Micah 3:7
Micah 3:7 in Multiple Translations
Then the seers will be ashamed and the diviners will be disgraced. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God.”
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
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.
And the seers will be shamed, and the readers of the future will be at a loss, all of them covering their lips; for there is no answer from God.
The seers will be disgraced, the fortune-tellers put to shame, and they will cover their faces because none of them receive any answer from God.
Then shall the Seers bee ashamed, and the southsayers confounded: yea, they shall all couer their lippes, for they haue none answere of God.
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.
The seers shall be disappointed, and the diviners confounded. Yes, they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God.”
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yes, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
And they shall be confounded that see visions, and the diviners shall be confounded: and they shall all cover their faces, because there is no answer of God.
Then you ◄seers/people who predict what will happen in the future► [DOU] will be disgraced; you will cover your faces because you will be ashamed, because when you ask me what will happen, there will be no answer from me.”
Berean Amplified Bible — Micah 3:7
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Micah 3:7 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וּ/בֹ֣שׁוּ
הַ/חֹזִ֗ים
וְ/חָֽפְרוּ֙
הַ/קֹּ֣סְמִ֔ים
וְ/עָט֥וּ
עַל
שָׂפָ֖ם
כֻּלָּ֑/ם
כִּ֛י
אֵ֥ין
מַעֲנֵ֖ה
אֱלֹהִֽים
וּ/בֹ֣שׁוּ
bûwsh
H954
be ashamed
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
הַ/חֹזִ֗ים
chôzeh
H2374
seer
Art | V-Qal
וְ/חָֽפְרוּ֙
châphêr
H2659
be ashamed
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
הַ/קֹּ֣סְמִ֔ים
qâçam
H7080
to divine
Art | V-Qal
וְ/עָט֥וּ
ʻâṭâh
H5844
to enwrap
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
עַל
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep
שָׂפָ֖ם
sâphâm
H8222
mustache
N-ms
כֻּלָּ֑/ם
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms | Suff
כִּ֛י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
אֵ֥ין
ʼayin
H369
nothing
Part
מַעֲנֵ֖ה
maʻăneh
H4617
answer
N-ms
אֱלֹהִֽים
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
God
N-mp
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Micah 3:7
וּ/בֹ֣שׁוּ
bûwsh
H954
"be ashamed"
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
To be ashamed is what this Hebrew word means, implying a feeling of guilt or disappointment. It is used to describe someone who is disconcerted or delayed, like in the story of Adam and Eve. Shame is a strong emotion.
Definition: 1) to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to feel shame 1a2) to be ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed (by reason of) 1b) (Piel) to delay (in shame) 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to put to shame 1c2) to act shamefully 1c3) to be ashamed 1d) (Hithpolel) to be ashamed before one another
Usage: Occurs in 105 OT verses. KJV: (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-) shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry, delay, be long. See also: Genesis 2:25; Isaiah 24:23; Psalms 6:11.
הַ/חֹזִ֗ים
chôzeh
H2374
"seer"
Art | V-Qal
A seer or prophet, someone who receives visions from God, like those mentioned in 1 Samuel and Isaiah. This word is used to describe people with spiritual insight.
Definition: 1) seer 1a) seer 1b) vision
Usage: Occurs in 21 OT verses. KJV: agreement, prophet, see that, seer, (star-) gazer. See also: 2 Samuel 24:11; 2 Chronicles 33:18; Isaiah 28:15.
וְ/חָֽפְרוּ֙
châphêr
H2659
"be ashamed"
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
Châphêr means to be ashamed or blush, often used to describe feeling embarrassed or guilty. In Ezra 9:6, the people are ashamed of their sins, recognizing their wrongdoing. It involves a sense of regret.
Definition: 1) to be ashamed, be confounded, be abashed, feel abashed 1a) (Qal) to be ashamed, be abashed 1b) (Hiphil) to display shame, demonstrate shame, cause embarrassment
Usage: Occurs in 17 OT verses. KJV: be ashamed, be confounded, be brought to confusion (unto shame), come (be put to) shame, bring reproach. See also: Job 6:20; Proverbs 13:5; Psalms 34:6.
