Micah 2:8
Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.
Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy,.... Or "yesterday" {o}; meaning a very little while before this prophecy, the people of Israel, those of the ten tribes, who were the people of God by profession, rose up as an enemy, not only to God and true religion, worshipping idols; but rather to their brethren, those of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin; as they did in the times of Pekah king of Israel, who slew a hundred and twenty thousand of them in one day,
2 Chronicles 28:6; and which is here mentioned as a reason why the Spirit of the Lord in his prophets threatened them with evil, and did not promise them good things:
ye pull off the robe with the garment; the upper and nether garment, and so stripped them naked: or, "they stripped the robe from off the garment", as some {p}; they took the upper garment or cloak from them, and left them only the under garment:
for them that pass by securely, as men averse from war: who were travelling from place to place about their proper business, and thought themselves very safe; were peaceable men themselves, and suspected no harm from others: or, "returning from war" {q}; such who escaped in the battle, and fled for their lives; and when they imagined they, were safe, and out of danger, fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped them of their garments. Gussetius {r} interprets it of such who were returning to the battle, and yet so used.
{o} lwmta "heri", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Burkius.
{p} hmlv lwmm "a veste togam spoliatis", Noldius; "a veste pallium exuitis", Burkius.
{q} hmxlm ybwv "revertentibus a bello", Piscator; "redeunt a bello", Cocceius; "et revertuntur a bello", De Dieu; "uti essetis reversi ex bello", Burkius.
{r} "Redeuntes in bellum", Comment. Ebr. p. 836.