Verse 7
Seers and diviners would suffer embarrassment because they would not be able to come up with any word from the Lord when the people asked for it. Covering the face was a sign of mourning (cf. Leviticus 13:45; Ezekiel 24:17; Ezekiel 24:22).
"Like unclean lepers they will go about with covered moustaches (faces, NIV; Heb., shapim) the very area of their abused gift (cf. Leviticus 13:45." [Note: Waltke, in Obadiah, . . ., p. 163.]
Seers received visions (Micah 3:6), and diviners practiced divination (Micah 3:6) to ascertain the future. The title "seer" is an old one describing a prophet (1 Samuel 9:9), but "diviners" sought knowledge of the future through illegitimate means and were outlawed in Israel (cf. Deuteronomy 18:10). Thus these two titles were derogatory terms for the false prophets.
"True prophets had insight into Israel’s history from a sympathy with God’s kingdom perspective; false prophets could not discern the hand of God in history because they saw life through vested interests. True prophets conditioned the nation’s well-being on its fidelity to the Lord, whereas false prophets arrogantly conditioned it on fidelity to themselves. True prophets seek the Lord’s gain; false prophets their own." [Note: Idem, in The Minor . . ., p. 663.]
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