הַ/קֹּ֣סְמִ֔ים
qâçam
H7080
"to divine"
Art | V-Qal
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to use magic or divination to predict the future, like Balaam did. It's often associated with false prophets and forbidden practices. This concept appears in various books, including Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Definition: 1) (Qal) to practice divination, divine 1a) of diviners of the nations, Balaam 1b) of false prophets of Israel 1c) prohibited
Usage: Occurs in 20 OT verses. KJV: divine(-r, -ation), prudent, soothsayer, use (divination). See also: Deuteronomy 18:10; Ezekiel 13:9; Isaiah 3:2.
וְ/עָט֥וּ
ʻâṭâh
H5844
"to enwrap"
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
This verb means to grasp or cover something, like wrapping oneself in a cloak. It is used in Exodus 28:42 to describe the clothing of the priests. It can also mean to turn aside or change direction.
Definition: 1) to cover, enwrap, wrap oneself, envelop oneself 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to wrap, envelop oneself 1a2) to cover (the beard in mourning) 1a3) mourner, one who covers (participle) 1b) (Hiphil) to cover, enwrap, envelop
Usage: Occurs in 15 OT verses. KJV: array self, be clad, (put a) cover (-ing, self), fill, put on, [idiom] surely, turn aside. See also: Leviticus 13:45; Psalms 109:29; Psalms 71:13.
עַל
ʻal
H5921
"upon"
Prep
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) 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 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
שָׂפָ֖ם
sâphâm
H8222
"mustache"
N-ms
A mustache or beard is a facial hair growth. In the Bible, it is sometimes used to describe a person's appearance or to symbolize age and wisdom.
Definition: moustache
Usage: Occurs in 5 OT verses. KJV: beard, (upper) lip. See also: Leviticus 13:45; Ezekiel 24:17; Micah 3:7.
כֻּלָּ֑/ם
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms | Suff
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
כִּ֛י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
אֵ֥ין
ʼayin
H369
"nothing"
Part
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Definition: 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן). See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 14:27; 1 Kings 15:22.
מַעֲנֵ֖ה
maʻăneh
H4617
"answer"
N-ms
This word means a response or answer to something, like a reply to a question. It can be a positive or negative response, and is used in the Bible to describe interactions between people.
Definition: 1) answer, response 2) (TWOT) place for task
Usage: Occurs in 8 OT verses. KJV: answer, [idiom] himself. See also: Job 32:3; Proverbs 16:1; Proverbs 15:1.
אֱלֹהִֽים
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
"God"
N-mp
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Definition: This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
Usage: Occurs in 2246 OT verses. KJV: angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 22:12; Exodus 3:11.
Study Notes — Micah 3:7
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Micah 3:7 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Micah 3:7
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Micah 3:7
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Micah 3:7
- Trapp's Commentary on Micah 3:7
- Ellicott's Commentary on Micah 3:7
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Micah 3:7
- Cambridge Bible on Micah 3:7
- Barnes' Notes on Micah 3:7
- Whedon's Commentary on Micah 3:7
- Sermons on Micah 3:7
Context — Rulers and Prophets Condemned
5This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their mouths:
6Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them.
7Then the seers will be ashamed and the diviners will be disgraced. They will all cover their mouths because there is no answer from God.”
8As for me, however, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, with justice and courage, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. 9Now hear this, O leaders of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and pervert all that is right,Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zechariah 13:4 | And on that day every prophet who prophesies will be ashamed of his vision, and he will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive. |
| 2 | Isaiah 44:25 | who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense, |
| 3 | 1 Samuel 28:6 | He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. |
| 4 | Ezekiel 24:17 | Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.” |
| 5 | Leviticus 13:45 | A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ |
| 6 | Amos 8:11 | Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. |
| 7 | Isaiah 47:12–14 | So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror! You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you— your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside. |
| 8 | Psalms 74:9 | There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last. |
| 9 | Exodus 8:18–19 | The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast. “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. |
| 10 | 1 Samuel 28:15 | Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.” |
Micah 3:7 Summary
This verse is saying that people who claim to have special spiritual knowledge or insight will be embarrassed and ashamed because they don't really have any message from God. They will be quiet because they have nothing to say, as there is no answer from God. This reminds us to be careful about who we listen to for spiritual guidance, and instead seek the true word of God, as encouraged in Psalm 119:105, which says that God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. By seeking God's word and listening to His voice, we can have true guidance and direction in our lives, as promised in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for the seers to be ashamed and the diviners to be disgraced in Micah 3:7?
