English · ASV

Micah6

The LORD brings a legal case against Israel, reminding them of His past deliverance and faithfulness. He challenges their superficial offerings, declaring His true requirement is to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. However, the city is condemned for its pervasive wickedness, including deceitful practices and violence, leading to divine judgment and desolation for their disobedience.
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The LORD's Lawsuit Against Israel

1
Hear ye now what Jehovah saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. ​
2
Hear, O ye mountains, Jehovah’s controversy, and ye enduring foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. ​
3
O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. ​
4
For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. ​
5
O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; remember from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of Jehovah. ​

True Worship Defined

6
Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? ​
7
will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? ​
8
He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God? ​

Judgment for Social Injustice

9
The voice of Jehovah crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. ​
10
Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and a scant measure that is abominable? ​
11
Shall I be pure with wicked balances, and with a bag of deceitful weights? ​
12
For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. ​
13
Therefore I also have smitten thee with a grievous wound; I have made thee desolate because of thy sins. ​
14
Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy humiliation shall be in the midst of thee: and thou shalt put away, but shalt not save; and that which thou savest will I give up to the sword. ​
15
Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine. ​
16
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I may make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof a hissing: and ye shall bear the reproach of my people. ​

Study Notes for Micah 6

Verse 1

The Lord calls the mountains and hills as witnesses to His legal dispute (*rib*) with His people, a common prophetic device emphasizing the cosmic seriousness of the covenant breach.

Verse 2

The 'controversy' (Hebrew: *rib*) is a formal legal complaint brought by God against Israel for their failure to uphold the covenant obligations established at Sinai.

Verse 3

God challenges Israel to name any failure or hardship He has caused, establishing His blamelessness and faithfulness before pronouncing judgment.

Verse 4

God recites His saving acts, highlighting the Exodus and the provision of faithful leadership (Moses, Aaron, Miriam) as evidence of His unwavering commitment to the nation.

Verse 5

God reminds them of His intervention against the plot of Balak and Balaam (Numbers 22-25). The reference to 'Shittim unto Gilgal' highlights the miraculous protection provided during the wilderness journey.

Verse 6

This is Israel's rhetorical response, showing concern but misunderstanding. They propose escalating levels of external, costly ritual sacrifice to appease an angry God.

Verse 7

The progression from vast numbers of animals to the ultimate sacrifice—human offering (the firstborn)—shows the desperation and futility of trying to buy God's favor through material goods.

Verse 8

This is the theological climax of the chapter. It summarizes the essence of covenant living: ethical action ('do justly'), relational compassion ('love mercy'), and spiritual devotion ('walk humbly').

Verse 9

The focus shifts from the abstract covenant lawsuit to the concrete moral failure within the city. The 'rod' refers both to God's coming judgment and the instrument of His discipline.

Verse 10

Micah lists specific social sins, focusing on fraudulent commercial practices, such as illegally obtained wealth and the use of dishonest weights and measures.

Verse 11

God confirms that He will not overlook the widespread practice of using falsified scales and weights to cheat the poor, which violates fundamental covenant ethics.

Verse 12

The prophet expands the charge beyond economic fraud to include violence and pervasive deceitful speech among the city’s powerful inhabitants.

Verse 13

God announces the inevitable consequence of these sins: a debilitating sickness and desolation, often interpreted as military defeat and eventual exile.

Verse 14

These curses reflect covenant penalties (Deut. 28) where basic life activities are rendered fruitless, representing a reversal of divine blessing.

Verse 15

Continuing the theme of futility, agricultural efforts will fail, and the people will not enjoy the essential fruits of their labor (oil and wine), directly undermining their economic stability.

Verse 16

The 'statutes of Omri' and the 'works of the house of Ahab' refer to the oppressive political and religious policies established by the northern kingdom’s worst dynasty, which had been adopted by Judah, sealing their fate.

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