MIC 3:3 Interlinear View

1. Hebrew word
2. Hebrew lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. Gloss
8. CAPS codes
9. OET tags
10. OET word #
1. וַ,אֲשֶׁר
2. 531980,531981
3. And which
4. that
6. SP-C,Tr
7. and=which
8. S
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371925
1. אָכְלוּ
2. 531982
3. they have eaten
4. -
5. 398
6. V-Vqp3cp
7. they_have_eaten
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371926
1. שְׁאֵר
2. 531983
3. the flesh of
4. flesh meat
5. 7607
6. O-Ncmsc
7. the_flesh_of
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371927
1. עַמִּ,י
2. 531984,531985
3. my people of my
4. people
6. O-Ncmsc,Sp1cs
7. my_people_of,my
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371928
1. וְ,עוֹרָ,ם
2. 531986,531987,531988
3. and skin of their
4. -
5. 5785
6. O-C,Ncmsc,Sp3mp
7. and,skin_of,their
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371929
1. מֵ,עֲלֵי,הֶם
2. 531989,531990,531991
3. from on them
4. -
6. P-R,R,Sp3mp
7. from,on,them
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371930
1. הִפְשִׁיטוּ
2. 531992
3. they have stripped off
4. stripped
5. 6584
6. V-Vhp3cp
7. they_have_stripped_off
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371931
1. וְ,אֶת
2. 531993,531994
3. and DOM
4. -
5. 853
6. PO-C,To
7. and=\untr DOM\untr*
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371932
2. 531995
3. -
4. -
6. -x-maqqef
8. -
9. -
10. 371933
1. עַצְמֹתֵי,הֶם
2. 531996,531997
3. bones of their
4. bones
5. 6106
6. O-Ncfpc,Sp3mp
7. bones_of,their
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371934
1. פִּצֵּחוּ
2. 531998
3. they have broken in pieces
4. pieces
5. 6476
6. V-Vpp3cp
7. they_have_broken_in_pieces
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371935
1. וּ,פָרְשׂוּ
2. 531999,532000
3. and they have chopped them up
4. -
5. 6566
6. PV-C,Vqq3cp
7. and,they_have_chopped_[them]_up
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371936
1. כַּ,אֲשֶׁר
2. 532001,532002
3. just as
4. -
6. P-R,Tr
7. just=as
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371937
1. בַּ,סִּיר
2. 532003,532004
3. in pot
4. -
6. P-Rd,Ncbsa
7. in,pot
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371938
1. וּ,כְ,בָשָׂר
2. 532005,532006,532007
3. and like meat
4. -
5. 1320
6. P-C,R,Ncmsa
7. and,like,meat
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371939
1. בְּ,תוֹךְ
2. 532008,532009
3. in the middle
4. -
5. 8432
6. P-R,Ncmsc
7. in_the=middle
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371940
1. קַלָּחַת
2. 532010
3. a caldron
4. -
5. 7037
6. P-Ncfsa
7. a_caldron
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371941
2. 532011
3. -
4. -
6. -x-sof-pasuq
8. -
9. -
10. 371942

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–12: Micah rebuked the leaders of Israel

In this section, Micah is the speaker. He spoke to the leaders of the Jews and to the prophets. He rebuked (scolded) them for their wicked deeds. He also told them that God would punish the nation because of them.

The Notes will divide this section into three paragraphs:

In 3:1–4, Micah rebuked the judicial leaders.
In 3:5–8, Micah rebuked the wicked prophets.
In 3:9–12, Micah rebuked all the leaders: judges, prophets, and priests.

In each paragraph, Micah used the word “justice” (3:1, 8, 9). In each paragraph, he first rebuked the leaders for their evil deeds. Then he described what would happen as a result of their wickedness. Some versions begin a new paragraph at verse 4 or verse 8. It is recommended that you follow the paragraphs used in the Notes.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Micah Denounces Israel’s Leaders (GNT)

Leaders and Prophets Rebuked (NIV)

Israel’s Sinful Leaders—Rulers, Prophets, and Priests (GW)

Wicked Rulers and Prophets (NRSV)

Paragraph 3:1–4

In this paragraph, Micah first spoke to the judicial leaders of Israel. He accused them of doing evil and cruel things (verses 1–3). Then he spoke about them. He said that the LORD would punish them (verse 4).

3:3a

You eat the flesh of my people

You^(plur) eat my countrymen.
You oppress my fellow Jews so harshly/cruelly, it is as if you eat them up.

You eat the flesh of my people: This line is the main point of the metaphor. The point is that the wicked leaders treated the common people with extreme cruelty. They wrongfully deprived them of their land and property and everything that they needed to stay alive.Here are some of the cruel things these leaders did: They took land and houses away from poor people (Micah 2:2; Micah 2:8–9), they took bribes (Micah 3:11a), and they did not help widows and orphans (see Psalm 82:1–4; Isaiah 1:17, 23; Jeremiah 22:3). Here are some other verses in which cruel people are compared to those who eat human flesh: Psalms 14:4; Proverbs 30:14; Zephaniah 3:3.