This means that those who claim to have spiritual insight or guidance will be humiliated because they have no true word from God, as seen in the lack of answer from Him, much like the prophets in Isaiah 44:25 who are put to shame.
Why will the seers and diviners cover their mouths?
They will cover their mouths because they have no answer from God, indicating their inability to provide spiritual guidance, much like the false prophets in Ezekiel 13:6 who speak visions from their own minds.
Is this verse talking about all prophets or just some?
This verse is specifically addressing the false prophets who lead God's people astray, as mentioned in Micah 3:5, and not the true prophets who speak the word of the Lord, like Micah himself in Micah 3:8.
How does this relate to our lives today?
This verse reminds us to be cautious of false spiritual guidance and to seek the true word of God, as encouraged in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which tells us that all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways in which I may be seeking guidance from false sources, and how can I instead seek the true word of God?
- How can I discern between true and false prophets or spiritual leaders in my life, and what role does the Bible play in this discernment?
- In what ways can I, like Micah, be filled with power by the Spirit of the Lord to declare God's truth to those around me, as seen in Micah 3:8?
- What are some areas in my life where I need to seek a true answer from God, and how can I quiet my heart to hear His voice?
Gill's Exposition on Micah 3:7
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded,.... When the events of things will make it most clearly appear to all that their visions, divinations, and prophecies, are false; they
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Micah 3:7
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Micah 3:7
Then; in the days of this calamity, which shall confute all the flattering promises of these prophets. The seers, who called themselves, were accounted by others, and were advised with as men that had visions from God, were prophets in name and repute with the deceived people. Be ashamed; their impostures being detected, they shall be covered with shame, the people shall talk what they are, and tell them to their faces wherever they meet them that they are false and lying varlets, not worthy to live, and the very consciences of these men shall then fly in their faces and upbraid them. The diviners confounded; diviners here are seers, slid being confounded the same with ashamed; this ingemination adds to the thing spoken, at least a fuller verification of it. They shall all cover their lips; so lepers did, ; and men ashamed and mourners did thus, ,22. So these shall mourn and pine in their shame. For there is no answer of God; God doth not answer them; rather, because the answer they had formerly given and pretended to be from God now appears not to have been from him, they should therefore by the sentence of the law be stoned, : so Elijah dealt with Baal’ s prophets, and it is like these false prophets detected might fear the like from those they had deceived.
Trapp's Commentary on Micah 3:7
Micah 3:7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for [there is] no answer of God.Ver. 7. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded] They shall be hissed and hooted at for impostors and falsaries; shame shall be the promotion of these fools, as it is at this day of the heathen philosophers, of the Jewish Rabbis, of the Popish doctors and schoolmen, who once carried the hell for most acute and accurate divines, but now appear to be great triflers; a rotten generation of dunghilldivines, as one styleth them: in detestation of whose vain jangling and noting about questions, 1 Timothy 6:4, Luther saith, Prope est ut iurem, &c., I could swear almost that there was not a schoolman that understood one chapter of the Gospel (Luth. tom. 1, oper. lat. Ephesians 47). Latimer professed that by hearing Bilney’ s confession he learned more than before in many years. So from that time forward, saith he, I began to smell the word of God, and forsake the school doctors and such fooleries. Yea, they shall all cover their lips] And stand aloof, as lepers. See Leviticus 13:45 Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:22. Or they shall leave off their lying; for I will stop their mouths, that they shall not hereafter so much as mute any more, Ego illis os claudam (Calv.). The Septuagint render it, All men shall abhor them, shall open their lips against them. Montanus, involvent mystacem suam, they shall wrap up their moustaches, which (saith a Lapide) the false prophets wore upon their upper lip, et incedebant comptuli, and went neatly trimmed, as do now the Calvinistic ministers.
