Micah 3:3 kjv
Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
Micah 3:3 nkjv
Who also eat the flesh of My people, Flay their skin from them, Break their bones, And chop them in pieces Like meat for the pot, Like flesh in the caldron."
Micah 3:3 niv
who eat my people's flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?"
Micah 3:3 esv
who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron.
Micah 3:3 nlt
Yes, you eat my people's flesh,
strip off their skin,
and break their bones.
You chop them up
like meat for the cooking pot.
Micah 3 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference ||---|---|---|| Psa 14:4 | Do all the workers of iniquity… eat up my people as they eat bread...? | Oppressive leaders consume God's people. || Prov 30:14 | There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords… to devour the poor... | Ruthless exploitation of the vulnerable. || Isa 1:23 | Your princes are rebellious… every one loves bribes and chases after gifts... | Corrupt leadership receiving bribes. || Isa 3:14-15 | The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients… you have eaten up the vineyard… the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that you beat my people to pieces...? | Leaders exploit and crush the poor. || Isa 5:7 | He looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. | God seeks justice, finds injustice. || Jer 22:17 | But your eyes and your heart are not but for your dishonest gain, and for shedding innocent blood... | Leaders pursuing self-gain and violence. || Ezek 34:2 | ...prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them… Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! | Condemnation of self-serving shepherds. || Ezek 34:3 | You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool… but you do not feed the flock. | Shepherds exploit the flock, neglect duties. || Amos 4:1 | Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are in Mount Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy... | Powerful women in Samaria oppress the poor. || Amos 5:11-12 | Forasmuch therefore as you trample upon the poor… you take bribes, and turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. | Oppression of the poor in legal settings. || Zep 3:3 | Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves... | Leaders as ravenous beasts of prey. || Jer 19:9 | And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters... | Divine judgment including extreme suffering. || Lam 4:10 | The hands of pitiful women have cooked their own children... | Desperate act of consuming children during siege. || Deut 28:53 | And you shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters... | Covenant curse involving cannibalism as ultimate judgment. || Mt 23:25 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. | Religious leaders characterized by inward corruption and greed. || Mt 25:45 | Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ | Judgment on those who neglect the vulnerable. || 1 Tim 6:10 | For the love of money is the root of all evil... | Warning against greed that drives exploitation. || Jas 5:4 | Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cries out against you... | Condemnation of exploiting workers through wage theft. || Tit 1:7 | For a bishop must be blameless… not greedy for money. | Warning for church leaders against avarice. || Isa 58:6-7 | Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness… to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house...? | True righteousness involves practical care for the oppressed. |
Micah 3 verses
Micah 3 3 Meaning
Micah 3:3 depicts the corrupt leaders of Israel and Judah as butchers who cruelly devour and dismember their own people. The graphic imagery serves as a powerful metaphor for their exploitation, oppression, and injustice. They consume the livelihood and very essence of the common people through economic exploitation, judicial perversion, and disregard for their welfare, much like preparing an animal for consumption, leaving nothing whole or sacred. This verse vividly portrays the severe spiritual and social violence perpetrated by those in authority who were meant to shepherd the flock, but instead acted as predators.
Micah 3 3 Context
Micah chapter 3 begins with the prophet directly addressing the "heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel" (Mic 3:1), exposing their profound injustice. These leaders, who supposedly know and administer justice, are charged with actively doing evil (Mic 3:2). The previous chapters highlighted God's lawsuit against Israel and Judah for their spiritual infidelity and social corruption, which was exacerbated by those in power. Chapter 3:3 employs extreme, visceral imagery to articulate the extent of this moral depravity, contrasting it sharply with their supposed role as shepherds and guardians of the people. This metaphor also functions as a stark warning of impending judgment, mirroring the intensity of their crimes. Historically, this refers to a period marked by social unrest, economic disparity, and religious hypocrisy, leading up to the fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and later threatening Judah, Micah's primary focus.
