MIC 2:11 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–11: The LORD will punish those who oppress poor people

This section is divided into two parts: 2:1–5 and 2:6–11.

In verses 1–5, the LORD accused people in Israel of doing evil: they were dishonestly taking property away from other people. He said that he would punish them.
In verses 6–11, Micah said that people had rebuked him for prophesying these things. And the LORD again said that he would punish the people of Israel.

If you use section headings in your translation, here are some options:

Use one heading for all of 2:1–11, using the above wording. Here are some other section headings for 2:1–11:
Land Robbers Will Lose their Land (NET)
Punishment for Those Who Abuse Their Power (CEV)
Israel’s Sins Are Condemned (GW)
Use one heading for 2:1–5 and another heading for 2:6–11. For example:
^1–5Judgment against Wealthy Oppressors
^6–11True and False Prophets (NLT)
^1–5The Evil Plans of People
^6–11Micah Is Asked Not to Prophesy (NCV)
Use one heading for all of chapter 2 (2:1–13). For example:
The Fate of Those Who Oppress the Poor (GNT)
Woe to Oppressors (NASB)

TN will use one heading for 2:1–11 and another heading for 2:12–13. Use a heading or headings that will be appropriate and acceptable for your language situation.

Paragraph 2:6–11

In 2:1–2, Micah spoke about wicked people. In 2:3–5, the LORD spoke to those wicked people. Here in 2:6–11, Micah (and the LORD) continued to speak to those wicked people.

TN and most English versions begin a new paragraph at 2:6. A few versions put a section heading before 2:6. For example:

False Prophets (NIV)

Micah Is Asked Not to Prophesy (NCV)

True and False Prophets (NLT)

You can put a section heading here if you wish. But TN will use one section heading for all of 2:1–11.

2:11

In this verse, the LORD, speaking through Micah, described the evil people of the nation. The GNT and a few other versions begin a new paragraph at verse 11. The Notes do not begin a new paragraph until verse 12. You may do whatever is more appropriate in your language.

2:11a

If a man of wind were to come and say falsely,

If a person goes from place to place and tells many lies, and he says,
Suppose that a person repeatedly tells lies wherever he goes.

If a man of wind were to come and say falsely: In Hebrew, this verse part is more literally “If a man walking wind and falsehood lies.”This literal version of the Hebrew is based on BART and the first NET footnote for v.11. Some of the words have more than one meaning. They are also connected to each other in different ways. The Notes will give the most likely meaning rather than try to lay out multiple interpretation issues. These words describe any man who said/claimed he was a prophet, but his message was not from the LORD.

a man of wind: In some languages, it may be clearer to translate this phrase as a plural. For example:

Liars and frauds may go around and say (GW)

If people come telling many lies

of wind…say falsely: In Hebrew, this phrase (“wind and falsehood lies”) has two aspects of meaning:

The false prophet said things that were worthless. His words were empty. They were just like wind.
His words were falsehoods. They were not true.

The Hebrew phrase may imply that the people who listened were deceived (NIV: “liar and deceiver”), because they enjoyed listening to his preaching.

were to come: This verb probably has two aspects of meaning:Versions that focus on a person who is a liar and tells many lies include CEV, NCV, NET, NIV, and NLT. Versions that focus on the aspect of going from place to place include BSB, ESV, GW, NRSV, and REB. The GNT includes both aspects.

The false prophet continually spoke lies.
He traveled from place to place.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

These people want the kind of prophet who goes around full of lies and deceit… (GNT)

If a person goes from place to place and repeatedly tells lies

2:11a–c

(combined/reordered)

These people want the kind of prophet who goes around and repeatedly tells lies. He says, ‘I prophesy/predict that you will have plenty of wine and intoxicating/alcoholic beverages to drink.’

2:11b

“I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”

‘I proclaim/predict to you^(plur) that you will have plenty of wine and beer,’
He claims to be a prophet and says, ‘You will be prosperous and have lots of intoxicating/alcoholic beverages/things to drink.’

“I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,”: The false prophet preached to the people of wine and strong drink. This probably means that he predicted that the people would have lots of wine and strong drink. The implication is that they would have good crops and a prosperous life.

preach: The word preach is the same word that is found three times in Micah 2:6. It means “to preach, to proclaim a message.” See the note at 2:6a.

to you: In Hebrew, the pronoun you is singular. But it clearly refers to the Jewish people. So in most languages, it will probably be more natural to use a plural pronoun.

wine and strong drink: In Hebrew, the phrase wine and strong drink refers to wine and beer.Waltke 2007 (pages 123–124) points out that although šēḵār almost always occurs together with yayin and “denotes not just barley beer but any alcoholic beverage, the article with ‘wine and beer’ marks them out as belonging to a class unique and determined in themselves. Both are light intoxicants, about 7–10 percent alcoholic content, by comparison with modern liquors and strong drinks.” Both wine and beer are alcoholic drinks that contain a small percentage of alcohol. If your language does not have specific words for wine and beer, you may use a general phrase such as “intoxicating drinks” or “drinks that can make a person drunk.”

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer (NIV)

I’ll promise you blessings of wine and beer (NET)

2:11c

he would be just the preacher for this people!

that is the kind of preacher/prophet that these people want to listen to.”
These evil people like to listen to people who preach/prophesy that kind of message.”

he would be just the preacher for this people!: This verse part shows sarcasm. The LORD said this to show that he was angry with these evil people. If a true prophet preached to them a message from the LORD, they said “Do not preach” (2:6). But if a false prophet preached a worthless message about wine and beer, that is the kind of preacher these people liked to hear. Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

That would be the kind of preacher these people would like.

You people would enjoy a preacher who said things like that.

this people: This phrase refers to the people that the LORD has been speaking to in 2:8–10. Notice that in 2:8–10, the LORD spoke to these people, but here in 2:11, he spoke about them. If this will confuse your readers, you can translate this people as “you” or “people like you.” For example:

But you people want a false prophet who will tell you nothing but lies. (NCV)

General Comment on 2:11a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parts of this verse. For example:

“These people want the kind of prophet who goes around full of lies and deceit and says, ‘I prophesy that wine and liquor will flow for you.’ (GNT)

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.

OET interlinear MIC 2:11

Hebrew word order