Micah 1:13

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.

O thou inhabitant {H3427} of Lachish {H3923}, bind {H7573} the chariot {H4818} to the swift beast {H7409}: she is the beginning {H7225} of the sin {H2403} to the daughter {H1323} of Zion {H6726}: for the transgressions {H6588} of Israel {H3478} were found {H4672} in thee.

Harness the chariots to the fastest horses, inhabitants of Lakhish; she was the beginning of sin for the daughter of Tziyon; for the crimes of Isra'el are traceable to you.

Harness your chariot horses, O dweller of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

Bind the chariot to the swift steed, O inhabitant of Lachish: she was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

Commentary

Context

Micah 1:13 is part of the prophet Micah's opening message, a divine indictment against both the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Jerusalem). Micah prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, a period marked by social injustice, idolatry, and political instability. The preceding verses in Micah 1 describe God's coming judgment, likened to a devastating invasion, which will sweep through the land, affecting various cities in Judah. This specific verse focuses on Lachish, a prominent fortified city in Judah, west of Jerusalem, which was often a strategic point in military campaigns.

Meaning of Micah 1:13

This verse delivers a specific prophetic warning to the inhabitants of Lachish. The command to "bind the chariot to the swift beast" (likely a horse or mule) suggests an urgent preparation for flight or a desperate attempt to gather military resources in the face of imminent invasion and destruction. Lachish is then identified as "the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion" (a poetic reference to Jerusalem). This indicates that the spiritual and moral corruption that plagued Judah, eventually reaching Jerusalem, found an early and significant foothold in Lachish. The reason given is clear: "for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee." This implies that Lachish had either adopted the idolatrous practices and social injustices prevalent in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, or it was a gateway through which such corruption entered Judah, thereby becoming a source of spiritual decay for the entire nation.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse underscores God's active involvement in judging the sins of His people, initiating judgment even in key cities like Lachish before it reaches Jerusalem.
  • The Spread of Sin: It highlights how sin can originate in one place and spread, infecting an entire nation. Lachish is presented as a conduit for corruption that reached the heart of Judah.
  • Consequences of Transgression: The preparation for flight and the impending doom illustrate the severe consequences of straying from God's commands, echoing warnings given throughout the prophetic books.
  • Lachish's Role: The city of Lachish is specifically singled out, indicating its critical role in the moral and spiritual decline of Judah, possibly through its economic or political connections that fostered idolatry or injustice.

Linguistic Insight

The phrase "beginning of the sin" (Hebrew: re'shith chatta'ah) can imply not only the first instance but also the root or source from which sin proliferated. It suggests that Lachish was a significant point of origin or a primary carrier of the spiritual disease that spread to Jerusalem, mirroring the notorious "transgressions of Israel" from the Northern Kingdom, which are often detailed in prophetic books like Hosea 4:1.

Practical Application

Micah 1:13 serves as a sobering reminder that spiritual decay often starts subtly or in unexpected places before it overtakes larger communities or nations. For believers today, this verse encourages vigilance against even seemingly minor compromises with sin, as these can become "the beginning of the sin" that spreads and corrupts. It calls us to examine our own lives and communities, ensuring that we are not becoming sources of spiritual compromise but rather centers of righteousness and truth, resisting influences that contradict God's Word.

Note: Commentary was generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please remember that only the commentary section is AI-generated. The main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are sourced from trusted and verified materials.

Cross-References

  • 2 Kings 18:17

    ¶ And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which [is] in the highway of the fuller's field.

  • 2 Chronicles 32:9

    ¶ After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he [himself laid siege] against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that [were] at Jerusalem, saying,

  • Joshua 10:3

    Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

  • 2 Kings 16:3

    But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

  • 2 Kings 16:4

    And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

  • Revelation 2:20

    Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

  • 2 Chronicles 11:9

    And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,
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