The Meaning of Micah 3:3 Explained

Micah 3:3

KJV: Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

YLT: And who have eaten the flesh of My people, And their skin from off them have stript, And their bones they have broken, And they have spread them out as in a pot, And as flesh in the midst of a caldron.

Darby: and who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces as for the pot, and as flesh within the cauldron.

ASV: who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who also eat  the flesh  of my people,  and flay  their skin  from off them; and they break  their bones,  and chop them in pieces,  as for the pot,  and as flesh  within  the caldron. 

What does Micah 3:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Micah 3:1-12 - The Punishment Of Avarice
The princes who as magistrates should have administered justice to others sat around the caldron, casting in the very flesh and skin of the people whom they were set to rule. Their perversion of justice would lead to their inability to distinguish between evil and good. Sin not only sears the conscience but darkens the understanding, Ephesians 4:18. Their punishment would be like their guilt. As they had refused the cry of the oppressed, so would God refuse theirs. The false prophets had wilfully misled the people. Their one desire was to get food. For those who provided it, they uttered peace; for those who opposed them, war. Therefore they would be left without a vision; God's Spirit would cease to strive. How great the contrast between them and Micah, who spoke with the consciousness of spiritual power! Oh, that every minister and teacher of God's holy gospel were able to utter Micah 3:8! It may be ours through the Holy Spirit. [source]

Chapter Summary: Micah 3

1  The cruelty of the princes
5  The falsehood of the prophets
8  The false security of them both

What do the individual words in Micah 3:3 mean?

and who eat the flesh of My people and their skin from them Flay and their bones Break and chop [them] in pieces Like [meat] for the pot and Like flesh in the caldron
וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָכְלוּ֮ שְׁאֵ֣ר עַמִּי֒ וְעוֹרָם֙ מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם הִפְשִׁ֔יטוּ וְאֶת־ עַצְמֹֽתֵיהֶ֖ם פִּצֵּ֑חוּ וּפָרְשׂוּ֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּסִּ֔יר וּכְבָשָׂ֖ר בְּת֥וֹךְ קַלָּֽחַת

וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר  and  who 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אָכְלוּ֮  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
שְׁאֵ֣ר  the  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שְׁאֵר  
Sense: flesh, food, body, near kin, near kinswoman.
עַמִּי֒  of  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְעוֹרָם֙  and  their  skin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹור  
Sense: skin, hide.
מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם  from  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הִפְשִׁ֔יטוּ  Flay 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּשַׁט  
Sense: to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out.
עַצְמֹֽתֵיהֶ֖ם  their  bones 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
פִּצֵּ֑חוּ  Break 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּצַח 
Sense: to cause to break or burst forth, break forth with, break out.
וּפָרְשׂוּ֙  and  chop  [them]  in  pieces 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר  Like  [meat] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּסִּ֔יר  for  the  pot 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: סִיר 
Sense: pot.
וּכְבָשָׂ֖ר  and  Like  flesh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
קַלָּֽחַת  the  caldron 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קַלַּחַת  
Sense: caldron, pot, kettle.

What are the major concepts related to Micah 3:3?

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