Micah 2 5

Micah 2:5 kjv

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

Micah 2:5 nkjv

Therefore you will have no one to determine boundaries by lot In the assembly of the LORD.

Micah 2:5 niv

Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.

Micah 2:5 esv

Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the LORD.

Micah 2:5 nlt

Others will set your boundaries then,
and the LORD's people will have no say
in how the land is divided.

Micah 2 verses

Micah 2 5 Meaning

Micah 2:5 pronounces a divine judgment on those who unjustly seize land and property from others. It declares that these oppressors will lose their rightful inheritance within the community of Israel. They will have no part in the casting of lots for land distribution in the legitimate assembly of the Lord, thereby signifying their complete dispossession and exclusion from the divinely appointed tribal inheritances, which were central to the covenant promises made to Israel.

Micah 2 5 Context

Micah 2:5 stands as a pronouncement of judgment within a broader denouncement of social injustice. The preceding verses (Mic 2:1-2) describe the powerful elites of Israel and Judah plotting evil, coveting fields and houses, and violently seizing them through oppressive actions. They defy the Mosaic laws concerning property and social equity. In response, God declares in Micah 2:3 that He is devising a disaster against them, from which they will not escape. Micah 2:4 speaks of their humiliation and loss of their own land, which will be plundered and distributed to others. Verse 5 is the culmination of this judgment, specifying the precise consequence: exclusion from the fundamental right of land inheritance, symbolized by the casting of lots, within the legitimate covenant community, the assembly of the Lord. Historically, this prophecy was delivered during a time when both the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Southern Kingdom (Judah) were marked by widespread social inequality, idolatry, and a departure from covenant loyalty, leading to the Assyrian and later Babylonian exiles.

Micah 2 5 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן, lakhen): This emphatic adverb indicates a direct and inescapable consequence or logical conclusion derived from the actions described in Micah 2:1-2. It establishes the causal link between the oppressors' wicked deeds and God's just recompense.
• you will have no one (לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ מַטִּיל, lo yihyeh lĕkā maṭṭîl): This phrase emphasizes the complete absence of a person to perform the act for them. "Maṭṭîl" is a participle meaning "one who casts or stretches." It signifies a total deprivation of participation. Although "you" here is singular grammatically (lĕkā), the address refers collectively to the powerful oppressors mentioned previously in the plural, emphasizing the personal and collective nature of the judgment.
• to cast the measuring line (חֶבֶל, ḥevel): "Ḥevel" means "rope" or "cord," but in this context, it specifically refers to a measuring line used for delineating land parcels and, by extension, to the "portion" or "inheritance" of land itself. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of land surveys.
• by lot (בּגוֹרָל, baggōrāl): "Gōrāl" signifies "lot," referring to the casting of lots. In ancient Israel, land inheritance was divinely appointed and distributed by casting lots (as seen in Num 26; Josh 14-19). This method symbolized God's sovereign hand in allocating portions to each tribe and family. The judgment here implies they will not partake in this legitimate, divinely sanctioned process.
• in the assembly of the Lord (בִּקְהַל יְהוָה, biqhal Yahweh): The "qahal Yahweh" refers to the covenant community of Israel, gathered for religious and civil purposes, including the solemn distribution of land. It denotes the legitimate, consecrated congregation. To be excluded from casting lots in this assembly means losing one's status, identity, and a share in the national inheritance rooted in God's covenant with Abraham. This exclusion is spiritual and communal, signifying a profound disenfranchisement.

• "no one to cast the measuring line by lot": This entire phrase denotes the irreversible loss of their allocated inheritance and status. The measuring line and lot casting were central to Israel's identity and livelihood. For the oppressive land-grabbers, this means a fitting ironic punishment: their greed for more land leads to the loss of any land by lawful, divine means. It points to total dispossession and lack of security, contrasting sharply with their previous illicit acquisitions.
• "in the assembly of the Lord": This emphasizes that the judgment is not merely about physical land, but about their place and privilege within God's chosen people. It implies social, religious, and political disenfranchisement, as land was tied to identity and participation in the nation's life and worship. Their sin has alienated them from the community in a foundational way, impacting their covenant relationship with God.

Micah 2 5 Bonus section

This verse reflects a deeper theological principle: actions against the covenant community and its divinely established laws have severe spiritual ramifications. The right to an inheritance was fundamental to Israel's identity as God's people. To be stripped of it "in the assembly of the Lord" signifies an exile not just from physical territory but from the very covenant privileges that defined Israel. The "measuring line" imagery also alludes to judgment and division, as seen in other prophetic contexts (e.g., Isa 28:17, Lam 2:8). While the immediate context is about physical land, the principle extends to spiritual inheritance—those who prioritize worldly gain through injustice may find themselves disinherited from God's eternal kingdom (Col 3:5-6; Eph 5:5).

Micah 2 5 Commentary

Micah 2:5 delivers a severe prophetic verdict against the avaricious and oppressive elite of Israel and Judah. For those who disdained the law and violently acquired property, seizing fields and houses from the vulnerable, God declares an inescapable reversal of fortune. They will be utterly disinherited. This means they will not only lose their ill-gotten gains but also their rightful portion—their very claim to the land promised by God to His people. The phrase "no one to cast the measuring line by lot" vividly portrays this disinheritance, as land in Israel was ideally distributed by divine allotment, symbolizing a foundational covenant blessing. Their exclusion "in the assembly of the Lord" underlines the depth of their loss: it's not just economic but spiritual and communal. They lose their standing within the covenant people, denied participation in the most fundamental act of national identity and blessing—the division of the God-given inheritance. This serves as a warning that unjust acquisition leads to permanent loss of one's divinely appointed place and portion.

• Example: Just as covetous rich men sought to expand their land beyond measure, God's judgment shrinks their share to nothing, removing their name from the land rolls in His sight.