Micah 3 3 Word analysis
- who also eat: Hebrew: וְאָכְלוּ (və’ākhəlū) from the root אָכַל (akal), "to eat." This is not a casual eating but a consuming, devouring action. The metaphor here implies total economic and judicial appropriation, leaving nothing for the victims. It evokes predatory behavior, showing the leaders' greed reducing the people to mere sustenance for their own enrichment.
- the flesh of my people: Hebrew: בְּשַׂר עַמִּי (bəśar ‘ammī). "Flesh" represents the very substance of a person – their vitality, property, and essence. "My people" emphasizes God's ownership and protective love for them, highlighting the outrageous nature of the leaders' actions against those who belong to the Lord. It signifies a profound violation of their identity and dignity.
- and flay their skin from off them: Hebrew: וְעוֹרָם מֵעֲלֵיהֶם הִפְשִׁיטוּ (və‘ōrām mē‘ălêhem hiphšîṭū) from הִפְשִׁיט (hiphshit), "to strip, to flay." This action goes beyond mere eating; it's a brutal removal of protective covering, signifying the stripping away of dignity, possessions, legal rights, and even human identity. It reveals a complete disregard for the well-being and honor of the people, leaving them vulnerable and exposed.
- and they break their bones: Hebrew: וְאֶת עַצְמוֹתֵיהֶם פִּצֵּחוּ (və’et ‘aṣmôṯêhem piṣṣēḥū) from פָּצַח (patsakh), "to break, to crush." This denotes a deep, structural assault. Bones provide support and strength; breaking them signifies the shattering of the people's core institutions, social structures, and very ability to function or resist. It implies total incapacitation and irreversible harm, aiming to extract every last bit of value.
- and chop them in pieces, as for the pot: Hebrew: וּפֵרְטוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּסִּיר (ūp̄êrṭū ka’ăšer bassîr) from פָּרַט (paraṭ), "to cut up, to dismember." This extends the culinary metaphor, showing systematic dismemberment. The phrase "as for the pot" implies a prepared meal, suggesting deliberate, calculated action for consumption rather than spontaneous rage.
- and as flesh within the caldron: Hebrew: וּכְבָשָׂר בְּתוֹךְ קַלָּחַת (ūkhəḇāśār bəṯōḵ kallāḥaṯ). The "caldron" (קַלָּחַת – qallaḥath) emphasizes the cooking process. It signifies that the leaders are not just consuming but are actively processing, dissolving, and assimilating their victims into themselves, leaving no distinct individual parts. The people are not just exploited, but utterly destroyed and incorporated by their oppressors.
Micah 3 3 Bonus section
The graphic imagery of Micah 3:3 echoes ancient Near Eastern treaties and curses where acts of cannibalism are mentioned as ultimate consequences of societal breakdown and divine judgment. By applying this horrifying imagery to the leaders' everyday oppressive practices, Micah intensifies the gravity of their sin, suggesting they are bringing covenant curses upon the nation by their unrighteousness. This verse functions as a powerful anti-shepherd polemic, contrasting God's true shepherd-heart for His people (as seen in Psa 23, Ezek 34) with the predatory behavior of the corrupt leadership. It highlights that the most egregious offenses against God's covenant often manifest as injustice against His people, particularly the vulnerable, making it a critical text for understanding biblical ethics of leadership and social justice.
Micah 3 3 Commentary
Micah 3:3 presents an unparalleled depiction of governmental and spiritual corruption. The imagery of cannibalism is highly shocking and deeply offensive, yet intentionally chosen to convey the profound depravity of the leaders. These metaphors illuminate how the "flesh," "skin," and "bones" of the people represent their very essence, their resources, dignity, and life itself, all systematically dismantled and devoured by those sworn to protect them. This verse isn't suggesting literal cannibalism, but rather an extreme, rapacious form of economic, legal, and social exploitation that reduces people to mere objects to be consumed for the oppressors' gain. It implies a total disregard for the image of God in humanity, reducing humans to mere sustenance, revealing the leaders' insatiable greed and merciless abuse of power. Such practices incur the severest divine judgment, underscoring that true leadership involves sacrificial service, not predatory consumption.