Micah compared their cruelty to people who would enjoy eating the flesh of their fellow countrymen. He was probably not referring to ritual cannibalism or to mothers who ate dead children to avoid starvation during the siege of Samaria (2 Kings 6:29). (See the two footnotes in the earlier note on 3:2b–3e).

3:3b

after stripping off their skin

Listen again to what I just said: You^(plur) pull off their skin.
Yes indeed! It is like you peel/tear the skin off their bodies,

after stripping off their skin: See the notes on the parallel clause in 3:2b.

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine these parallel clauses into one line. For example:

You skin my people alive. (CEV)

See also the CEV reordering of 3:2b–3e in the General Comment at the end of the note on 3:3d–e.

3:2b–3e

(combined/reordered)

You^(plur) oppress my people/countrymen with extreme cruelty. Because of this, your unbelievable wickedness is like a person who rips the skin and flesh from the bones of his countrymen, chops up all the pieces, throws them into a large pot, and then cooks them and eats them.

3:3c

and breaking their bones.

Then/And you^(plur) chop/cut their bones into pieces,
and then you chop up their bones and flesh.

and breaking their bones: Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

and break their bones (NLT)

breaking up their bones (NJB)

breaking their bones to bits (NJPS)

3:3d–e

You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.”

and you^(plur) put all the pieces of meat and bone in a big cooking pot.
You can be compared to a person who treats his fellow Jews like they are just pieces of meat to be cooked in a pot/caldron.

You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron: To chop them up refers here to cutting the flesh/meat into pieces with a big knife. Notice the parallel phrases:

^3dlike flesh for the cooking pot,

^3elike meat in a caldron.

In these parallel similes, the words meat and flesh mean the same thing, and the words cooking pot and cauldron both refer to a large cooking pot.

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine these two verse parts. For example:

You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot. (NLT)

…and chop them up like meat for the pot (GNT)

General Comment on 3:2b–3e

Here are some other ways to translate the metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. Keep the original (chiastic) order of the lines, but indicate in some way that the lines preceding and following the main point emphasize that point. For example:
You skin my people alive and tear the flesh from their bones. Yes, you eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin, and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot. (NLT)
Keep the metaphor. Reorder and/or combine the lines so that they occur in chronological order with the main point at the end. For example:
You skin my people alive. You strip off their flesh, break their bones, cook it all in a pot, and gulp it down. (CEV)
Change the metaphor to a simile. Keep the original (chiastic) order with the main point in the middle. For example:
You treat my people cruelly. You are like someone who strips off their skin and rips their flesh from their bones. Then he eats the meat. I will repeat: Your comparison/likeness is a person who eats my people, first chopping them up and cooking them in a big pot.
Change the metaphor to a simile. Reorder and/or combine the lines so that they occur in chronological order with the main point at the end. For example:
It is as if you tear the skin from my people, rip the flesh from their bones, break their bones in pieces, chop them up, cook them in a large pot, and eat them. That is what you are like, because you oppress my people so harshly.

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

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Hebrew word
5. Hebrew lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. Gloss
8. CAPS codes
9. OET tags
10. OET word #
1. And which
2. that
3. 1987,238
5. 531980,531981
6. SP-C,Tr
8. S
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371925
1. they have eaten
2. -
3. 669
5. 531982
6. V-Vqp3cp
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371926
1. the flesh of
2. flesh meat
3. 7411
5. 531983
6. O-Ncmsc
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371927
1. my people of my
2. people
3. 5847,1978
5. 531984,531985
6. O-Ncmsc,Sp1cs
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371928
1. and skin of their
2. -
3. 1987,6108,1978
5. 531986,531987,531988
6. O-C,Ncmsc,Sp3mp
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371929
1. from on them
2. -
3. 4129,5837,1978
5. 531989,531990,531991
6. P-R,R,Sp3mp
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371930
1. they have stripped off
2. stripped
3. 6422
5. 531992
6. V-Vhp3cp
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371931
1. and DOM
2. -
3. 1987,347
5. 531993,531994
6. PO-C,To
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371932
1. bones of their
2. bones
3. 5775,1978
5. 531996,531997
6. O-Ncfpc,Sp3mp
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371934
1. they have broken in pieces
2. pieces
3. 6392
5. 531998
6. V-Vpp3cp
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371935
1. and they have chopped them up
2. -
3. 1987,6413
5. 531999,532000
6. PV-C,Vqq3cp
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371936
1. just as
2. -
3. 3418,238
5. 532001,532002
6. P-R,Tr
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371937
1. in pot
2. -
3. 846,5355
5. 532003,532004
6. P-Rd,Ncbsa
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371938
1. and like meat
2. -
3. 1987,3418,1246
5. 532005,532006,532007
6. P-C,R,Ncmsa
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371939
1. in the middle
2. -
3. 846,8360
5. 532008,532009
6. P-R,Ncmsc
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371940
1. a caldron
2. -
3. 6895
5. 532010
6. P-Ncfsa
8. -
9. Y-710; TProphecies_of_Micah
10. 371941

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 3:3

Hebrew word order