John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"If a man walking in a spirit of falsehood do lie, [saying], I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people." — Micah 2:11 (ASV)
If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie Who pretends to be a prophet, and a spiritual man, and to be under the inspiration and influence of the Spirit of God, but utters nothing but lies and falsehoods; or who is actuated by a spirit of falsehood and lying; or, as in the margin, "walks with the wind, and lies falsely"; is full of wind and vanity; "after the wind" F23 ; and follows the dictates of his vain mind, and coins lies, and speaks false things:
[saying], I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink ; or "drop [a word] unto thee" F24 ; that there will be good times, and nothing but good eating and drinking; and that men need not fear such dismal things befalling them as the prophets of the Lord spoke of; but may be cheerful and merry, and drink wine and strong drink, and not be afraid of their evil tidings: or, for wine and strong drink F25 , so Kimchi; and the meaning is, that if they would give him a cup of wine, or a draught of strong drink, he would prophesy good things to them; the reverse of what is before said, as that they should continue in their land, and not depart from it; that this should be their rest, and they should remain therein, and not be destroyed in it, or cast out of it:
he shall even be the prophet of this people ; a "dropper" F26 to them; see (Micah 2:6) ; such an one shall be acceptable to them; they will caress him, and prefer him to the true prophets of the Lord; which is mentioned to show the temper of the people, and how easily they were imposed upon, and their disrespect to the prophets of the Lord, as in (Micah 2:6Micah 2:7) ; to which subject the prophet here returns, as Kimchi observes.