Micah 7:6

Mic 7:6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies [are] the men of his own house.

Ver. 6. For the son dishonoureth the father] Or, revileth the father (Menabbel), be-Nabals him, beknaves him (of Nabal comes Nebulo), turpitudine afficit, bepastles him, vilifleth him. This is monstrous wickedness, Mal 1:6, and a sure sign the devil hath set his limbs in a man that is thus unnatural, fierce, traitorous, heady, high-minded; which yet is foretold of these dregs of time, these last and worst days, both by our Saviour, Mat 10:21; Mat 10:35-36, and likewise by St Paul, 2Ti 3:3-4. Such a son was he who, when his father complained that never father had so undutiful a child as he had: Yes, said his son (with less grace than wit), my grandfather had. Such a son was Ham, and Absalom, and Amida, son of Muleasses, King of Tunis, who cast his father out of his kingdom, and put out his eyes; and Henry, eldest son to our Henry II, who rebelled against his father, and died before him of a fever and a flux, with excoriation of the bowels; and, lastly, Adolphus Egmondanus, who imprisoned his own father six years for no other cause but for living so long, and keeping him from the dukedom of Guelderland.

The daughter riseth up against her mother] As Mr Fox mentioneth some that witnessed against their own parents here in Queen Mary’s days, and were a means of their martyrdom.

A man’s enemies are the men of his own house] See Mat 10:36. {See Trapp on "Mat 10:36"} Take our Saviour’s counsel there; "Be ye wise as serpents, innocent as doves"; but beware of men, yea, of the men of your own house.

“ Fide Deo soli: mortali fidito nulli:

Fallunt mortales: fullere Iova nequit. ”

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

son dishonoureth the father--The state of unnatural lawlessness in all relations of life is here described which is to characterize the last times, before Messiah comes to punish the ungodly and save Israel (compare Luk 21:16; Ti2 3:1-3).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. For the son dishonoureth the father] See the use our Lord has made of these words, where he quotes them, Mt 10:21; Mt 10:25; Mt 10:36, and the notes there.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. dishonoureth] Lit. ‘treateth as a fool.’ The same verb in the same form occurs in Deu_32:6. It is unsafe however to argue that Deuteronomy must have been already written in the time of Micah, for we also find the word in Jer_14:21, Nah_3:6.

Mic_7:7-20. Here the thread of thought is broken; the following verses appear to have been attached later. The speaker is, indeed, still the true Israel; but here she appears already overpowered by her enemies, whereas in Mic_7:1-6 the day of chastisement was still far off. Here, accordingly, consolation is the chief object of the prophetic writer; in the earlier passage, he had to warn his people of the still future calamity. In its tone this section reminds us of the Book of Israel’s Consolation which follows on chap. 37 of the Book of Isaiah.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the son dishonoureth the father,.... Speaks contemptibly of him; behaves rudely towards him; shows him no respect and reverence; exposes his failings, and makes him the object of his banter and ridicule; who ought to have honoured, reverenced, and obeyed him, being the instrument of his being, by whom he was brought up, fed, clothed, and provided for; base ingratitude!

the daughter riseth up against her mother; by whom she has been used in the most tender and affectionate manner; this being still more unnatural, if possible, as being done by the female sex, usually more soft and pliable; but here, losing her natural affection, and forgetting both her relation and sex, replies to her mother, giving ill language; opposes and disobeys her, chides, wrangles, and scolds, and strives and litigates with her, as the Targum: or rises up as a witness against her, to her detriment, if not to the taking away of her life:

the daughter in law against her mother in law; this is not so much to be wondered at as, the former instances, which serve to encourage and embolden those that are in such a relation to speak pertly and saucily; to reproach and make, light of mothers in law, as the Targum; or slight and abuse them:

a man's enemies are the men of his own house; his sons and his servants, who should honour his person, defend his property, and promote his interest; but, instead of that, do everything that is injurious to him. These words are referred to by Christ, and used by him to describe the times in which he lived, Mat 10:35; and the prophet may be thought to have an eye to the same, while he is settling forth the badness of his own times; and the Jews seem to think be had a regard to them, since they say (y), that, when the Messiah comes, "the son shall dishonour his father", &c. plainly having this passage in view; and the; whole agrees with the times of Christ, in which there were few good men; it was a wicked age, an adulterous generation of men, he lived among; great corruption there was in princes, priests, and people; in the civil and ecclesiastical rulers, and in all ranks and degrees of men; and he that ate bread with Christ, even Judas, lifted up his heel against him. The times in which Micah the prophet here speaks of seem to he the times of Ahaz, who was a wicked prince; and the former part of Hezekiah's reign, before a reformation was started, or at least brought about, in whose reigns he prophesied; though some have thought he here predicts the sad times in the reign of Manasseh, which is not so probable.

(y) Misn. Sotah, c. 9. sect. 15.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For: the prophet here gives us a reason of his advice to be wary how and whom they trust.

The son; who received his being, maintenance, education, and inherits the honour as well as estate of his father; the son, obliged by most inviolable laws to please, preserve, and honour his father,

dishonoureth, seeks to accuse, vilify, endanger, and ruin

the father; whose dishonour and loss, or ruin, is also the son’s dishonour and ruin; yet unnatural treachery will be so rife in those times, that the father had need keep his guard upon his very son.

The daughter, whose love and affection are usually more tender than the sons’ towards parents, yet will forget their duty.

Riseth up against her mother, that bare them, that nursed them, that, more than fathers, tend, indulge, and bear with them. So monstrous shall the perfidiousness of that age be.

The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: in consanguinity there was not any faithfulness, in affinity much less may you expect it.

A man’s enemies, the worst and most perilous enemies, who will be most ready and most able to do them mischief,

are the men of his own house; among relations and retainers, who by law of God and nature should have been faithfullest friends. So it fell out through the civil wars of the Jews, in their seditious and in their calamitous days. Much like to this is that of Christ, Mat 10:21,35,36.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

For the son dishonoureth; Septuagint, atimazei : Vulgate, contumeliam facit; literally, treats as a fool, despises. (Deu_32:6, Deu_32:15) (For the rest of the verse, see Mat_10:21, Mat_10:35, etc.) Men of his own house. His domestic servants. (Gen_17:27) Henderson, referring to this dissolution of every natural tie, compares Ovid, "Metamorph.," 1:144, etc. "Vivitur ex rapto; non hospes ab hespite tutus, Non socer a genero; fratrum quoque gratia rara est; Imminet exitio vir conjugis, illa mariti; Lurida terribiles miscent aconita novercae; Filius ante diem patrios iuquirit in annos; Victa jacet pietas.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.