MIC 3:5 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) ⇔ So Yahweh speaks out against the ‘prophets’ who lead his people astray:
⇔ “They lie through their teeth and proclaim, ‘Peace.’
⇔ They’re fighting against the one who never put a single word into their mouths.

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative, green:YHWH.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Τάδε λέγει Κύριος ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πλανῶντας τὸν λαόν μου, τοὺς δάκνοντας ἐν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ κηρύσσοντας εἰρήνην ἐπʼ αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἐδόθη εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν, ἤγειραν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν πόλεμον·
(Tade legei Kurios epi tous profaʸtas tous planōntas ton laon mou, tous daknontas en tois odousin autōn, kai kaʸrussontas eiraʸnaʸn epʼ auton, kai ouk edothaʸ eis to stoma autōn, aʸgeiran epʼ auton polemon; )

BrTr Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that lead my people astray, that bite with their teeth, and proclaim peace to them; and when nothing was put into their mouth, they raised up war against them:

ULT Thus Yahweh says against the prophets,
⇔ who lead my people astray,
⇔ who bite with their teeth,
⇔ they proclaim, ‘Peace.’
⇔ and who do not give in their mouths,
⇔ they consecreate against him war.

UST This is what Yahweh says
⇔ about your false prophets who are deceiving the people:
⇔ “If someone gives them food,
⇔ those prophets say that things will go well for him.
⇔ But they declare that I will punish anyone who does not give them food.

OEB ⇔ Therefore the Lord says:
⇔ ‘To the prophets who lead my people astray,
⇔ who when they have food between their teeth declare peace,
⇔ but against one who puts nothing in their mouths,
⇔ they proclaim an open war!

WEBBE The LORD says concerning the prophets who lead my people astray—for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, “Peace!” and whoever doesn’t provide for their mouths, they prepare war against him:

WMBB (Same as above)

NET This is what the Lord says: “The prophets who mislead my people
⇔ are as good as dead.
⇔ If someone gives them enough to eat,
⇔ they offer an oracle of peace.
⇔ But if someone does not give them food,
⇔ they are ready to declare war on him.

LSV Thus said YHWH concerning the prophets
Who are causing My people to err,
Who are biting with their teeth,
And have cried “Peace,”
And he who does not give to their mouth,
They have sanctified against him war:

FBV This is what the Lord says about the prophets who deceive my people. To those who feed[fn] them they prophesy peace to them, while to those who do not they prophesy war against them.

3:5 Literally, “biting with their teeth.”

T4T ¶ This is what Yahweh says
⇔ about your false prophets who are deceiving the people:
⇔ “If someone gives them food,
⇔ those prophets say that things will go well for him.
⇔ But they declare war against anyone who does not give them food.

LEB   • Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who are leading my people astray,
• who are biting with their teeth
  • and proclaim, “Peace,”
• but whoever puts nothing into their mouths
  • they declare war against.

BBE This is what the Lord has said about the prophets by whom my people have been turned from the right way; who, biting with their teeth, say, Peace; and if anyone puts nothing in their mouths they make ready for war against him.

Moff “And as for the prophets,” the Eternal says,
⇔ “who lead my folk astray,
⇔ who cry ‘All’s well!’ if they get food to eat,
⇔ and open war on any who deny them--

JPS Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people to err; that cry: 'Peace', when their teeth have any thing to bite; and whoso putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him:

ASV Thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that make my people to err; that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and whoso putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him:

DRA Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err: that bite with their teeth, and preach peace: and if a man give not something into their mouth, they prepare war against him.

YLT Thus said Jehovah concerning the prophets Who are causing My people to err, Who are biting with their teeth, And have cried 'Peace,' And he who doth not give unto their mouth, They have sanctified against him war.

Drby Thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that cause my people to err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace! but whoso putteth not into their mouths they prepare war against him:

RV Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people to err; that bite with their teeth and cry, Peace; and whoso putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him:
(Thus saith/says the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people to err; that bite with their teeth and cry, Peace; and whoso/whoever putteth/puts not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him: )

SLT Thus said Jehovah for the prophets causing my people to wander, and biting with their teeth, and they called, Peace; and who will not give upon their mouth and they consecrated war against him:

Wbstr Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him:

KJB-1769 ¶ Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
(¶ Thus saith/says the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth/puts not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him. )

KJB-1611 ¶ Thus saith the LORD concerning the Prophets that make my people erre, that bite with their teeth and crie; Peace: and he that putteth not into their mouths, they euen prepare warre against him:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps Thus saith the Lorde concerning the prophetes that deceaue my people and bite them with their teeth, and crye peace: but if a man put not into their mouthes, they prepare warre against him.
(Thus saith/says the Lord concerning the prophets that deceive my people and bite them with their teeth, and cry peace: but if a man put not into their mouths, they prepare war against him.)

