Micah 7:5

Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The prophet Micah addresses Judah during a period of national moral collapse and impending divine visitation, warning that societal breakdown has reached the household. The words — תַּאֲמִ֣ינוּ (ta.'a.Mi.nu) denotes active reliance or belief, while תִּבְטְח֖וּ (tiv.te.Chu) conveys confident trust; both verbs command the reader to withhold reliance from human companions. The thread — This warning echoes Jeremiah 9:4’s caution against trusting any brother, aligns with Psalm 118:8’s directive to take refuge in the LORD rather than man, and resonates with Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 10:16 to exercise shrewd discernment among hostile surroundings. Why it lands — The text plainly commands the concealment of speech from intimate associates due to pervasive betrayal, forcing the reader to recognize that human loyalty is unreliable and must not replace steadfast reliance on God.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אַל־'al-may not תַּאֲמִ֣ינוּta.'a.Mi.nuyou believe בְרֵ֔עַve./Re.a'in/ a neighbor אַֽל־'al-may not תִּבְטְח֖וּtiv.te.Chuyou trust בְּאַלּ֑וּףbe./'a.Lufin/ a close friend מִשֹּׁכֶ֣בֶתmi./sho.Khe.vetfrom/ [she who] lies of חֵיקֶ֔ךָchei.Ke./chabosom/ your שְׁמֹ֖רshe.Morguard פִּתְחֵי־pit.chei-[the] openings of פִֽיךָ׃Fi./khamouth/ your

King James Version

Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 9:4 “Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.
Psalms 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
Matthew 10:16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Job 6:14 A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
Judges 16:5 The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”