Micah 6:15
What does Micah 6:15 mean?
A plain-English look at Micah 6:15 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Micah 6:15 means
The judgment continues with a series of agricultural curses, indicating a reversal of normal productivity. Despite their labor, the people will "sow, but shalt not reap"; they will process olives and grapes but receive no oil or wine. This signifies God's direct intervention in their livelihoods, withholding the fruit of their efforts. These curses directly contradict the covenant blessings of abundance, emphasizing the severity of God's displeasure and the futility of their labor under His judgment.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949You will put in seed, but you will not get in the grain; you will be crushing olives, but your bodies will not be rubbed with the oil; and you will get in the grapes, but you will have no wine.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Thou--thou sowest, and thou dost not reap, Thou--thou treadest the olive, And thou pourest not out oil, And new wine--and thou drinkest not wine.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap: thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not be anointed with oil: and the new wine, but shalt not drink the wine.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and new wine, but shalt not drink wine.
Context
Building upon the themes of scarcity and futility from verse 14, this verse focuses specifically on agricultural curses. It details how their hard labor in sowing, treading olives, and cultivating vineyards will yield no benefit. This further illustrates the comprehensive nature of God's judgment, showing how every aspect of their productive life will be affected, directly leading into the explanation of *why* these judgments are occurring in the final verse.
v.14Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt put away, but shalt not save; and that which thou savest will I give up to the sword.
v.15This passage
v.16For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I may make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of my people.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Isaiah 62:8
Jehovah hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy grain to be food for thine enemies; and foreigners shall not drink thy new wine, for which thou hast labored:
- Leviticus 26:20
and your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
- Haggai 1:6
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
- Joel 1:10
The field is laid waste, the land mourneth; for the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth.
- Jeremiah 12:13
They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and profit nothing: and ye shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.
- Deuteronomy 28:38
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather little in; for the locust shall consume it.
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