Gnva Thus saith the Lord, Concerning the prophets that deceiue my people, and bite them with their teeth, and cry peace, but if a man put not into their mouthes, they prepare warre against him,
(Thus saith/says the Lord, Concerning the prophets that deceive my people, and bite them with their teeth, and cry peace, but if a man put not into their mouths, they prepare war against him, )

Cvdl And as concernynge the prophetes that disceaue my people, thus the LORDE sayeth agaynst them: When they haue eny thinge to byte vpon, then they preach that all shalbe well: but yf a man put not some thinge in to their mouthes, they preach of warre agaynst him.
(And as concerning the prophets that deceive my people, thus the LORD saith/says against them: When they have anything to bite upon, then they preach that all shall be well: but if a man put not somethinge in to their mouths, they preach of war against him.)

Wycl The Lord God seith these thingis on the profetis that disseyuen my puple, and biten with her teeth, and prechen pees; and if ony man yyueth not in the mouth of hem ony thing, thei halewen batel on hym.
(The Lord God saith/says these things on the prophets that deceiven my people, and biten with her teeth, and preaching peace; and if any man giveth/gives not in the mouth of hem any thing, they halewen battle on him.)

Luth So spricht der HErr wider die Propheten, so mein Volk verführen: Sie predigen, es solle wohlgehen, wo man ihnen zu fressen gebe; wo man ihnen aber nichts ins Maul gibt, da predigen sie, es müsse ein Krieg kommen.
(So speaks/says the/of_the LORD against the prophet(s), so my people seduce: They/She preaching, it should well-being, where man to_them to/for eat give; where man to_them but nothing into_the mouth gives, there preaching they/she/them, it must a war/battle coming.)

ClVg Hæc dicit Dominus super prophetas, qui seducunt populum meum: qui mordent dentibus suis, et prædicant pacem; et si quis non dederit in ore eorum quippiam, sanctificant super eum prælium.
(This he_says Master over a_prophets, who/which seducunt the_people mine: who/which mordent teeth to_his_own, and they_preach peace; and when/but_if who/any not/no will_give in/into/on vocally their something, sanctificant over him battle. )

SOTN 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 3:5–8

In this paragraph, Micah rebuked the wicked prophets. He first described the way in which they misled the people (3:5). He then described their future punishment by God (3:6–7). He concluded by contrasting his own status as a true prophet (3:8).

Micah began this paragraph with the phrase “Thus says the LORD.” This phrase indicates that his message came from the LORD. But it is not clear which verses are a direct quote of the LORD’s words. In the examples below, the verse parts may differ, depending on the version. Here are the main interpretations:

All of verses 5–8 are Micah’s words. These verses are the message that he received from the LORD. The lack of quotation marks indicates that he did not quote the LORD’s words directly.Interpretation (1) is supported by WBC 1984 (pages 32–33). For example:
^5aThus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray;…^6aTherefore it will be night for you…^7aThe seers will be ashamed…^8aOn the other hand I am filled with power… (NASB) (ESV, GW, KJV, NAB, NASB, NJB, NRSV, REB)The NJPS does not use any quote marks in 3:5–8. It has not been listed under interpretation (1), because it spells the phrase “My people” with a capital letter, referring to the LORD.
Verses 5b–7 are a direct quote of the LORD’s words. The quote is marked with quotation marks. Verse 8 is Micah’s words.Interpretation (2) is supported by Hillers (page 44). For example:
^5aThis is what the Lord says: ^5b“As for the prophets who lead my people astray…. ^7bThey will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God.” ^8aBut as for me… (NIV) (BSB, NCV, NET, NIV, NLT)The NET includes 3:8 in the same paragraph as 3:5–7. In the NCV, NIV, and NLT, 3:8 starts a new paragraph.
Verse 3:6 is a direct quote of the LORD’s words. Verses 5, 7, and 8 are Micah’s words.Interpretation (3) is supported by TOTC, Waltke 1993, and Waltke 2007. For example:
⁵My people are deceived by prophets…To these prophets the Lord says, ⁶“Prophets, your day is almost over;…you will not be able to predict anything.” ⁷Those who predict…⁸But as for me,… (GNT) (GNT)
Verses 6–7 are a direct quote of the LORD’s words. Verses 5 and 8 are Micah’s words. For example:
⁵You lying prophets…Here is what the Lord says to you prophets: ⁶“You will live in the dark…⁷You prophets…no message from me.” ⁸But the Lord has filled me… (CEV) (CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It is the simplest. Micah is the speaker in each of the three paragraphs in this section (3:1–12).

The meaning of these verses is almost the same with all four interpretations. Regardless of the quote marks, Micah’s message came to him from the LORD. His audience understood that he claimed to be the LORD’s spokesman.

