The Meaning of Micah 2:10 Explained

Micah 2:10

KJV: Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.

YLT: Rise and go, for this is not the rest, Because of uncleanness it doth corrupt, And corruption is powerful.

Darby: Arise ye, and depart; for this is not the resting-place, because of defilement that bringeth destruction, even a grievous destruction.

ASV: Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your resting-place; because of uncleanness that destroyeth, even with a grievous destruction.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Arise  ye, and depart;  for this [is] not [your] rest:  because it is polluted,  it shall destroy  [you], even with a sore  destruction. 

What does Micah 2:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Sarcastically, Micah told the rich oppressors to rise up and depart from the land (cf. Amos 4:4-5). They were wrong to be at rest in Israel when it had become an unclean place because of the people"s sinfulness (cf. Deuteronomy 12:9; Psalm 95:11). They should leave while they could because painful destruction was coming as punishment (cf. Leviticus 18:24-28).
"Their dirty conduct in illtreating their needy neighbors has rendered them unfit to tread Canaan"s soil any longer." [1]

Context Summary

Micah 2:1-13 - The Harvest Of Greed And Injustice
Micah 1:1-16 dealt with sins against the first table of the law; this deals with those against the second. Evil must sooner or later befall those who devise evil against their neighbors, covet their goods, and oppress their persons. So absolute would be the destruction, that estates would no longer descend from father to son, or be measured by lot, Micah 2:5; and the people would become hard and callous to the prophet's voice, Micah 2:6. Yet through it all God's Spirit would yearn over His people, Micah 2:7-13; His words would still comfort humble souls. But the cruelty of men who despoiled their poor neighbors, not only of their ornaments but of the tunic next their skin, would bring disaster upon the entire nation. The guilty people must prepare to arise and depart, for Canaan could no longer be their home.
But even from captivity God would restore His people, breaking the way through walls of difficulty. Our Breaker is the Lord Jesus who broke the way for us from the prison-house of death. Let us follow Him as He passes on His way to victory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Micah 2

1  Against oppression
4  A lamentation
7  A reproof of injustice and idolatry
12  A promise to restore Jacob

What do the individual words in Micah 2:10 mean?

Arise and depart for not this [is] [your] rest because it is defiled it shall destroy and Yes with destruction utter
ק֣וּמוּ וּלְכ֔וּ כִּ֥י לֹא־ זֹ֖את הַמְּנוּחָ֑ה בַּעֲב֥וּר טָמְאָ֛ה תְּחַבֵּ֖ל וְחֶ֥בֶל נִמְרָֽץ

ק֣וּמוּ  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וּלְכ֔וּ  and  depart 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
זֹ֖את  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הַמְּנוּחָ֑ה  [your]  rest 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְנוּחָה 
Sense: resting place, rest.
בַּעֲב֥וּר  because 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲבוּר  
Sense: for the sake of, on account of, because of, in order to conj.
טָמְאָ֛ה  it  is  defiled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
תְּחַבֵּ֖ל  it  shall  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָבַל 
Sense: to bind.
וְחֶ֥בֶל  and  Yes  with  destruction 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶבֶל 
Sense: a cord, rope, territory, band, company.
נִמְרָֽץ  utter 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מָרַץ  
Sense: to be or make sick.