Micah 3:1
“And I said, Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel; Is it not for you to know judgment?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Micah summons the rulers of Israel and reminds them that knowing and doing justice is precisely their calling.
What Does Micah 3:1 Mean?
Micah turns to address the leaders directly, the heads and princes of Israel. With a pointed question he reminds them of their very job description: is it not for you to know justice? The ones charged with upholding what is right have failed at the one thing required of them.
Authority carries responsibility, and those who lead are accountable for justice most of all. To know justice is not merely to understand it but to practice it for the people in their care. The verse calls every leader, in any sphere, to remember that position exists for the good of others, not for the gain of the one who holds it.
In the Original Language
mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט), 'judgment' -- justice, the right ordering of life that leaders are meant to uphold.