Micah 3:5–8

3:5 Micah begins with a standard prophetic formula: “Thus says the LORD.” Prophets used this formula frequently to emphasize that their words were not their own but were the words of God (so also 2:3). Micah is thus making clear that he is condemning these prophets with a prophetic word.

Micah then announces that the prophets “lead [the] people astray.” This is the exact opposite of a prophet’s reason for being. They were called originally to give guidance of the most reliable kind: revealing God’s will to the people. But Micah says that they have betrayed their calling, purposely misguiding the people. It would be like a doctor charged with healing instead using her talents to kill. The revelation continues to explain why the prophets are doing this: they are mercenaries, proclaiming peace to those who pay while declaring war against those who do not. Their greed is emphasized by the payment they are looking for: food for their voracious appetites. The end result is that these prophets are no longer speaking oracles from God. Rather, it is the audience that determines what these “prophetic” oracles are: “What comes out of the mouth of these prophets depends on what has been put into it.”¹

3:6–7 While the indictment of these prophets is brief, the sentence is quite lengthy. It declares in a variety of ways, first, the “solar eclipse” of their inspiration (v. 6) and, second, the consequences of that eclipse (v. 7). The words in verse 6 are replete with “darkness.” This suggests that the light of prophecy has gone out. Some commentators claim that these false prophets were never true prophets, but the text suggests otherwise. These appear to be true prophets who have become corrupt and faithless to their calling to speak for Yahweh. In a punishment fitting the crime, Yahweh has thus stopped speaking to them. The consequence of this loss of inspiration is the loss of authority and authenticity; the prophets will thus be put to shame and disgraced, covering their “lips.” This phrase in Hebrew means literally to “cover their mustache”—a sign of humiliation. Lepers had to cover their faces as a sign of disgrace and mourning (Lev. 13:45), and this was the normal practice for mourning the dead as well (Ezek. 24:17, 22). Thus these greedy prophets will become social lepers, bywords for corruption and falsehood.

3:8 Micah now gives a shining example of what a true prophet should be like. He is such a person because he is filled with power and justice:

1. A. Power—the Spirit of Yahweh
   1. B. Justice
2. A'. Strength

The Spirit of Yahweh is intimately tied to power (as suggested here by the lack of a conjunction between the word “power” and the phrase “the Spirit of the LORD”). This is not just any power; it is the Spirit of Yahweh. Moreover, this power and strength are not arbitrary but are intimately tied to justice. Power and justice are both necessary, for power without justice is tyrannical (of which we have seen many examples already in Micah), while justice without power has no effect.² Micah’s statement probably means he is able to declare boldly a message of justice (B) because he is powerfully filled with the Spirit of Yahweh (A, A').

Such a message is further qualified as “to declare to Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.” This was not a popular message, to be sure, but it was a just and true message that needed courage supplied by divine strength to announce.