:12). But before saying this, Micah once more sums up briefly all the sins of the leading ranks. The teaching of the priests for reward refers to the fact that they had to give instruction as to the ritual requirements of the law, and were to do this gratuitously (cf. Lev 10:11; Deu 17:11; Deu 33:10), and that in disputed cases the judges were to pronounce sentence accordingly. At the same time, these men (not the prophets merely, but also the priests and the heads of the nation as the administrators of justice) placed their reliance upon Jehovah, upon the assurance that He was in the midst of them enthroned in His temple at Jerusalem, and that He would protect the city and its inhabitants from misfortune, without ever reflecting that Jehovah as the Holy One demands sanctification of life, and exterminates the sinners out of His people.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Hear this - An appeal similar to that in Mic 3:1.

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⁸ But truly [0199] I am full [04390] of power [03581] by the spirit [07307] of the LORD [03068], and of judgment [04941], and of might [01369], to declare [05046] unto Jacob [03290] his transgression [06588], and to Israel [03478] his sin [02403].

¹ And I said [0559], Hear [08085], I pray you, O heads [07218] of Jacob [03290], and ye princes [07101] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478]; Is it not for you to know [03045] judgment [04941]?

¹⁴ And Elisha [0477] said [0559], As the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] liveth [02416], before [06440] whom I stand [05975], surely, were it not that [03884] I regard [05375] the presence [06440] of Jehoshaphat [03092] the king [04428] of Judah [03063], I would not look [05027] toward thee, nor see [07200] thee.

¹ And I said [0559], Hear [08085], I pray you, O heads [07218] of Jacob [03290], and ye princes [07101] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478]; Is it not for you to know [03045] judgment [04941]?

¹⁰ They shall teach [03384] Jacob [03290] thy judgments [04941], and Israel [03478] thy law [08451]: they shall put [07760] incense [06988] before [0639] thee, and whole burnt sacrifice [03632] upon thine altar [04196].

¹¹ According to the sentence [06310] of the law [08451] which they shall teach [03384] thee, and according to the judgment [04941] which they shall tell [0559] thee, thou shalt do [06213]: thou shalt not decline [05493] from the sentence [01697] which they shall shew [05046] thee, to the right hand [03225], nor to the left [08040].

¹¹ And that ye may teach [03384] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] all the statutes [02706] which the LORD [03068] hath spoken [01696] unto them by the hand [03027] of Moses [04872].

¹² Therefore shall Zion [06726] for your sake [01558] be plowed [02790] as a field [07704], and Jerusalem [03389] shall become heaps [05856], and the mountain [02022] of the house [01004] as the high places [01116] of the forest [03293].

¹² Woe [01945] to him that buildeth [01129] a town [05892] with blood [01818], and stablisheth [03559] a city [07151] by iniquity [05766]!

¹³ Woe [01945] unto him that buildeth [01129] his house [01004] by [03808] unrighteousness [06664], and his chambers [05944] by wrong [04941]; that useth his neighbour's [07453] service [05647] without wages [02600], and giveth [05414] him not for his work [06467];
¹⁴ That saith [0559], I will build [01129] me a wide [04060] house [01004] and large [07304] chambers [05944], and cutteth him out [07167] windows [02474]; and it is cieled [05603] with cedar [0730], and painted [04886] with vermilion [08350].
¹⁵ Shalt thou reign [04427], because thou closest [08474] thyself in cedar [0730]? did not thy father [01] eat [0398] and drink [08354], and do [06213] judgment [04941] and justice [06666], and then it was well [02896] with him?
¹⁶ He judged [01777] the cause [01779] of the poor [06041] and needy [034]; then it was well [02896] with him: was not this to know [01847] me? saith [05002] the LORD [03068].
¹⁷ But thine eyes [05869] and thine heart [03820] are not but for thy covetousness [01215], and for to shed [08210] innocent [05355] blood [01818], and for oppression [06233], and for violence [04835], to do [06213] it.

¹⁶ For the statutes [02708] of Omri [06018] are kept [08104], and all the works [04639] of the house [01004] of Ahab [0256], and ye walk [03212] in their counsels [04156]; that I should make [05414] thee a desolation [08047], and the inhabitants [03427] thereof an hissing [08322]: therefore ye shall bear [05375] the reproach [02781] of my people [05971].

¹¹ The heads [07218] thereof judge [08199] for reward [07810], and the priests [03548] thereof teach [03384] for hire [04242], and the prophets [05030] thereof divine [07080] for money [03701]: yet will they lean [08172] upon the LORD [03068], and say [0559], Is not the LORD [03068] among [07130] us? none evil [07451] can come [0935] upon us.

⁹ Hear [08085] this, I pray you, ye heads [07218] of the house [01004] of Jacob [03290], and princes [07101] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478], that abhor [08581] judgment [04941], and pervert [06140] all equity [03477].
¹⁰ They build up [01129] Zion [06726] with blood [01818], and Jerusalem [03389] with iniquity [05766].
¹¹ The heads [07218] thereof judge [08199] for reward [07810], and the priests [03548] thereof teach [03384] for hire [04242], and the prophets [05030] thereof divine [07080] for money [03701]: yet will they lean [08172] upon the LORD [03068], and say [0559], Is not the LORD [03068] among [07130] us? none evil [07451] can come [0935] upon us.

¹⁰ They build up [01129] Zion [06726] with blood [01818], and Jerusalem [03389] with iniquity [05766].

² Who hate [08130] the good [02896], and love [0157] the evil [07451]; who pluck off [01497] their skin [05785] from off them, and their flesh [07607] from off their bones [06106];
³ Who also eat [0398] the flesh [07607] of my people [05971], and flay [06584] their skin [05785] from off them; and they break [06476] their bones [06106], and chop them in pieces [06566], as for the pot [05518], and as flesh [01320] within [08432] the caldron [07037].
⁴ Then shall they cry [02199] unto the LORD [03068], but he will not hear [06030] them: he will even hide [05641] his face [06440] from them at that time [06256], as they have behaved themselves ill [07489] in their doings [04611].
⁵ Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] concerning the prophets [05030] that make my people [05971] err [08582], that bite [05391] with their teeth [08127], and cry [07121], Peace [07965]; and he that putteth [05414] not into their mouths [06310], they even prepare [06942] war [04421] against him.
⁶ Therefore night [03915] shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision [02377]; and it shall be dark [02821] [02821] unto you, that ye shall not divine [07080]; and the sun [08121] shall go down [0935] over the prophets [05030], and the day [03117] shall be dark [06937] over them.
⁷ Then shall the seers [02374] be ashamed [0954], and the diviners [07080] confounded [02659]: yea, they shall all cover [05844] their lips [08222]; for there is no answer [04617] of God [0430].

¹ And I said [0559], Hear [08085], I pray you, O heads [07218] of Jacob [03290], and ye princes [07101] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478]; Is it not for you to know [03045] judgment [04941]?

¹⁰ They build up [01129] Zion [06726] with blood [01818], and Jerusalem [03389] with iniquity [05766].

¹ And I said [0559], Hear [08085], I pray you, O heads [07218] of Jacob [03290], and ye princes [07101] of the house [01004] of Israel [03478]; Is it not for you to know [03045] judgment [04941]?