Micah 3 9

Micah 3:9 kjv

Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.

Micah 3:9 nkjv

Now hear this, You heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And pervert all equity,

Micah 3:9 niv

Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right;

Micah 3:9 esv

Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight,

Micah 3:9 nlt

Listen to me, you leaders of Israel!
You hate justice and twist all that is right.

Micah 3 verses

Micah 3 9 Meaning

Micah 3:9 is a potent prophetic declaration, directly addressing and indicting the corrupt leaders of ancient Israel and Judah. It exposes their fundamental betrayal of their God-given responsibilities, specifically accusing them of detesting righteous judgment and deliberately distorting all aspects of uprightness and fairness. This verse serves as the preamble to a harsh pronouncement of divine judgment upon these leaders for their grave moral and social failings, highlighting their active opposition to the very principles that should define a covenant nation.

Micah 3 9 Context

Micah 3 falls within the prophetic book of Micah, addressed to Judah during a period of significant social and religious decay (reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah – Micah 1:1). Chapter 3 specifically targets the three classes of Judah's leaders: the rulers/judges (vv. 1-4, 9-11), the prophets (vv. 5-7), and the priests (v. 11). The common thread in Micah's condemnation is their corruption and perversion of justice. Micah 3:9, following the general indictment of rulers in 3:1-4, specifically re-emphasizes and amplifies their core sin – their intentional turning away from God's standards of righteousness. This systemic corruption, where leaders exploited the people rather than serving them justly, ultimately led to the pronouncement of Jerusalem's destruction in verse 12. Historically, this aligns with the time preceding Assyria's invasion of Judah, highlighting a nation internally rotting away, ripe for judgment.

Micah 3 9 Word analysis

• Hear this (שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א, shime‘u-na)

  • שִׁמְעוּ (shime‘u): An imperative verb, "hear ye," signifying a direct, authoritative command, demanding attention and a response from the addressees.
  • נָ֣א (na): An emphatic particle, often translated "now," "please," or "indeed," intensifying the command and adding a sense of urgency and direct appeal.
  • Significance: This opening immediately establishes a confrontational prophetic tone, drawing a line in the sand between the divine message and the targeted audience.

• you heads of the house of Jacob (רָאשֵׁי בֵּית־יַעֲקֹ֖ב, rashei beit-Ya'akov)

  • רָאשֵׁי (rashei): Plural construct of "head" (ראשׁ), referring to chief officials, leaders, or princes. It denotes those at the top, holding authority and responsibility.
  • בֵּית־יַעֲקֹ֖ב (beit-Ya'akov): "House of Jacob," referring to the collective descendants of Jacob, signifying the entire nation of Israel. In Micah's context, though the northern kingdom of Israel had fallen or was about to fall, "Jacob" and "Israel" are often used poetically and comprehensively to refer to all the people of God, focusing on Judah as the remaining visible entity of the covenant nation.
  • Significance: Addresses those at the pinnacle of societal leadership, whose influence and decisions profoundly affected the entire nation.

• and rulers of the house of Israel (קָצִינֵי בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל, qatzinei beit-Yisra'el)

  • קָצִינֵי (qatzinei): Plural construct of "ruler" or "commander" (קצין). This term often refers to civil or military officials, emphasizing their executive power and decision-making roles in daily affairs and administration.
  • בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (beit-Yisra'el): "House of Israel," functionally synonymous with "House of Jacob" in prophetic parallelism, referring to the entire people of God. The parallel phrasing reinforces the comprehensiveness of the indictment, covering all levels of governance.
  • Significance: Reiteration underscores that the corruption permeated both political and social administration throughout the nation, emphasizing that no part of the leadership was exempt from this critique.

• who abhor justice (הַֽמְתַעֲבִ֣ים מִשְׁפָּ֔ט, hamtavim mishpat)

  • הַֽמְתַעֲבִ֣ים (hamtavim): Hiphil participle, "those who cause to be an abomination" or "those who commit abomination," meaning they actively and deeply detest, consider something disgusting or morally repulsive.
  • מִשְׁפָּ֔ט (mishpat): A foundational biblical concept. It refers to "justice," "judgment," "ordinance," or "custom." In the legal and social sense, it means righteous judgment, fairness in legal decisions, and the just exercise of authority, rooted in God's own character and law.
  • Significance: This is not merely neglecting justice but actively treating it as abhorrent. It signifies a profound moral reversal where what is righteous in God's eyes is detested by those who should uphold it, indicating intentional defiance.

