Micah 2 9

Micah 2:9 kjv

The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.

Micah 2:9 nkjv

The women of My people you cast out From their pleasant houses; From their children You have taken away My glory forever.

Micah 2:9 niv

You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever.

Micah 2:9 esv

The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses; from their young children you take away my splendor forever.

Micah 2:9 nlt

You have evicted women from their pleasant homes
and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.

Micah 2 verses

Micah 2 9 Meaning

Micah 2:9 indicts the oppressive elite for dispossessing the vulnerable, specifically women and children, of their homes and secure future. This act of injustice is characterized as taking away God’s glory from the children perpetually, indicating that their God-given dignity, heritage, and the blessings of a secure covenant life are unjustly stripped away. It emphasizes the lasting damage done to God’s people and, by extension, to God’s honor, whose glory is diminished when His covenant people suffer such abuse.

Micah 2 9 Context

Micah chapter 2 begins with a "Woe" oracle (vv. 1-5) pronounced against the powerful, wealthy elites who plot evil in their beds and carry it out by dawn. These individuals are described as coveting fields and houses, violently taking them, oppressing both individuals and families. The very next section (vv. 6-11) condemns the false prophets who encourage this sinful behavior, silencing true prophecy and preferring messages of peace and prosperity, regardless of the prevalent injustice. Verse 9 specifically highlights the direct impact of these oppressive practices: the dispossession of innocent and vulnerable members of society—women and children—from their homes and inherent rights. This verse paints a vivid picture of the suffering endured by the common people at the hands of those who disregarded divine law and covenantal responsibilities, instead prioritizing personal gain and comfort. The historical context is 8th century BC Judah, a period characterized by significant social stratification, corruption among leadership, and widespread disregard for God's laws concerning social justice, similar to the situations described by Micah's contemporaries, Isaiah and Amos. There's a clear polemic against the popular belief that outward religious observance was sufficient while systemic injustice flourished; Micah asserts that true worship necessitates righteousness and care for the vulnerable.

Micah 2 9 Word analysis

• The women of my people:

  • Hebrew: נְשׁוֹת עַמִּי (nᵊšōṯ ʿammî). Nashim refers to women/wives, here often implying vulnerable women or women responsible for homes.
  • Significance: By specifying "women of My people," God highlights a deep personal affront. The victims are His own covenant people, not foreigners. Targeting women underscores the depravity of the oppressors, as women were highly dependent on male family members and more vulnerable to economic hardship if dispossessed.

• you drive out:

  • Hebrew: תְּגָרְשׁוּן (təḡāršūn). A strong verb meaning to expel, cast out, divorce, or drive away.
  • Significance: Denotes violent and forcible eviction. This was not a voluntary move but a forced displacement, signifying coercion and lack of legal recourse for the victims. It reflects aggressive dispossession.

• from their pleasant homes:

  • Hebrew: מִבָּתֵּי תַעֲנֻגֶּיהָ (mibbātê ṯa‘ănuggehā). Literally "houses of their delights/pleasures."
  • Significance: These were not merely houses, but places of comfort, security, and familial well-being—places where they experienced "delight" or "enjoyment." To be driven from such places means a complete loss of domestic tranquility and security, often implying homelessness or forced relocation to inferior conditions.

• from their young children:

  • Hebrew: מֵעַל עוֹלָלֶיהָ (mēʿal ‘ôlālêhā). Ollalim refers to infants or very young children, the most helpless members of society.
  • Significance: This emphasizes the extreme cruelty of the oppressors. Not only are the women dispossessed, but the effect of this action extends to the most innocent and defenseless: their children. This act deprives children of their foundational security and proper upbringing, affecting their entire future. It's an attack on the next generation of God's covenant people.

• you take away:

  • Hebrew: תִּקְחוּ (tiqḥû). To seize, capture, take away.
  • Significance: Implies an active, predatory act of theft, not merely a passive result. The oppressors are agents of this taking, reinforcing their culpability.

• my glory:

  • Hebrew: כְּבוֹדִי (kəḇōdî). "My" is a divine possessive. Kavod signifies glory, honor, dignity, weighty significance.
  • Significance: This is a crucial phrase. It doesn't mean they literally take God's intrinsic glory, but rather God's honor as it is manifested through His covenant people. It refers to the well-being, secure inheritance, dignity, and flourishing that God intended for these children within the covenant community. When these fundamental blessings—which reflect God’s faithfulness and provision—are unjustly stripped from the children, it is as if the oppressors are diminishing God's glory in the eyes of His people and the world. It impugns His reputation as protector and provider.

• forever:

  • Hebrew: לְעוֹלָם (lᵊ‘ôlām). Eternally, perpetually, for all time.
  • Significance: This term stresses the devastating, irreversible nature of the injustice. The loss of home, heritage, and "God's glory" is not temporary or recoverable; it has lasting, perhaps generational, consequences. It highlights the profound wickedness of the act, as it permanently damages lives and God’s covenant legacy among His people.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "The women of my people you drive from their pleasant homes; from their young children you take away...": This structure highlights a double indictment. First, the direct harm to the mothers by expelling them from their cherished homes. Second, the consequent harm to the young children, as their "glory" (their rightful inheritance, dignity, and secure future within the covenant community) is taken away because of the displacement of their mothers. The juxtaposition emphasizes the layered impact of the oppressors' greed and violence, moving from physical displacement to spiritual and generational impoverishment. It's a progressive act of harm, targeting the weakest first, and then their offspring.

Micah 2 9 Bonus section

The concept of "my glory" being taken from children can be understood through the lens of God's covenant with Abraham, which included promises of land and countless offspring who would inherit the earth and be a blessing. When children are dispossessed and deprived of their rightful heritage and secure future, it is an attack on the fulfillment of God's covenant promises, thereby affecting His glory manifested in the well-being of His people. The "delightful homes" imply not just physical structures, but also the security and familial sanctity associated with possessing ancestral land as promised by God, thus these forced removals directly contradict Mosaic law concerning inheritance and land tenure, which safeguarded against permanent land loss (Lev 25).

Micah 2 9 Commentary

Micah 2:9 acts as a stark indictment of the wealthy and powerful in Judah who systematically dispossessed the less fortunate. The verse pinpoints their specific atrocities: the violent eviction of women from their secure, comfortable homes and the subsequent permanent theft of the dignity and blessings divinely intended for their vulnerable children. This wasn't merely a social injustice; it was a profound spiritual affront, diminishing God’s own glory that should have been evident in the flourishing and security of His covenant people. By undermining the covenantal promise of inheritance and well-being, the oppressors essentially undermined God's character and honor. The severity is underscored by the vulnerability of the victims—women and young children—and the permanence of the damage signified by "forever," revealing the callous nature of these powerful individuals who sought personal gain at the expense of divine principles and human suffering. This calls believers to fight against social injustices and protect the vulnerable, reflecting God's heart.