Mic 2:7-8 | JFB | STEP | 7. O thou ... named the house of Jacob-- priding thyself on the name, though having naught of the spirit, of thy progenitor. Also, bearing the name which ought to remind thee of God's favors granted to thee because of His covenant with Jacob. is the Spirit of the Lord straitened?-- Is His compassion contracted within narrower limits now than formerly, so that He should delight in your destruction (compare ; , 2)? are these his doings?-- that is, Are such threatenings His delight? Ye dislike the prophets' threatenings ( ): but who is to blame? Not God, for He delights in blessing, rather than threatening; but yourselves ( ) who provoke His threatenings [Grotius]. Calvin translates, "Are your doings such as are prescribed by Him?" Ye boast of being God's peculiar people: Do ye then conform your lives to God's law? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly-- Are not My words good to the upright? If your ways were upright, My words would not be threatening (compare ; ; ).

‏ Micah 2:7-8

7. O thou ... named the house of Jacob--priding thyself on the name, though having naught of the spirit, of thy progenitor. Also, bearing the name which ought to remind thee of God's favors granted to thee because of His covenant with Jacob.

is the Spirit of the Lord straitened?--Is His compassion contracted within narrower limits now than formerly, so that He should delight in your destruction (compare Psa 77:7-9; Is 59:1, 2)?

are these his doings?--that is, Are such threatenings His delight? Ye dislike the prophets' threatenings (Mi 2:6): but who is to blame? Not God, for He delights in blessing, rather than threatening; but yourselves (Mi 2:8) who provoke His threatenings [Grotius]. Calvin translates, "Are your doings such as are prescribed by Him?" Ye boast of being God's peculiar people: Do ye then conform your lives to God's law?

do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly--Are not My words good to the upright? If your ways were upright, My words would not be threatening (compare Psa 18:26; Mt 11:19; Joh 7:17).

8. Your ways are not such that I can deal with you as I would with the upright.

Even of late--literally, "yesterday," "long ago." So "of old." Hebrew, "yesterday" (Is 30:33); "heretofore," Hebrew, "since yesterday" (Jos 3:4).

my people is risen up as an enemy--that is, has rebelled against My precepts; also has become an enemy to the unoffending passers-by.

robe with the garment--Not content with the outer "garment," ye greedily rob passers-by of the ornamental "robe" fitting the body closely and flowing down to the feet [Ludovicus De Dieu] (Mt 5:40).

as men averse from war--in antithesis to (My people) "as an enemy." Israel treats the innocent passers-by, though "averse from war," as an enemy" would treat captives in his power, stripping them of their habiliments as lawful spoils. Grotius translates, "as men returning from war," that is, as captives over whom the right of war gives the victors an absolute power. English Version is supported by the antithesis.