Micah 3:6 kjv
Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
Micah 3:6 nkjv
"Therefore you shall have night without vision, And you shall have darkness without divination; The sun shall go down on the prophets, And the day shall be dark for them.
Micah 3:6 niv
Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them.
Micah 3:6 esv
Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them;
Micah 3:6 nlt
Now the night will close around you,
cutting off all your visions.
Darkness will cover you,
putting an end to your predictions.
The sun will set for you prophets,
and your day will come to an end.
Micah 3 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Micah 3:6 | "Therefore night shall be to you, without vision..." | Micah 3:6 (Direct) |
| Isaiah 8:20 | "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word..." | Isaiah 8:20 (Contrast) |
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "Then the LORD said to me: “The prophets prophesy falsely in my name..." | Jeremiah 14:14 (False Prophets) |
| Ezekiel 13:6 | "They have seen false visions and practiced lying divination..." | Ezekiel 13:6 (False Prophecies) |
| Amos 5:10 | "They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly." | Amos 5:10 (Rejection of Truth) |
| 1 Kings 22:28 | "And Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.”" | 1 Kings 22:28 (True vs. False) |
| 2 Peter 2:1 | "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you..." | 2 Peter 2:1 (False Teachers) |
| Acts 20:30 | "And from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw the disciples after them." | Acts 20:30 (Deviant Teachings) |
| 1 Timothy 4:1 | "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons..." | 1 Timothy 4:1 (Deceptive Teachings) |
| John 10:10 | "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." | John 10:10 (Contrast with Christ) |
| Matthew 7:15 | "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." | Matthew 7:15 (Warning) |
| Revelation 19:20 | "And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who worked signs on its behalf..." | Revelation 19:20 (Judgment) |
| Jeremiah 6:14 | "They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." | Jeremiah 6:14 (False Peace) |
| Lamentations 2:14 | "Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions..." | Lamentations 2:14 (Similar Theme) |
| Isaiah 29:10 | "For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep..." | Isaiah 29:10 (Spiritual Blindness) |
| Jeremiah 5:31 | "The prophets prophesy lies, and the priests rule at their hand, and my people love to have it so." | Jeremiah 5:31 (Perverted Ministry) |
| Ezekiel 34:2-4 | "“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel... woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves!" | Ezekiel 34:2-4 (Shepherds Rebuke) |
| 2 Kings 3:11 | "But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of him?”" | 2 Kings 3:11 (Seeking True Word) |
| Deuteronomy 18:21-22 | "And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is the word that the LORD has not spoken..." | Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (Testing Prophets) |
| Zephaniah 3:3 | "Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves..." | Zephaniah 3:3 (Corrupt Leadership) |
| Malachi 2:8 | "But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your teaching..." | Malachi 2:8 (Corrupting Priesthood) |
Micah 3 verses
Micah 3 6 Meaning
This verse signifies divine judgment against prophets who mislead God's people by manipulating truth for personal gain, ensuring their pronouncements are met with silence rather than divine guidance.
Micah 3 6 Context
Micah chapter 3 addresses the corruption of leadership in Israel, particularly the religious and political elite. This chapter specifically denounces the prophets who divine for money and preach conditional comfort, twisting God's message for their own benefit. The preceding verses detail their greed, injustice, and reliance on a distorted sense of divine approval. This verse serves as a direct consequence for their misleadership.
Micah 3 6 Word Analysis
- וְהָיָה (vehayah): And it shall be/happen. This connective and future-oriented verb introduces the consequence or outcome of the prophets' actions.
- לָכֶם (lakhem): To you/for you. Plural masculine, indicating the address is to the group of corrupt prophets.
- לַיְלָה (laylah): Night. Literally "night." In biblical prophecy, darkness often symbolizes spiritual ignorance, confusion, lack of divine guidance, or judgment. It represents the absence of clear spiritual illumination and truth.
- בְּלִי (beli): Without, lacking. This preposition signifies the absence of something essential.
- חָזוֹן (hazon): Vision, prophecy. This refers to divine revelation, insight, or a prophetic utterance. The prophets will be deprived of genuine divine visions.
