Opposition to the Prophet: As the arrangement of chapter 2 now stands, this passage shows the reaction of Micah’s listeners to his announcements in both 2:1–3 and 2:4–5. Those to whom he preaches take insulted exception to his words of doom directed against them; this is not an unusual reaction to the words of OT prophets (cf. 1 Kgs. 18:3–4; 19:10; Jer. 11:18–19; 20:1–2; Isa. 50:6, etc.). Persons, especially powerful persons who control others’ lives, do not like to hear that their God does not approve of them, nor do they want to know that in the future God will snatch from them their power and prosperity.

2:6–11 As the NIV has translated verse 6, it interprets Micah’s opponents to be other prophets who are preaching false words of weal. But in my estimation that is a misreading. Rather, Micah’s adversaries here are the powerful oppressors of verses 1–3 who, despite their greedy covetousness, feel religiously secure. The text of verses 6–7 is badly damaged, but it probably should be read as follows:

“Do not preach,” they preach.
“Do not preach these things (i.e., judgment).
Disgrace will not overtake us.”
Should this [i.e., these things] be said, house of Jacob?
[The opponents are addressing their followers.]
“Is the spirit of Yahweh impatient?
Are these things (i.e., judgments) his doings?”
Do not his [emending my] words do good
to him whose works are upright?

The prophet’s opponents who utter these words are blind both to the nature of Yahweh and to the character of their own lives. Like so many in our society, they believe that God will always forgive. After all, they have it written in one of their most ancient creeds that the Lord is “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Exod. 34:6–7; Num. 14:18; cf. Deut. 4:31; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:15; Ps. 103:8; 145:8; Jonah 4:2). Therefore, again like so many in our time, they doubt that such a loving, compassionate God will ever act in judgment against them.

What they have failed to notice, of course, is the last part of their ancient creed: “Yet (God) does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation” (Exod. 34:7). But then, these prosperous oppressors in Jerusalem do not believe they are guilty. After all, their prosperity and their status are evidences of Yahweh’s favor showered upon them (cf. Deut. 28:9–14; 30:9–10; Job 36:11; Ps. 25:12–13; Prov. 13:21). Thus, they count themselves upright and religiously secure.

2:8–9 Micah replies to his opponents’ self-righteous words in verses 8–9 and specifies their wrongdoing. Verse 8 is damaged and unclear, but it probably should be read as in the RSV:

But you rise against my people as an enemy;
you strip the robe from the peaceful,
from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war.

The thought is that the rich and powerful seize even the garments of the helpless, permanently confiscating their clothing as pledges on loans, which is a violation of the covenant law (Exod. 22:26; Deut. 24:12–13, 17; Amos 2:8). Or perhaps the reference is to out and out robbery of cloaks and mantels (cf. Ezek. 18:12).

Verse 9 is very clear. The powerful dispossess poor widows of their sheltering homes by foreclosing on loans or by simply evicting them with no cause, again a violation of the law (cf. Exod. 22:22; Mark 12:40). The women and their children are thereby left with no claim to property or rights or dignity (hādār) in the community. The NIV has translated hādār with blessing, which is loosely correct, but hādār can be connected with the ownership of land (Jer. 3:19).

2:10–11 Having specified their sins, Micah therefore once again pronounces judgment on the powerful oppressors who have objected to his preaching of judgment. Because the oppressors have risen up against the people as their enemy, verse 8a, therefore they must now “arise and go,” verse 10a (Hebrew): The NIV has obscured this repetition of the verb. The land cannot be their resting place, verse 10b.

Throughout most of the Bible, and specifically throughout the Deuteronomic History (Deuteronomy through 2 Kings), the land of Palestine is characterized as Israel’s place of “rest” that Yahweh in his love will give to them (Deut. 12:9; Josh. 21:44; 1 Kgs. 8:56; cf. Heb. 3:11; ch. 4). But now, in wrath, Yahweh will take away their resting place, their land, and the reason is given: They have defiled the land with their evil deeds, verse 10c–d (cf. Lev. 18:25; Num. 35:34; Deut. 21:23)—made it unholy and “unclean,” as the Hebrew text says. The land, however, belongs to Yahweh, and because these Jerusalemites have defied Yahweh, Yahweh will therefore take back the land and remove the polluters of the land from their country.

In verse 11, Micah returns to his original theme of preaching (cf. v. 6) to form the inclusio for the passage. His words are full of sarcasm. Were a prophet to come, proclaiming windy talk (rûaḥ) and lies (v. 11b), and promising the people nothing but careless ease, self-centeredness, and drunken dissolution, that would be a prophet of whom Micah’s enemies would approve. The religion of Micah’s opponents, like so much in our day, is a religion that satisfies self-indulgent needs and asks no responsibility, no righteousness, no commitment to the Lord in return. In a world ruled by Yahweh, the Lord of heaven and earth, those who walk by such shallow religiosity cannot escape Yahweh’s judgment.