Micah 2 10

Micah 2:10 kjv

Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.

Micah 2:10 nkjv

"Arise and depart, For this is not your rest; Because it is defiled, it shall destroy, Yes, with utter destruction.

Micah 2:10 niv

Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy.

Micah 2:10 esv

Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction.

Micah 2:10 nlt

Up! Begone!
This is no longer your land and home,
for you have filled it with sin
and ruined it completely.

Micah 2 verses

Micah 2 10 Meaning

Micah 2:10 is a divine imperative, a stern warning and judgment upon the unrighteous people of Judah. It commands them to "Arise and depart" from their land because it is no longer their secure dwelling, their promised "rest." This forfeiture of their land and peace is a direct consequence of their defilement of it through injustice, covetousness, oppression, and idolatry. Their actions have corrupted the land itself to such an extent that it will now "destroy" them through a severe and painful calamity, most notably through exile and desolation, overturning their perceived security and ownership.

Micah 2 10 Context

Micah chapter 2 details the specific sins that necessitated God's severe judgment. The prophet confronts powerful individuals in Judah who devise evil plans on their beds (Mic 2:1), covet and seize fields and houses, and oppress the poor and helpless (Mic 2:2). These actions violate the fundamental principles of God's covenant and His law, which demanded justice and care for the vulnerable. Micah reveals that God's judgment will perfectly match their crimes: just as they dispossessed others, they will be dispossessed from their own inheritance (Mic 2:3-5). Their response is to reject the prophetic word (Mic 2:6-7), showing disdain for God's message. In this context, verse 10 functions as a direct divine command and explanation for their impending forced displacement. It highlights that the very land, once a symbol of God's faithful provision and a place of rest, has been so utterly defiled by their wicked actions that it is no longer habitable for them. This directly challenges the contemporary belief that God's presence in Jerusalem or their possession of the land guaranteed perpetual security regardless of their moral and spiritual state.

Micah 2 10 Word analysis

• Arise ye, and depart; (Qûmû ûLekhû - קוּמוּ וּלְכוּ): These are urgent, plural imperatives. "Arise" (קוּמוּ - qûmû) signifies standing up, being active, moving from complacency or comfort. "Depart" (וּלְכוּ - ûLekhû) means to go, to journey away. Combined, they form a command for forced exodus, signifying that their secure settled life is over. It evokes images of previous departures, like the Israelites from Egypt, but here it's an expulsion, not a deliverance into land.
• for this is not your rest: (kî zō't lō' mĕnûḥah lākem - כִּי־זֹאת לֹא מְנוּחָה לָכֶם): "For" (כִּי - kî) introduces the reason for the command. "This" (זֹאת - zō't) refers to their current place and state—the land of Judah, their perceived dwelling. "Your rest" (מְנוּחָה - mĕnûḥah): This Hebrew term implies a permanent, peaceful dwelling place, security, tranquility, and God-given settlement, typically referring to the Promised Land. The negation "not" (לֹא - lō') asserts a complete reversal of their blessed state. Their actions have disqualified the land from being their "rest" in God's eyes, signaling the end of their security.
• because it is polluted, (kî niṭmĕ'â - כִּי נִטְמְאָה): "Because" (כִּי - kî) again explains the cause. "Polluted" (נִטְמְאָה - niṭmĕ'â) comes from the root ṭāmē', meaning to be unclean, defiled, rendered impure. In the Niphal stem (passive voice), it indicates that the land has been made unclean. This spiritual pollution refers to the pervasive moral and cultic transgressions (bloodshed, idolatry, injustice) by its inhabitants, rendering it unfit for God's holy presence or for a righteous people's habitation. The land itself is depicted as responsive to human sin.
• it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. (ḥevel yĕḥabbēl wĕḥevel - חֶבֶל יְחַבֵּל וְחֶבֶל): This phrase conveys extreme, intense devastation. "Destroy" (יְחַבֵּל - yĕḥabbēl) comes from ḥāval, meaning to destroy, corrupt, lay waste. The subject "it" (implied, the polluted land or the consequences of its pollution) brings forth this destruction. The repetition and intensification with "sore destruction" (חֶבֶל - ḥevel which can mean ruin, pain, sorrow, or a rope for measuring/destroying) emphasizes the severity and grievous nature of the calamity. This indicates a painful and complete undoing of their society and possession of the land.

Micah 2 10 Bonus section

The phrase "sore destruction" uses a wordplay (ḥevel yĕḥabbēl). The noun ḥevel (חֶבֶל) can mean a "cord" or "rope" (often used for measuring land, indicating a portion or inheritance), or it can mean "travail" or "birth pangs" (signifying pain/destruction). This double meaning is poignant: the very land (their ḥevel or inheritance) which they polluted will now be the means of their painful ḥevel (destruction or travail), utterly removing them from their portion. This powerful Hebrew literary device highlights the ironic justice and the complete reversal of their fortunes. The expulsion from the land foreshadows the exilic experiences of both Israel (by Assyria) and Judah (by Babylon), a painful uprooting from what they thought was their permanent home. This divine decree underscores that no privilege or inheritance granted by God is absolute if the covenantal obligations tied to it are perpetually ignored.

Micah 2 10 Commentary

Micah 2:10 powerfully encapsulates God's judgment on His people who had corrupted their sacred trust. The divine command to "Arise and depart" is an inescapable consequence for those who clung to a false sense of security in the land while living in blatant rebellion against God's covenant. Their supposed "rest," the very land promised by God, could not endure the weight of their iniquity, particularly the deep-seated injustice against the poor and needy detailed earlier in the chapter. The land was not a neutral stage but an active participant in the covenant; its "pollution" meant it could no longer sustain their dwelling. Their sins transformed the source of their blessing into the instrument of their undoing, resulting in a "sore destruction"—a painful, irreversible displacement through exile. This serves as a timeless principle: blessing and security are contingent upon righteousness and faithfulness to God, not upon inherent possession of a physical place or material comfort. It's a reminder that true rest comes from being rightly aligned with God, not from a physical location.