Micah 2:11
in Micah 2If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.
KJV
If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.
⋯
This verse in Micah 2
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Verse 11, 12.) I wish I were not a man with a spirit, and I spoke lies instead. I will pour for you into wine and into drunkenness, and this people on whom it is poured will be overcome. I will gather Jacob together, I will gather all of you: I will bring the remnants of Israel together. And in this chapter, the Septuagint interpreters differ greatly from Hebrew. Therefore, let us first explain according to what has been handed down to us by the Hebrews, and then, if the Lord wills, we will discuss their translations.
This site's exposition
If a man of wind
A prophet of wind and lies would be welcomed as this people's prophet of choice. The commentators read wine and strong drink as a stand-in for an easy message, prosperity promised without repentance demanded. The verse indicts not only the false prophet but the appetite that prefers him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
St. Paul wished that he could be accursed if the people of Israel be saved to God's glory. The man who knows that death is not the end is confident in his readiness to die for Christ. Again, "We rejoice when we are weak, but you are strong." It is no wonder if St. Paul, for the glory of Christ and the conversion of his brother Jews and of the Gentiles, should be ready to be accursed of Christ. Even the prophet Micah wanted to be a liar and to lose the inspiration of the Holy Spirit if the Jews could escape the punishment and the destruction which he had prophesied: "Would that I were not man that had the Spirit, and that I rather spoke a lie." And there was the case of the lawgiver, Moses, who did not refuse to perish with his brothers who were doomed to die but said, "I beseech you, O Lord, this people have sinned a heinous sin; either forgive them this trespass, or, if you do not, blot me out of the book which you have written."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Oppressing God's poor is another sin they are charged with, as before (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie,....
Note, It is not strange if people that are vicious and debauched covet to have ministers that are altogether such as themselves, for they are willing to believe God is so too, Ps. l. But how are sacred things profaned when they are prostituted to such base purposes, when prophecy itself shall be pressed into the services of a lewd and profane crew!
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood - Literally, “in spirit” (not My Spirit) “and falsehood,” that is, in a lying spirit; such as they, whose woe Ezekiel pronounces Eze 13:3, “Woe unto the foolish prophets who walk after their own spirit and what they have not seen Eze 13:2, Eze 13:17; prophets out of their own hearts, who prophesied a vision of falsehood, and a destruction and nothingness; prophesied falsehood; yea, prophets of the deceit of their hearts.” These, like the true prophets, “walked in spirit;” as Isaiah speaks of “walking in righteousness” Isa 33:
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood - The meaning is: If a man who professes to be Divinely inspired do lie, by prophesying of plenty, etc., then such a person shall be received as a true prophet by this people. It not unfrequently happens that the Christless worldling, who has got into the priest’s office for a maintenance, and who leaves the people undisturbed in their unregenerate state, is better received than the faithful pastor, who proclaims the justice of the Lord, and the necessity of repentance and forsaking sin, in order to their being made partakers of that holiness without which no man shall see God.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
If a man walking in wind —If they (the people) would find a man walking in wind, a false man prophesying to them that they become drunk with wine and strong drink, he would be an acceptable prophet to this people.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Arise and go, for this is not the tranquility —Arise and go into exile from the land, for it was not in this manner that I gave it to you for tranquility.
I will surely assemble —Days will yet come when I will assemble you.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לוּ־ | lu- | if | H3863 → | |
| אִ֞ישׁ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הֹלֵ֥ךְ | holekh | walking of | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| ר֙וּחַ֙ | ruach | wind | H7307 → | 378 times |
| וָשֶׁ֣קֶר | vasheker | and falsehood | H8267 → | |
| כִּזֵּ֔ב | kizev | he told a lie | H3576 → | |
| אַטִּ֣ף | ʾatif | I will prophesy | H5197 → | 18 times |
| לְךָ֔ | lekha | for you | ||
| לַיַּ֖יִן | laiyayin | of <the> wine | H3196 → | |
| וְלַשֵּׁכָ֑ר | velashekhar | and of <the> strong drink | H7941 → | |
| וְהָיָ֥ה | vehayah | and he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מַטִּ֖יף | matif | [the] prophesier of | H5197 → | 18 times |
| הָעָ֥ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → |
לוּ־if
lu-H3863 →
אִ֞ישׁanyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
הֹלֵ֥ךְwalking of
holekhH1980 →1546 times
ר֙וּחַ֙wind
ruachH7307 →378 times
וָשֶׁ֣קֶרand falsehood
vashekerH8267 →
כִּזֵּ֔בhe told a lie
kizevH3576 →
אַטִּ֣ףI will prophesy
ʾatifH5197 →18 times
לְךָ֔for you
lekha
לַיַּ֖יִןof <the> wine
laiyayinH3196 →
וְלַשֵּׁכָ֑רand of <the> strong drink
velashekharH7941 →
וְהָיָ֥הand he will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
מַטִּ֖יף[the] prophesier of
matifH5197 →18 times
הָעָ֥םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 16:18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
it leads to
- Colossians 2:4
I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
- Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
- Micah 3:5
This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their…
- 1 Timothy 6:5
and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.
- 2 Peter 2:3
In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
- Colossians 2:4
Through
Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
it leads to
- Ezekiel 13:6
They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.
- Jeremiah 14:14
“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination,…
- Ezekiel 13:6
Through
Jeremiah 23:17They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD says that you will have peace,’ and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’
it leads to
- Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster…
- Micah 3:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Micah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Micah; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 9:18; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.