John Calvin Commentary Micah 2:6

"Prophesy ye not, [thus] they prophesy. They shall not prophesy to these: reproaches shall not depart." — Micah 2:6 (ASV)

Here, the conciseness of the expressions has caused interpreters to hold different views. Some read it as follows: Do not distill, — they will distill. This means that the Jews speak against the prophets and, with threats and an air of authority, forbid them to address them. The Hebrew word "distill" means the same as "to speak," though it is more commonly applied to weighty addresses than to common and ordinary ones.

If anyone understands they will distill (or speak) as referring to the Jews, then the Prophet is pointing out their arrogance in daring to contend with God’s prophets and in trying to silence them and force them into submission. Indeed, we find that ungodly men act this way when they wish to take away the freedom of teaching from God’s prophets, for they resist as though they themselves were doubly and triply prophets.

So also in this place, Do not distill means the Jews are saying, "Let not the servants of God prophesy." But some think that a relative pronoun is implied: Do not distill for those who distill. This would mean that ungodly men would not tolerate God’s prophets and would thus prevent and restrain them from speaking as much as they could.

Others make this distinction: Do not distill — they shall distill, as though the Jews said the first part, and God the second. Do not distill — this was the voice of the ungodly and rebellious people, who would cast away from themselves and reject all instruction. But God, on the other hand, opposed them and said, No, they shall distill. You forbid it, but it is not in your power; I have sent them. Though you may rage and clamor a hundred times, it is My will that they should continue in their course.

Thus, we see how varied the explanations are. Even concerning the other part of the verse, there is no more agreement among interpreters. Regarding the clause, They shall not distill, it is sufficiently evident that God here intimates that there would now be an end to all prophecies. How so?

Because He would not make His servants an object of ridicule and subject them to reproach. This is the true meaning.

Yet some take another view, as though the Prophet continued his sentence, They shall not distill, so that the people would not receive reproaches. For the ungodly think that if they close the mouths of the prophets, all things would be lawful for them, their crimes would be hidden, and, in short, their vices would not be called to account. This is as though their wickedness were not in itself sufficiently reproachful, even if God sent no prophets and no reproof were given.

No doubt, profane men are so foolish as to think themselves free from all reproach when God is silent and when they reject all instruction. Therefore, some think that this passage is to be understood in this sense.

But I consider the meaning to be what I have stated, for he had previously said, Do not distill, you who distill. That is, "You prophets, be no longer troublesome to us! Why do you assail our ears?"

"We can no longer bear your boldness; therefore, be silent." Thus, he expressly introduced the Jews as speaking with authority, as though it were in their power to restrain the prophets from doing their duty.

Now follows, as I think, God's answer: They shall not distill, so that the prophet may not suffer reproach.

"Since I see that My doctrine is intolerable to you, since I find such great and shameful loathing, I will take away My prophets from you. I will therefore rest and be silent from now on. Why? Because I accomplish nothing; no, I subject My prophets to reproaches, for they labor in vain when speaking; they pour out words that produce no fruit, for you are altogether irreclaimable.

Indeed, since they are treated reproachfully by you, their condition is worse than if they were covered with all the disgrace of having been criminals. Since, then, I subject My prophets to reproach, I will not allow them to be mocked by you in this way. They shall therefore cease; they shall prophesy no longer."

But the Lord could not have threatened the Jews with anything worse or more dreadful than with this immunity — namely, that they should no longer hear anything that might disturb them.

For it is an extreme curse when God gives us free rein and allows us, with unbridled liberty, to rush headlong into evils, as it were, as though He had delivered us up to Satan to be his slaves.

Since this is so, let us be assured that it is an awful threatening when He says, They shall not distill, lest they should afterward become objects of reproach.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as You are pleased to test our patience by requiring mutual justice and the acts of love and benevolence — O grant that we may not be wolves to one another, but show ourselves to be truly Your children by observing all those duties of justice and kindness which You command. May we thus follow what is right and just throughout the whole course of our lives, so that we may at last enjoy that blessedness which is laid up for us in heaven, through Christ our Lord. Amen.