Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.
Prophesy ye not, say they - namely, the Israelites say to the true prophets, when announcing unwelcome truths. Prophesy ye not, say they - namely, the Israelites say to the true prophets, when announcing unwelcome truths.
They shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame. Therefore God, judicially abandons them to their own ways: 'The prophets, by whose ministry they might have been saved from shame (ignominious captivity), shall not (i:e., no longer) prophesy to them' (Isaiah 30:10, "Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits;" Amos 2:12; so Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos the prophet, "Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac," Amos 7:16). Maurer translates, 'Do not drop thy word ... they (the Israelites) drop their word: they (the true prophets) shall not (i:e., let them not) drop their word concerning such things; their (the prophets') insults (to us) never cease.' The 'such things' are those which Micah had uttered against them (Micah 2:3-5). The English version is supported by the parallelism; wherein the similarity of sound and words implies how exactly God makes their punishment answer to their sin, and takes them at their own word. "Prophesy" - literally drop (Deuteronomy 32:2; Ezekiel 21:2, "Drop (the same Hebrew as here) thy word toward the holy places"). The last clause, perhaps, had better, be translated, 'shame shall not depart from them'-literally 'calumnies depart not' х lo' (H3808) yicag (H5253) kªlimowt (H3639)]. If the verb be translated take, still the noun feminine plural is nominative, as often occurs in Hebrew, to the verb singular; so that the English version, literally would be. 'They (the prophets) shall not prophesy them (the Israelites), that shame (literally shames) should not take them (the Israelites).' Micah adopts the inspired language of his immediate predecessor (Amos 7:16).