Rashi, on Mic 7:3

“The evil of their hands they call good: the prince requireth, and the judge is for giving: and the great man hath uttered the desire of his soul, and they have troubled it.”

“[in return] for the evil of their hands, do they expect that He will benefit them?—Do you expect that He will benefit you as the reward for the evil of your hands? the prince asks—for a bribe. and the judge—who judges the case is also in the payment. When he is a robber and is liable according to law, he says to his fellow judge, “Do me a favor in this case, and I will vindicate you in another case.” and the great man speaks what is in his heart—The king or the prince states in the case what his heart desires. what is in his heart Heb. הַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ. He speaks what is (הוֶֹה) to his will and to his desire. Cf.(Jer. 15:1) “I have no desire for this people.” And so did Jonathan render: The desires of his heart. and they weave the web—They made it into a rope of sin amongst the three of them. As the cart ropes, so is the sin, for a rope is braided of three strands. So have I found in the Jerusalem Talmud (Taanith 2:1): We made it like a web of sins.”

Hebrew and Aramaic words are the commentator’s citations of the sacred text; the English translation that follows each is the translator’s.

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.