But if some do so, yet this is better than the Popish priests shaving, which is a ceremony so bald, that some priests in France are ashamed of the mark; and few of them have it that can handsomely avoid it. For there is no answer of God] He comes not at them, as sometimes he did to Abimelech, Laban, Balaam; neither speak they according to his word, for what reaons? "there is no light in them," Isaiah 8:20. The philosophers "professing themselves to be wise" (but wanting the wisdom from above) "became fools," Romans 1:22. The Pharisees, had they known anything aright and as they ought, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, 1 Corinthians 2:8. Oracles they had, and miracles enough; but they "rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized," Luke 7:30; or if they were, yet remained they a viperous brood, Matthew 3:7, and never attained to that answer of a good conscience toward God, 1 Peter 3:21. The schoolmen often cite the philosophers, seldom the apostles; they count the authority of Fathers as good as that of Scriptures: neither doubt they to call the writings of the Fathers by the name of Scripture ( Lombard passim). Was not this to set "men’ s threshold by God’ s threshold; and their posts by his posts," Ezekiel 43:8.
Ellicott's Commentary on Micah 3:7
(7) They shall all cover their lips.—As the lepers, who were cut off from all communication with men, so also these false prophets, being cut off from all communion with God, were to “put a covering upon the upper lip.” It was also a sign of mourning for one dead, and Ezekiel was commanded to awaken the astonishment of the people by omitting to cover his upper lip when his wife died.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Micah 3:7
Verse 7. Shall the seers be ashamed] For the false visions of comfort and prosperity which they pretended to see. And the diviners confounded] Who pretended to foretell future prosperity; for they themselves are now thralled in that very captivity which the true prophets foretold, and which the false prophets said should not happen.
Cambridge Bible on Micah 3:7
7. their lips] Rather, their beard; the phrase includes the face up to the nose. A sign of mourning, Leviticus 13:45, Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:22.
Barnes' Notes on Micah 3:7
They shall cover their lips - Literally, the hair of the upper lip . This was an action enjoined on lepers Leviticus 13:45, and a token of mourning Ezekiel 24:17, Ezekiel 24:22; a token then of sorrow and uncleanness.
Whedon's Commentary on Micah 3:7
Micah 3:6-7 are addressed directly to the mercenary prophets, not to the “heads” of the nation. Night… dark — Figures of calamity and distress.
Sermons on Micah 3:7
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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The Three Prayers (Part 4) by Ron Bailey | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the story of Isaiah and his encounter with God's judgment upon Babylon. Isaiah is overwhelmed with fear as he witnesses the destruction that |
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(Demonology) Wizards Witches Sorcery Spiritism by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the audience and informs them that there are books available for purchase. However, these books are specifically made for the audience and not |
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Pure Heart, Pure Church - Part 3 by Leonard Ravenhill | This sermon delves into the consequences of forsaking God, using the example of a man who was once anointed by the Holy Spirit but tragically ended his life in suicide. It emphasiz |
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Commentary Notes - I Samuel by Walter Beuttler | Walter Beuttler preaches on the Book of I Samuel, highlighting the transition of Israel from a theocracy to a monarchy through the rise and fall of King Saul. The key theme of the |
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Divine Silence and Human Despair by Horatius Bonar | Horatius Bonar explores the themes of divine silence and human despair through the tragic story of King Saul, who, in a moment of desperation, seeks counsel from a medium after God |
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Can You Hear Me Now? by Ingimar De Ridder | Ingimar De Ridder preaches on the profound impact of God's silence in 1 Samuel 28:6, highlighting the desperation and emptiness that comes when we cannot hear from God. He emphasiz |
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How to Have a Personal Revival by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of having a personal revival. He encourages listeners to set their faces like flint, meaning to have a determined and unwaver |