Bird's-eye view
In this passage, Micah turns his attention from the corrupt civil rulers to their partners in crime, the false prophets. These are the men who should have been the spiritual watchdogs for Israel, but had instead become pampered lap dogs, barking peace for a price. The Lord, through Micah, exposes the rotten foundation of their ministry: it is pure mercenary opportunism. They are not shepherds; they are hirelings who preach for their supper. Consequently, God pronounces a most fitting judgment upon them. Because they have offered false light, He will plunge them into a total and profound darkness. Their ability to "see" will be taken away, their divinations will cease, and they will be left in a state of public shame and humiliation, with nothing to say because God has nothing to say to them.
This section is a stark reminder that God takes the ministry of the Word with the utmost seriousness. To use a prophetic office for personal gain is to invite a terrifying response from Heaven. The judgment is not arbitrary; it is poetically just. Those who peddled false visions will be left with no vision at all. Those who spoke glibly of peace will find themselves at war with God. And those who sought public approval will be covered in public disgrace. It is a severe warning against any form of ministry that is more concerned with pleasing men than with proclaiming a "thus says Yahweh."
Outline
- 1. The Mercenary Motive of the False Prophets (v. 5)
- a. The Lord's Indictment (v. 5a)
- b. The Pay-for-Peace Prophecy (v. 5b)
- c. The Declaration of War on the Unprofitable (v. 5c)
- 2. The Divine Judgment of Spiritual Darkness (v. 6)
- a. A Night Without Vision (v. 6a)
- b. Darkness Without Divination (v. 6b)
- c. The Sun Sets on the Prophets (v. 6c)
- 3. The Public Humiliation of the False Seers (v. 7)
- a. The Shame of the Seers and Diviners (v. 7a)
- b. A Covered Mouth Signifying Disgrace (v. 7b)
- c. The Reason for Silence: No Answer from God (v. 7c)
Context In Micah
This passage sits within the second major cycle of Micah's prophecy, which runs from chapter 3 to chapter 5. This cycle, like the others, contains a pattern of judgment followed by a promise of hope and restoration. Chapter 3 is entirely dedicated to the pronouncement of judgment against the leadership of Israel and Judah. Micah first addresses the civil rulers, the "heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel," accusing them of a grotesque inversion of justice, hating the good and loving the evil (Micah 3:1-4). They were cannibals in spirit, devouring the people they were meant to protect.
Having indicted the politicians, Micah now pivots to the preachers. The sins of the state and the sins of the pulpit are intertwined. The corrupt rulers provide the market for corrupt prophets. A people who have abandoned God's law in their civic life will not tolerate a faithful prophetic word. They want prophets who will scratch their itching ears, and there is never a shortage of men willing to do so for the right price. This section (vv. 5-7) details the particular sin of the prophets and the specific judgment that will befall them, before Micah contrasts their empty, self-serving ministry with his own Spirit-filled calling in verse 8.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Micah 3:5
Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They call out, “Peace,” But against him who puts nothing in their mouths, They set themselves apart for war.
Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who lead my people astray... The indictment begins with the ultimate authority. This is not Micah's personal opinion or a bit of ecclesiastical critique. This is Yahweh speaking. And He is concerned with those who are leading His people astray. Notice the possessive pronoun. These are not just any people; they are God's covenant people. And the prophets, who were supposed to be the guardians of that covenant, have become the chief instruments of its violation. Their sin is not a simple mistake; it is a profound betrayal. They are misdirecting the flock of God.
When they have something to bite with their teeth, They call out, “Peace,”... Here is the heart of the matter. Their prophetic word is directly tied to their dinner plate. The Hebrew is visceral; it speaks of biting with their teeth. This is not about polite honorariums. This is about raw, creaturely appetite. If their mouths are full, their message is "Peace." This is the essence of a hireling ministry. The message is dictated by the patrons. They preach what sells. And what always sells in a corrupt and compromised culture is the message of peace, peace, when there is no peace. It is the assurance that everything is fine, that God is not really bothered by sin, and that judgment is not really coming. It is a comfortable, coddling, and damnable lie.
