John Trapp on Micah 5:12

Verſe 12. And I will cut off witch-crafts &c.] As before God had p[illegible: 1 letter]omiſed to take away ſuch things as in themſelves are not evill, but only by our abuſe: ſo here he will alſo remove from his people things ſimply evill, and unlawfull, ſuch as are witch-crafts, idolatry &c. that he may make way for mercy which he is ready to give, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Inde [non-Latin text not transcribed] faſcino. were they but fit to receive it. The word here rendred witchcrafts hath the ſignification of changing or turning: and is uſed for unlawful diveliſh arts and Artiſans. It is alſo applyed to falſe teachers and their juglings Gal. 3.1. Rev. 18.23. See a like promiſe Zech. 13.2. with the Note there. See Mal. 3.5. with the Note.

and thou ſhalt have no more ſooth-ſayers] Or ſtarr-gazers,Fuller. Miſc. lib. 1. cap. 16. diviners; fortunetellers. One derivation of the word clepeth them Nebulones or Knaves: as thoſe that undertake to foretell future things ex nebulis by the clouds, planets, ſtarrs, by calculating nativities, and the like unlawfull practiſes of Judiciary Aſtrologie, Necromancie, Pyromancie, Oneiromancie, Aruſpicie, Sor[illegible: 1 letter]ilegie, and other diabolicall Arts of that nature. The Epheſians were much addicted to ſuch wicked practiſes: hence the proverb [non-Latin text not transcribed] for the black art. The Samaritans alſo, Act. 8. And hence that malicious ſlander of the Jewes, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, that is, one that dealeth with the devil: for otherwiſe they knew, that Chriſt was no Samaritan, but a Galilean, as they called him in ſcorn,Joh. 8.48. in truth a Bethlehemite, as verſe 2. The Jews themſelves are taxed, Eſay 2.6. that they were Soothſayers, like the Philiſtines; and told, that God had therefore forſaken them, or ſent them away into captivity. See more againſt this ſort of ſinne and ſinners, Eſay 44.24, 25, 26. and 47.12, 13, 14. Jer. 10.2, 2. Dan. 2.1, 2, 3, &c. But eſpecially Deut. 18.10, 11. where we have theſe five Arguments (as One well obſerveth) againſt Aſtrologicall, and other unlawfull predictions. Firſt, that all ſuch are abomination to the Lord, verſe 2. Secondly, that for ſuch Arts, the Canaanites were driven out, verſe 12. Thirdly, that unleſſe men caſt away the uſe of the ſaid Arts, they cannot be perfect, that is, upright and ſincere with God, verſe 13. Fourthly, that godly men muſt differ from Canaanites and Heathens, in the abandoning ſuch arts, verſe 14. Laſtly, that inſtead of ſuch wayes of prediction, the Lord raiſeth up Chriſt, the great Prophet, to foretell unto them what is meet for them to foreknow, verſe 15. with Act. 3.23. To ſeek to know more, is condemned for curioſity and raſhneſſe, by Chriſt himſelf, in his own diſciples, Act. 1.7. it derogateth from the glory of Chriſt, in whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge: it is to go a whoring from Chriſt, Lev. 20.6. and is therefore in this Text fitly yoked with idolatry: It is here alſo reckoned among thoſe things that muſt be cut off, if Chriſts kingdom ſhall be ſet up amongſt us. So that if there were no other text of Scripture againſt that wickedneſſe but this alone, it were ſufficient.