Micah1

Micah 1 introduces the prophet's vision concerning Samaria and Jerusalem, announcing the Lord's coming judgment. God declares He will descend to punish the transgressions of Jacob and the sins of Israel, particularly Samaria, which will be utterly destroyed. The prophet then laments the incurable wound that has reached Judah, foretelling the desolation and captivity of various towns.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Title and Scope of the Prophecy

1
The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. ​

The Lord Appears for Judgment

2
Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. ​
3
For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. ​
4
And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.
5
For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria? and what are the high places of Judah? are they not Jerusalem? ​
6
Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. ​
7
And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.

Micah's Lament and the Spread of Judgment

8
Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls. ​
9
For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. ​

Judgment Pronounced on the Cities of Judah

10
Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust. ​
11
Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.
12
For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.
13
O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee. ​
14
Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel. ​
15
Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.
16
Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee. ​

Study Notes for Micah 1

Verse 1

Micah, whose name means 'Who is like the LORD?', prophesied during the reigns of three Judean kings, placing his ministry around 750–700 BC. He focuses primarily on the capital cities, Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah).

Verse 2

The prophet calls upon the cosmos (heaven and earth) to act as witnesses in the divine lawsuit (Hebrew: *rib*), a common prophetic motif where God formally charges His people with breaking the covenant.

Verse 3

This describes a dramatic theophany—a visible manifestation of God—using powerful imagery common in ancient Near Eastern storm and war descriptions, indicating the terrifying nature of the impending judgment.

Verse 5

The root cause of the judgment is identified as the transgression of both northern Israel (centered in Samaria) and southern Judah (centered in Jerusalem). The 'high places' refer to illicit shrines where syncretistic worship occurred.

Verse 6

This prophecy of destruction refers to the historical fall of Samaria to the Assyrians in 722 BC, which resulted in the city being utterly reduced to ruins suitable only for agriculture.

Verse 8

Micah models the appropriate response to impending disaster by engaging in extreme mourning, symbolized by going 'stripped and naked.' This is a prophetic sign-act indicating humiliation and distress.

Verse 9

While the judgment began with Samaria, the wound is now spreading into Judah, reaching the very gate of Jerusalem. This confirms that the Assyrian threat, which destroyed Israel, is now menacing Judah.

Verse 10

This section uses intense wordplay (paronomasia) based on the names of towns in the Shephelah (Judean foothills). 'Declare ye it not at Gath' is an allusion to David's lament (2 Sam. 1:20), seeking to prevent the enemy (Philistines) from rejoicing.

Verse 13

Lachish was a major fortified city and a key strategic point. Micah implies that Lachish was a source or early adopter of the idolatry and sin that spread throughout Judah from the North.

Verse 14

The pun here highlights deception: 'Achzib' sounds like the Hebrew for 'lie' or 'deception,' suggesting that these towns will fail to provide the promised protection or support to the kings of Israel.

Verse 16

The command to make oneself bald is a traditional sign of extreme grief and mourning for the dead (or those taken captive). The 'eagle' refers to the vulture, known for its extensive bald patch, symbolizing the total loss of the young people to exile.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options