If you decide not to follow interpretation (1), here are two things that you should consider:

If you follow interpretation (1), (3), or (4), the phrase “my people” in 3:5a means “Micah’s people.” But if you follow interpretation (2), it means “the LORD’s people.”
If you follow interpretation (2) or (4), the phrase “there is no answer from God” (3:7d) may need to be translated “there is no answer from me.”

3:5

Verse 3:5a gives a general reason for Micah’s rebuke of the prophets. Verses 3:5b–c give more details.A&F (page 364), Waltke 1993 (page 662).

^5aThis is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray,

^5bwho proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth,

^5cbut declare war against one who puts nothing in their mouths:

3:5a

This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray,

¶ This is what Yahweh says about the prophets who deceive/mislead my people/countrymen.
¶ Here is a message from Yahweh. It is a message about the prophets who encourage/teach my fellow Jews to follow a sinful way of life.

This is what the LORD says: Micah used this phrase to introduce a message from the LORD. See how you translated the same phrase in 2:3a.

As for the prophets: This phrase indicates that Micah’s message was about the prophets. Here is another way to translate these two phrases:

This is what the Lord says about the prophets… (GW)

who lead My people astray: Some translations interpret the Hebrew phrase “my people” as referring to Micah’s people, since Micah is the one quoting God. The BSB chose to translate the phrase My people to refer to God’s people. The phrase My people refers to Micah’s people. See the Note about this phrase at 1:9c.

The phrase lead…astray (present tense) means that the wicked prophets habitually or frequently pretended that their messages were from the LORD. But actually, their words were lies that deceived or misled the people. They did not warn the people that the LORD would punish them if they did not turn from their sins.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

who regularly deceive my people

who mislead my people (GW)

who teach my people the wrong way to live (based on NCV)

3:5b

who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth,

If people give those prophets food, they loudly say, “All will go well for you^(plur)!”
If people feed those prophets as payment for their message, they proclaim this message: “You will prosper!”
Those prophets speak a good message to people who give them food. They promise them, “You will have a good life!”

who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth: In Hebrew, the verb proclaim means “to speak loudly,” “to proclaim a message.”

peace: These prophets proclaim that there will be peace (šalom in Hebrew). This word means more than just no fighting or no noise. It means “wholeness,” “prosperity,” or “well-being.” It refers to the happy life of a person whom God blesses.UBS (page 174).

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate peace as a sentence. For example:

“You will prosper.”

“Your life will be happy and safe.”

while they chew with their teeth: Here, this clause means “to bite food,” in other words, to eat.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

who promise prosperity in return for food (REB)

If these prophets are given food to eat, they shout, “Peace!” (NCV, quote marks adjusted)

If people give those prophets food to eat, they loudly proclaim this message, “You will be safe and happy.”

It was the custom in Israel to give food or money to prophets to help them. But the prophets that Micah talked about here were not honest. If people paid them or gave them food, they preached messages of peace and prosperity instead of warning the people to repent.

3:5c

but declare war against one who puts nothing in their mouths:

But if people do not feed them, they fight a war against them.
But they oppose any people who do not give them food.
But if people don’t give them anything as payment, they threaten them, saying, “The Lord will destroy you!”

but declare war against one who puts nothing in their mouths: If a person did not give food to these prophets, they did not preach messages of peace and prosperity. Instead they declare war against those people.

declare war: Other versions translate this phrase in these ways:

prepare to wage war (NIV)

threaten war (GNT)

declare a holy war (GW)

This is a figure of speech called a hyperbole. These prophets did not literally declare war against people who did not give them food. Perhaps the prophets spoke angrily to them. Perhaps they preached messages against them. Perhaps they cursed them, saying, “God will destroy you!”

If a literal translation of this figure of speech is not clear or natural, you may want to translate it another way. For example:

But if people do not give them food to eat, they threaten disaster on them.

But they speak angrily against anyone who does not give them food.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

(Occurrence 0) who lead my people astray

(Some words not found in UHB: thus he/it_had_said YHWH on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in the,prophets [who],mislead DOM people_of,my [who],bite with,their_of,teeth and,they_proclaim peace and=which not he/it_gave on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in mouth_of,their and,they_consecrate on/upon/above=him/it war )

Walking on a good path is a metaphor for obeying God. Going astray from the path is a metaphor for disobeying God, in this case perhaps without knowing it. Alternate translation: “who lead my people to disobey me”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

(Occurrence 0) if one gives them something to eat, they proclaim, ‘Peace.’

Micah is using a metaphor to describe a situation that actually happens. Alternate translation: “they tell people who pay them even a small amount that things will go well for those people.”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

(Occurrence 0) if he puts nothing in their mouths, they dedicate themselves to wage war on him

Micah is using a metaphor to describe a situation that actually happens. Alternate translation: “they do all they can to destroy people who pay them too little”

Parallel MIC 3:5

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

Paragraph 3:5–8

3:5

3:5a

3:5b

3:5c