- וּלְבַלּוֹת (uvelalot): And for divination/sorcery, or, and to become obscure/consumed. This word is complex. It can relate to witchcraft, magic, or sorcery (from root 'bl'), which some false prophets employed. Alternatively, it can imply being consumed by something, or a darkening, leading to obscurity. Given the context of "without vision," the latter meaning of obscurity or consumption by their own errors seems plausible, or perhaps a warning against relying on deceptive spiritual means (esorcery) rather than God. It could also be a noun form related to the consuming aspect of a burning darkness or the inability to prophesy truly, like "divination," suggesting they are left to practices that will consume them or be fruitless. The ambiguity might highlight the comprehensive nature of their spiritual impoverishment.
- חֹשֶׁךְ (choshekh): Darkness. Similar to "laylah," this term amplifies the concept of spiritual blindness and the absence of divine light or guidance. It emphasizes a state of being unable to discern God's will or truth.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah): They. Emphatic pronoun, referring back to the prophets previously addressed.
- חֹזִים (chozim): Seers, prophets (active participle). This emphasizes their current self-proclaimed role as visionaries, directly contrasted with the coming inability to see.
- כִּי־ (ki): Because, for. This introduces the reason for the coming darkness and lack of vision.
- מְאָרְצִים (me'artzim): Lie, deceive, distort (verb hiphil from root 'ars', meaning to lie or mislead). This highlights their active role in distorting truth and misleading people. It is often translated as "divine falsely" or "utter false prophecies."
- אֲדֹנָי (Adonai): LORD (Divine name YHWH represented by 'Adonai' for reverence). The Lord is the source of true prophecy and the one who will withdraw it.
- לֹא־ (lo): Not. Absolute negation.
- יַעֲנֵם (ya'enem): Answer them. From the root 'anah' (answer). This implies they will not receive any response from God when they seek guidance.
Words Group Analysis:
- "night... darkness" (laylah... choshekh): This pair strongly emphasizes a complete absence of spiritual light and understanding, leaving them in a state of utter blindness.
- "without vision, and for divination/obscurity" (beli hazon uvelalot): This combination points to the deprivation of genuine divine revelation, coupled with either recourse to deceptive spiritual practices or a complete loss of clarity and prophetic capability.
- "for they prophesy lies" (ki me'artzim): This clause explicitly states the cause of their impending doom – their habitual dishonesty in their prophetic messages.
- "The LORD will not answer them" (Adonai lo ya'enem): This is the ultimate consequence, signifying their complete severance from God's communicative will.
Micah 3 6 Bonus Section
The prophecy of spiritual blindness for false prophets echoes a recurring theme in biblical judgment. When individuals and leaders reject God's clear word and warnings, God can indeed "give them up" to spiritual delusion or deafness. This passage serves as a stern reminder that spiritual authority is a trust from God, which can be forfeited through unfaithfulness. The failure to "speak according to this word" (Isaiah 8:20) is the ultimate disqualification for anyone claiming to represent God. The spiritual poverty described here is not merely the absence of revelation but the forfeiture of the capacity to discern or deliver God's message, leaving them in an ethical and spiritual void.
Micah 3 6 Commentary
Micah delivers a stark prophecy of judgment upon the false prophets. They are characterized as profiting from lies, offering false security ("peace") when judgment was coming. The consequence for their deception is comprehensive: divine silence. They will experience a spiritual night, devoid of true vision or prophecy. The word 'blalot' is significant here. It could refer to their dabbling in sorcery or seeking meaning from unreliable sources, reflecting their general rejection of true divine communication. This spiritual darkness will render them unable to offer any valid guidance. Their actions of prophesying lies for pay (me'artzim) are the direct cause for God's refusal to answer them (lo ya'enem). This illustrates that consistent disregard for divine truth and engagement in manipulative speech leads to an ultimate abandonment by God. This isn't just a personal failing; it impacts their followers, who are left spiritually blind and led astray by those who should have been beacons of truth. True prophetic ministry in Israel was always marked by faithfulness to God's Word and righteous living; these prophets lacked both.