The Meaning of Micah 3:7 Explained

Micah 3:7

KJV: Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.

YLT: And ashamed have been the seers, And confounded have been the diviners, And covered their lip have all of them, For their is no answer, O God.

Darby: And the seers shall be ashamed, and the diviners confounded; and they shall all cover their lips, for there will be no answer of God.

ASV: And the seers shall be put to shame, and the diviners confounded; yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then shall the seers  be ashamed,  and the diviners  confounded:  yea, they shall all cover  their lips;  for [there is] no answer  of God. 

What does Micah 3:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Seers and diviners would suffer embarrassment because they would not be able to come up with any word from the Lord when the people asked for it. Covering the face was a sign of mourning (cf. Leviticus 13:45; Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:22).
"Like unclean lepers they will go about with covered moustaches (faces, NIV Hebrews , shapim) the very area of their abused gift (cf. Leviticus 13:45." [1]
Seers received visions ( Micah 3:6), and diviners practiced divination ( Micah 3:6) to ascertain the future. The title "seer" is an old one describing a prophet ( 1 Samuel 9:9), but "diviners" sought knowledge of the future through illegitimate means and were outlawed in Israel (cf. Deuteronomy 18:10). Thus these two titles were derogatory terms for the false prophets.
"True prophets had insight into Israel"s history from a sympathy with God"s kingdom perspective; false prophets could not discern the hand of God in history because they saw life through vested interests. True prophets conditioned the nation"s well-being on its fidelity to the Lord, whereas false prophets arrogantly conditioned it on fidelity to themselves. True prophets seek the Lord"s gain; false prophets their own." [2]

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 3:7 mean?

So shall be ashamed the seers and abashed The diviners and indeed they shall cover on lips all their for [there is] no answer from God
וּבֹ֣שׁוּ הַחֹזִ֗ים וְחָֽפְרוּ֙ הַקֹּ֣סְמִ֔ים וְעָט֥וּ עַל־ שָׂפָ֖ם כֻּלָּ֑ם כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין מַעֲנֵ֖ה אֱלֹהִֽים

וּבֹ֣שׁוּ  So  shall  be  ashamed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
הַחֹזִ֗ים  the  seers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹזֶה 
Sense: seer.
וְחָֽפְרוּ֙  and  abashed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָפַר  
Sense: to be ashamed, be confounded, be abashed, feel abashed.
הַקֹּ֣סְמִ֔ים  The  diviners 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: קָסַם  
Sense: (Qal) to practice divination, divine.
וְעָט֥וּ  and  indeed  they  shall  cover 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָטָה 
Sense: to cover, enwrap, wrap oneself, envelop oneself.
שָׂפָ֖ם  lips 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׂפָם  
Sense: moustache.
כֻּלָּ֑ם  all  their 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֵ֥ין  [there  is]  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַעֲנֵ֖ה  answer  from 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲנֶה 
Sense: answer, response.
אֱלֹהִֽים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).