For
the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
Micah 7:6
Micah 7 [1.] Misery is mine!
Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard:
There is no cluster of grapes to eat.
My soul desires to eat the early fig.
The godly man has perished out of the earth,
and there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
every man hunts his brother with a net.
Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently.
The ruler and judge ask for a bribe;
and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul.
Thus they conspire together.
The best of them is like a brier.
The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen,
even your visitation, has come;
now is the time of their confusion.
Micah 7 [5.] Don’t trust in a neighbor.
Don’t put confidence in a friend.
With the woman lying in your embrace,
be careful of the words of your mouth!
For the son dishonors the father,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.
But as for me, I will look to Yahweh.
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.
Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy.
When I fall, I will arise.
When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of Yahweh,
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light.
I will see his righteousness.
Micah 7 [10.] Then my enemy will see it,
and shame will cover her who said to me,
where is Yahweh your God?
Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame.
Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.
A day to build your walls—
In that day, he will extend your boundary.
In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
and from Egypt even to the River,
and from sea to sea,
and mountain to mountain.
Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein,
for the fruit of their doings.
Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your heritage,
who dwell by themselves in a forest,
in the middle of fertile pasture land, let them feed;
in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.
Meaning:
Micah prophesied in Judah in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, in the eighth century BC (Micah 1:1). In chapter 7 he laments the moral collapse of his nation: “The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men” (Micah 7:2). Then he warns, “Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend.” This verse shows how deep the corruption has gone: even the family has broken down.
- “For the son dishonors the father”
The law commanded, “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). When sons openly despise their fathers, society has lost its moral centre.
- “a man’s enemies are the men of his own house”
The breakdown reaches every relationship, even between a married woman and her husband’s mother, who usually shared the same household. Those who should protect a person have become his enemies.
- “But as for me, I will look to Yahweh”
Micah does not end in despair. The next verse turns from the failure of people to the faithfulness of God: “I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me” (Micah 7:7). The book closes with praise to the God who pardons iniquity and delights in loving kindness (Micah 7:18).
- Quoted by Jesus
Jesus quoted this verse when he sent out the twelve. He warned, “A man’s foes will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:35; Matthew 10:36-37). In Micah the family is divided by wickedness; in Jesus’ words it is divided by different responses to him.
The Significance of Micah 7:6
- When people fail, God remains
Micah found that even family could not be trusted, yet he chose to look to Yahweh. When human relationships fail, believers can still trust the God who hears them.
- Faithfulness at home
Families are not immune to division, but God’s people are called to honour parents and to love those in their own household, even when it costs them.
Cross-References:
Matthew 10:35: "For I came to set a man at odds against his father," Jesus applies Micah’s words to his followers.
Exodus 20:12: "Honor your father and your mother," The command that was being broken.
Micah 7:18: "Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity," The hope with which Micah ends.
Conclusion: Micah described a society so corrupt that sons dishonoured fathers and a person’s enemies were in his own household. Yet he turned from despair to hope, looking to the God of his salvation. Jesus quoted these words to warn that following him could divide families. In every age, when others fail, God remains faithful to those who wait for him.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible