The Meaning of Micah 2:6 Explained

Micah 2:6

KJV: Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.

YLT: Ye do not prophesy -- they do prophesy, They do not prophesy to these, It doth not remove shame.

Darby: Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. If they do not prophesy to these, the ignominy will not depart.

ASV: Prophesy ye not, thus they prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these: reproaches shall not depart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Prophesy  ye not, [say they to them that] prophesy:  they shall not prophesy  to them, [that] they shall not take  shame. 

What does Micah 2:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The writer used another wordplay. False prophets were "speaking out" (lit. "dripping," Heb. natap) and telling Micah not to "speak out," not to announce the message of coming judgment for sin. These prophets were trying to silence him because they did not like his message (cf. Isaiah 30:10; Amos 7:10-13). They were saying that Micah and his fellow true prophets, such as Isaiah , should not prophesy as they were doing. As long as they did, disgrace (for the sins they were charging the people with) would not leave the Israelites. This preferable interpretation sees the second and third lines of the verse as the words of the false prophets as well as the first part of the first line. The NASB translation interpreted the last two lines as the words of Micah.

Context Summary

Micah 2:1-13 - The Harvest Of Greed And Injustice
Micah 1:1-16 dealt with sins against the first table of the law; this deals with those against the second. Evil must sooner or later befall those who devise evil against their neighbors, covet their goods, and oppress their persons. So absolute would be the destruction, that estates would no longer descend from father to son, or be measured by lot, Micah 2:5; and the people would become hard and callous to the prophet's voice, Micah 2:6. Yet through it all God's Spirit would yearn over His people, Micah 2:7-13; His words would still comfort humble souls. But the cruelty of men who despoiled their poor neighbors, not only of their ornaments but of the tunic next their skin, would bring disaster upon the entire nation. The guilty people must prepare to arise and depart, for Canaan could no longer be their home.
But even from captivity God would restore His people, breaking the way through walls of difficulty. Our Breaker is the Lord Jesus who broke the way for us from the prison-house of death. Let us follow Him as He passes on His way to victory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Micah 2

1  Against oppression
4  A lamentation
7  A reproof of injustice and idolatry
12  A promise to restore Jacob

What do the individual words in Micah 2:6 mean?

Not do prattle [you say to those] who prophesy not so they shall prophesy to these not they shall return insult for [insult]
אַל־ תַּטִּ֖פוּ יַטִּיפ֑וּן לֹֽא־ יַטִּ֣פוּ לָאֵ֔לֶּה לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖ג כְּלִמּֽוֹת

תַּטִּ֖פוּ  do  prattle 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָטַף  
Sense: to drop, drip, distil, prophesy, preach, discourse.
יַטִּיפ֑וּן  [you  say  to  those]  who  prophesy 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: נָטַף  
Sense: to drop, drip, distil, prophesy, preach, discourse.
יַטִּ֣פוּ  so  they  shall  prophesy 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָטַף  
Sense: to drop, drip, distil, prophesy, preach, discourse.
לָאֵ֔לֶּה  to  these 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
יִסַּ֖ג  they  shall  return 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּג  
Sense: to move away, backslide, move, go, turn back.
כְּלִמּֽוֹת  insult  for  [insult] 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: כְּלִמָּה  
Sense: disgrace, reproach, shame, confusion, dishonour, insult, ignominy.