The Meaning of Micah 2:8 Explained

Micah 2:8

KJV: Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.

YLT: And yesterday My people for an enemy doth raise himself up, From the outer garment the honourable ornament ye strip off, From the confident passers by, Ye who are turning back from war.

Darby: But of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye strip off the mantle with the garment from them that pass by securely, that are averse from war.

ASV: But of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye strip the robe from off the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.

Discover Micah 2:8

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Micah 2:8?

MEANING: What does Micah 2:8 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Micah 2:8 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Micah 2:8?

What is the context of Micah 2:8?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.

What does Micah 2:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

By failing to warn them of coming judgment for sin, the false prophets were really treating their fellow Israelites as their enemies; they were not doing them a service but a disservice. Micah proceeded to list more sins that the wealthy in Judah were practicing. They had taken the clothing of their fellow Israelites as payment for their debts, something their law forbade (cf. Exodus 22:26-27; Amos 2:8). They also did this to unsuspecting travelers who passed through their land and to soldiers who had recently returned from war.

It is possible that Micah had the false prophets in view here and in the following verses and not just the rich Israelites (cf. Micah 3:5). However, "My people" seems to imply a larger group of Israelites than just the false prophets, probably the numerous wealthy oppressors among the people. They might as well have been the Assyrians or the later Babylonians in spoiling Israel. ^[1]

Waltke noted that in1993 , when he wrote, 35 percent of the wealth of the United States was concentrated in the hands of less than1percent of the people, many of whom functioned as patrons to the supposed representatives of the people. ^[2]

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 2:8 mean?

and Lately My people as an enemy have risen up with the garment the magnificence You pull off from as they pass by those who trust [you] Like men returned from war

וְאֶתְמ֗וּל עַמִּי֙ לְאוֹיֵ֣ב יְקוֹמֵ֔ם מִמּ֣וּל שַׂלְמָ֔ה אֶ֖דֶר תַּפְשִׁט֑וּן מֵעֹבְרִ֣ים בֶּ֔טַח שׁוּבֵ֖י מִלְחָמָֽה

וְאֶתְמ֗וּל	and Lately
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb Root: אֶתְמֹול Sense: yesterday, recently, formerly.
עַמִּי֙	My people
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular Root: עַם Sense: nation, people.
לְאוֹיֵ֣ב	as an enemy
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular Root: אֹיֵב Sense: (Qal) enemy.
יְקוֹמֵ֔ם	have risen up
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: קוּם Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
שַׂלְמָ֔ה	the garment
Parse: Noun, feminine singular Root: שַׂלְמָה Sense: garment, outer garment, wrapper, mantle.
אֶ֖דֶר	the magnificence
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: אֶדֶר Sense: glory, magnificence.
תַּפְשִׁט֑וּן	You pull off
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun Root: פָּשַׁט Sense: to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out.
מֵעֹבְרִ֣ים	from as they pass by
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural Root: עָבַר Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
בֶּ֔טַח	those who trust [you]
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: בֶּטַח Sense: security, safety adv.
שׁוּבֵ֖י	Like men returned from
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural construct Root: שׁוּב Sense: to return, turn back.
מִלְחָמָֽה	war
Parse: Noun, feminine singular Root: מִלְחָמָה Sense: battle, war.

What are the major concepts related to Micah 2:8?

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Similar Scriptures for Micah 2:8

		Psalms 120:6-7 [3]
		Isaiah 9:21 [2]
		2 Samuel 20:19 [2]
		Psalms 55:20 [2]
		2 Chronicles 28:5-8 [2]