Mikha 2:8

2:8 but you rise up as an enemy against my people. ¹ 

You steal a robe from a friend, ² 

from those who pass by peacefully as if returning from a war. ³ 

Mikha 7:2-3

7:2 Faithful men have disappeared ⁴  from the land;

there are no godly men left. ⁵ 

They all wait in ambush so they can shed blood; ⁶ 

they hunt their own brother with a net. ⁷ 

7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; ⁸ 

government officials and judges take bribes, ⁹ 

prominent men make demands,

and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. ¹⁰ 

[2:8]  ¹ tc Heb “Recently my people rise up as an enemy.” The MT is problematic in light of v. 9, where “my people” are the object of oppression, not the perpetrators of it. The form וְאֶתְמוּל (vÿ’etmul, “and recently”) is probably the product of fusion and subsequent suppression of an (ע) ayin. The translation assumes an emendation to וְאַתֶּם עַל (vÿ’attem ’al, “and you against [my people]”). The second person plural pronoun fits well with the second plural verb forms of vv. 8b-10. If this emendation is accepted, then יְקוֹמֵם (yÿqomem, the imperfect of קוּם [qum]) should be emended to קָמִים (qamim; a participle from the same root).

[2:8]  ² tc Heb “From the front of a garment glory [or perhaps, “a robe”] you strip off,” but this makes little if any sense. The term מִמּוּל (mimmul, “from the front of”) is probably the product of dittography (note the preceding word, which ends in [ם] mem) and subsequent suppression of ע (ayin). The translation assumes an emendation to מֵעַל (me’al, “from upon”). The translation also assumes an emendation of שַׂלְמָה אֶדֶר (salmah ’eder, “a garment, glory [or robe]”) to שֹׁלְמִים אֲדֶרֶת (sholÿmim ’aderet, “[from] a friend the robe [you strip off]”). The MT’s אֶדֶר (’eder) is the result of misdivision (the article has erroneously been attached to the preceding word) and haplography (of the final tav, which also begins the following word).

[2:8]  ³ tc The passive participle שׁוּבֵי (shuvey) is unattested elsewhere and should be emended to a participle שָׁבִים (shavim).

[2:8]  tn Heb “from those passing by peacefully, returnees from war.” Actual refugees, however, are probably not in view. The second line compares those who pass by peacefully with individuals returning from war. The battle is over and they do not expect their own countrymen to attack them.

[7:2]  ⁴ tn Or “have perished”; “have been destroyed.”

[7:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “and an upright one among men there is not.”

[7:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “for bloodshed” (so NASB); TEV “for a chance to commit murder.”

[7:2]  ⁷ sn Micah compares these ungodly people to hunters trying to capture their prey with a net.

[7:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”

[7:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”

[7:3]  ¹⁰ tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.