Micah
Micah 7:3–4
3Both hands are skilled at evil;
the prince and the judge demand a bribe.
When the powerful utters his evil desire,
they all conspire together.
4The best of them is like a brier;
the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns.
The day for your watchmen has come,
the day of your visitation.a
Now is the time of their confusion.
Footnotes
- a 7:4 Or your punishment
Word by word
Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.
Micah 7:3
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Both hands | כַּפַּ֙יִם֙ | kap·pa·yim | Noun - fd | H3709 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan |
| are skilled | לְהֵיטִ֔יב | lə·hê·ṭîḇ | Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | H3190 be good, well, glad, pleasing |
| at evil | הָרַ֤ע | hā·ra‘ | Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H7451 bad, evil |
| the prince | הַשַּׂ֣ר | haś·śar | Article; Noun - masculine singular | H8269 chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince |
| and the judge | וְהַשֹּׁפֵ֖ט | wə·haš·šō·p̄êṭ | Conjunctive waw, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H8199 judge, govern |
| demand | שֹׁאֵ֔ל | šō·’êl | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H7592 ask, inquire |
| a bribe | בַּשִׁלּ֑וּם | ba·šil·lūm | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H7966 requital |
| When the powerful | וְהַגָּד֗וֹל | wə·hag·gā·ḏō·wl | Conjunctive waw, Article; Adjective - masculine singular | H1419 great |
| utters | דֹּבֵ֨ר | dō·ḇêr | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H1696 speak |
| his | ה֖וּא | hū | Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| evil | הַוַּ֥ת | haw·waṯ | Noun - feminine singular construct | H1942 desire |
| desire | נַפְשׁ֛וֹ | nap̄·šōw | Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion |
| they all conspire together | וַֽיְעַבְּתֽוּהָ׃ | way·‘ab·bə·ṯū·hā | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural; third person feminine singular | H5686 interlace, pervert |
Micah 7:4
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The best of them | טוֹבָ֣ם | ṭō·w·ḇām | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural | H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good |
| like a brier | כְּחֵ֔דֶק | kə·ḥê·ḏeq | Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular | H2312 brier |
| the most upright | יָשָׁ֖ר | yā·šār | Adjective - masculine singular | H3477 straight, right |
| than a hedge of thorns | מִמְּסוּכָ֑ה | mim·mə·sū·ḵāh | Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular | H4534 hedge |
| The day | י֤וֹם | yō·wm | Noun - masculine singular construct | H3117 day |
| for your watchmen | מְצַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ | mə·ṣap·pe·ḵā | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular | H6822 look out or about, spy, keep watch |
| has come | בָ֔אָה | ḇā·’āh | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular | H935 come in, come, go in, go |
| your visitation | פְּקֻדָּתְךָ֣ | pə·qud·dā·ṯə·ḵā | Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular | H6486 oversight, mustering, visitation, store |
| Now | עַתָּ֥ה | ‘at·tāh | Adverb | H6258 now |
| is | תִהְיֶ֖ה | ṯih·yeh | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be |
| of their confusion | מְבוּכָתָֽם׃ | mə·ḇū·ḵā·ṯām | Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural | H3998 confusion, confounding |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Micah 7:3 Micah 3:11 · Proverbs 4:16–17 · Amos 5:12 · Jeremiah 8:10
Micah 7:4 Isaiah 22:5 · Ezekiel 2:6 · Isaiah 10:3 · 2 Samuel 23:6–7 · Hosea 9:7–8
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.