Micah 7:3 BSB — MannaFest

Micah 7:3

Both 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

Parallel translations (2) ▾

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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Commentary

3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)

That 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.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

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.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

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.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

14 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
עַל־	'al-	[are] on	H5921 →
הָרַ֤ע	ha.Ra'	<the> evil	H7451 →
כַּפַּ֙יִם֙	ka.Pa.yim	both hands	H3709 →
לְהֵיטִ֔יב	le.hei.Tiv	to do [it] well	H3190 →
הַשַּׂ֣ר	ha.Sar	the official	H8269 →
שֹׁאֵ֔ל	sho.'El	[is] asking	H7592 →
וְהַשֹּׁפֵ֖ט	ve.ha.sho.Fet	and the judge	H8199 →
בַּשִׁלּ֑וּם	ba.shi.Lum	for <the> bribe	H7966 →
וְהַגָּד֗וֹל	ve.ha.ga.Dol	and the great [person]	H1419 →
דֹּבֵ֨ר	do.Ver	[is] speaking	H1696 →
הַוַּ֥ת	ha.Vat	[the] craving of	H1942 →
נַפְשׁ֛וֹ	naf.Sho	self his	H5315 →
ה֖וּא	hu'	he	H1931 →
וַֽיְעַבְּתֽוּהָ׃	Vay.'a.be.Tu.ha	and they weave it	H5686 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

H8199vehashofetand the judge202×

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
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…
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 independent 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.
Through
Amos 5:12
For 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.
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.
Through
Isaiah 26:21
For 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.
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.
Through
Jeremiah 8:10
Therefore 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…
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.

Featured studies on this passage

Walks through Micah 7

Forgiven, and Forgiving

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About Micah

Micah Exhorts the Israelites to Repent — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Micah: the study guide →Read chapter 7 →The featured study →

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01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Micah

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Micah