But against him who puts nothing in their mouths, They set themselves apart for war. The flip side of their mercenary operation is exposed here. What happens when the donations dry up? What happens when someone refuses to fund their "ministry"? The message changes abruptly. The very same prophets who were cooing "peace" are now sanctifying a war. The phrase "set themselves apart for war" is literally "sanctify a war." This is a holy war, they claim. They are using the language of covenant warfare, of devotion to God, and applying it to their own financial interests. The man who does not pay them is suddenly an enemy of God, a troubler of Israel, a man against whom a holy crusade must be launched. Their theology is entirely in the service of their wallets. This is the prophet whose god is his belly.
Micah 3:6
Therefore it will be night for you, without vision, And darkness for you, without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will grow black over them.
Therefore it will be night for you, without vision, And darkness for you, without divination. The judgment fits the crime with a terrible and beautiful precision. God's response to their false light is to extinguish all light. He says, "You claimed to have vision? I will give you night. You claimed to practice divination? I will give you darkness." The very tools of their trade, which they used illegitimately, will be taken from them. They pretended to see things from God, so God will ensure they see nothing at all. This is a spiritual blindness, a divine judgment that removes any capacity for spiritual insight. They will be left groping in a darkness of their own making, but a darkness now enforced by a divine decree.
The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will grow black over them. The imagery intensifies. It is not just a personal, internal darkness. It is a cosmic-level blackout. The sun itself is setting on their enterprise. Their "day in the sun," their time of popularity and prosperity, is over. The day will grow black over them. This speaks of a public and undeniable end to their influence. When God brings judgment, He doesn't just turn off the lamp in their study; He commands the sun to go down in the middle of the day. Their shame and their uselessness will be apparent to everyone. There will be no more light by which they can ply their fraudulent trade.
Micah 3:7
The seers will be ashamed, And the diviners will be humiliated. Indeed, they will all cover their mouths Because there is no answer from God.
The seers will be ashamed, And the diviners will be humiliated. The personal consequences of this divine blackout are public shame and humiliation. These men, who paraded themselves as the ones "in the know," will be exposed as frauds. The titles they claimed, "seers" and "diviners," will become terms of mockery. Their reputations will be ruined. They sought the honor of men, and they will receive the ultimate disgrace from God, a disgrace that is visible to all men.
Indeed, they will all cover their mouths... This is a gesture of extreme shame and mourning in the ancient world. Think of a leper, who had to cover his mouth and cry "Unclean!" (Lev. 13:45). These prophets are rendered spiritually leprous. Their mouths, the very instruments of their sin, are now covered in disgrace. They who spoke so glibly and for so much money will be rendered utterly silent. There is nothing left to say.
Because there is no answer from God. And here is the ultimate reason for their silence and shame. It is not because they have had a change of heart. It is because their source has been cut off. Of course, God was never their true source, but they pretended He was. Now, in the day of crisis, when the people desperately need a word from God, when the Babylonians are at the gates, everyone will turn to these prophets, and the line will be dead. God will not answer. The silence from heaven will be deafening, and it will be the final, irrefutable proof that these men were charlatans all along. Their greatest judgment is to be ignored by the very God they claimed to represent.
Application
The principles Micah lays down here are perennial. The temptation to turn the ministry of the gospel into a business is ever-present. We live in an age of celebrity pastors, brand-building, and market-driven church growth strategies. The temptation to say "Peace, peace" to a culture that is drowning in its sin is immense, because it is profitable. It gets you book deals and conference invitations. But to speak a hard word, a true word, a word about sin and judgment and the need for repentance, that is costly.
This passage calls us to examine the motives of those we listen to, and more importantly, the motives of our own hearts if we are in any position of teaching. Is our word from God, or is it tailored to please the ones who write the checks? A true prophet, like Micah, is filled with power, with justice, and with might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin (Micah 3:8). He is not for sale.
And when we see ministries that are clearly peddling a false peace for profit, we should not be surprised when God brings them to nothing. The sun eventually sets on every fraudulent enterprise. The day comes when there is no answer from God, and their shame is made plain for all to see. Our duty is to cling to the true Word, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate prophet who did not come to bring a false peace, but a sword that divides truth from error. The peace He gives is not the kind the world gives; it is a peace that comes through the bloody cross, through repentance, and through true reconciliation with God. That is the only peace worth having, and it is a peace that can never be bought.