• and pervert all equity (וְאֵת֙ כָּל־מִישֹֽׁר עָקֵֽשׁוּ, ve'et kol-mishor 'iqkeshu)

  • וְאֵת֙ (ve'et): "and" followed by the direct object marker, setting up the second clause.
  • כָּל־מִישֹֽׁר (kol-mishor): "all equity" or "all uprightness/straightness." מִישֹֽׁר (mishor) means "straightness," "uprightness," "fairness," "plain," or "level ground." It conveys moral rectitude, impartiality, and social harmony. "All" (כָּל) emphasizes the totality—they corrupt every aspect of fairness.
  • עָקֵֽשׁוּ ('iqkeshu): A Piel verb, "they make crooked," "twist," "distort," or "pervert." It implies active, deliberate action to bend or warp what is inherently straight or right.
  • Significance: While "abhor justice" indicates their attitude, "pervert all equity" describes their deliberate actions. They systematically twist what is inherently straight, dismantling the very fabric of fair and righteous societal conduct. This highlights the pervasive nature of their corruption.

• Words-group analysis: "who abhor justice and pervert all equity"

  • This parallel structure is a common Hebrew poetic device, emphasizing the single, grave accusation against the leaders. "Abhor justice" speaks to their internal disposition—their foundational values are antithetical to God's. "Pervert all equity" speaks to their external actions—their consistent and comprehensive subversion of societal fairness. Together, these phrases paint a damning picture of leadership that not only fails to embody but actively dismantles the divine principles of righteousness and impartial judgment. This constitutes a severe violation of their covenant responsibilities and God's established moral order.

Micah 3 9 Bonus section

The intense language used—"abhor" (Hiphil of ta‘ab) and "pervert" (Piel of ‘aqash)—indicates not a casual error or oversight, but a deep-seated, active, and comprehensive corruption of character and conduct. Such terms were frequently used in the Bible to describe acts against divine law or covenant, often related to idolatry or egregious social sins. The prophetic role was not just to warn of future events but to declare God's moral assessment of the current state of affairs, bringing clarity to the gravity of sin. Micah's bluntness in this verse aligns him with other powerful social justice prophets like Amos and Isaiah, who similarly called out elite hypocrisy and oppression, laying the groundwork for God's impending judgment. The failure of leadership, as depicted here, served as a primary reason for God's withdrawal of protection from His covenant people, paving the way for their subjugation.

Micah 3 9 Commentary

Micah 3:9 is a foundational verse for understanding Micah's condemnation of Israel's and Judah's ruling elite. The prophet wastes no time in a direct, confrontational challenge to those in authority. By identifying them as "heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel," Micah targets the entirety of the political and judicial leadership, encompassing both Judah and symbolically addressing the historical failings of the united monarchy and its successors.

Their core transgression is twofold: they "abhor justice" (mishpat) and "pervert all equity" (mishor). The use of mishpat denotes the proper administration of legal and social rights, aligning with God's established laws and standards of righteousness. For leaders to "abhor" such a fundamental divine principle means their very nature and core values were contrary to God's will. It was not mere negligence but active hatred and disgust for what is right. Simultaneously, "perverting all equity" highlights their active, comprehensive, and intentional distortion of what is upright and fair in society. Mishor speaks to straightness, moral rectitude, and impartial dealing. Their actions systematically made crooked what should have been straight, establishing an oppressive and unfair system.

This verse reveals a society turned upside down. Leaders, who should have been agents of justice and fairness (Rom 13:3-4), had become its chief destroyers, fostering an environment where the vulnerable were exploited (e.g., Amos 5:11-12) and the powerful oppressed without recourse. This profound spiritual and ethical perversion of leadership demanded a proportionate divine response, which Micah proceeds to describe as total destruction in the subsequent verses. Their sin was not simply against man but against God Himself, whose character is revealed in justice and righteousness.