Micah 7:3
in Micah 7Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge is ready for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul: thus they weave it together.
KJV
That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
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This verse in Micah 7
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThat they may do evil with both hands earnestly,.... Or "well" (t), strenuously, diligently, to the utmost of their power, labouring at it with all their might and main; as wicked men generally are more industrious, and exert themselves more to do evil than good men do to do good; and even weary themselves to commit iniquity: or, "instead of doing good", as Marinus in Aben Ezra, take a great deal of pains to do evil; work with both hands at it, instead of doing good.
This site's exposition
Both hands are skilled at evil
on Micah 7:3-4
Verse 3 details corruption: "the prince and the judge demand a bribe", and when "the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together". The Hebrew verb behind conspire means to weave, so each braids his part into one cord. Verse 4 calls even the best "like a brier".
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 7, Verses 1 onwards) Woe is me, for I have become like one who gathers the grapes of the vineyard in autumn: there is no cluster to eat; my soul longed for the early figs. The holy one has perished from the earth, and there is no upright person among mankind. They all lie in wait for blood; each hunts his brother to death. They declare their evil deeds as good; the ruler demands, and the judge accepts bribes, and the great one speaks of the cravings of his own soul, and they trouble it.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
That they may do evil with both hands earnestly - (Literally, upon evil both hands to do well,) that is, “both their hands are upon evil to do it well,” or “earnestly” , as our translation gives the meaning; only the Hebrew expresses more, that evil is their good, and their good or excellence is in evil. Bad men gain a dreadful skill and wisdom in evil, as Satan has; and cleverness in evil is their delight.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The "threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ec 4:12); here the "prince," the "judge," and the "great man" are the three in guilty complicity. "They wrap it up," namely, they conspire to carry out the great man's desire at the sacrifice of justice.
That they may do evil with both hands - That is, earnestly, greedily, to the uttermost of their power. The Vulgate translates: Malum manuum suarum dicunt bonum; “The evil of their hands they call good.” The prince asketh - A bribe, to forward claims in his court. The judge asketh for a reward - That he may decide the cause in favor of him who gives most money, whether the cause be good or evil. This was notoriously the case in our own country before the giving of Magna Charta; and hence that provision, Nulli vendemus justitiam aut rectum: “We will not sell justice to any man.” And this was not the only country in which justice and judgment were put to sale. The great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire - Such consider themselves above law, and they make no secret of their unjust determinations. And so they wrap it up - they all conjoin in doing evil in their several offices, and oppressing the poor; so our translators have interpreted the original ויעבתוה vayeabtuha, which the versions translate variously. Newcome has, “And they do abominably.”
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [are] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָרַ֤ע | hara' | <the> evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| כַּפַּ֙יִם֙ | kapayim | both hands | H3709 → | |
| לְהֵיטִ֔יב | leheitiv | to do [it] well | H3190 → | |
| הַשַּׂ֣ר | hasar | the official | H8269 → | |
| שֹׁאֵ֔ל | shoel | [is] asking | H7592 → | |
| וְהַשֹּׁפֵ֖ט | vehashofet | and the judge | H8199 → | 202 times |
| בַּשִׁלּ֑וּם | bashilum | for <the> bribe | H7966 → | |
| וְהַגָּד֗וֹל | vehagadol | and the great [person] | H1419 → | |
| דֹּבֵ֨ר | dover | [is] speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| הַוַּ֥ת | havat | [the] craving of | H1942 → | |
| נַפְשׁ֛וֹ | nafsho | self his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| ה֖וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וַֽיְעַבְּתֽוּהָ׃ | vayabetuha | and they weave it | H5686 → |
עַל־[are] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָרַ֤ע<the> evil
hara'H7451 →662 times
כַּפַּ֙יִם֙both hands
kapayimH3709 →
לְהֵיטִ֔יבto do [it] well
leheitivH3190 →
הַשַּׂ֣רthe official
hasarH8269 →
שֹׁאֵ֔ל[is] asking
shoelH7592 →
וְהַשֹּׁפֵ֖טand the judge
vehashofetH8199 →202 times
בַּשִׁלּ֑וּםfor <the> bribe
bashilumH7966 →
וְהַגָּד֗וֹלand the great [person]
vehagadolH1419 →
דֹּבֵ֨ר[is] speaking
doverH1696 →1141 times
הַוַּ֥ת[the] craving of
havatH1942 →
נַפְשׁ֛וֹself his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
ה֖וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וַֽיְעַבְּתֽוּהָ׃and they weave it
vayabetuhaH5686 →
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
Micah 3:11Her 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…
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 6:13
“For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
- 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…
- Acts 8:18–20
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.
- Titus 1:11
who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.
- Isaiah 1:23
Through
Amos 5:12For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.
it leads to
- Amos 2:6–7
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Israel, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.
- Amos 2:6–7
Through
Isaiah 26:21For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
it leads to
- Isaiah 13:11
I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.
- Isaiah 13:11
Through
Jeremiah 8:10Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 6:12–13
Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD.
- Jeremiah 6:12–13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Micah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.