Micah

1. FIRST ROUND OF JUDGMENT AND SALVATION (1:1–5:15)

A. God’s judgment of apostasy and social sin in Samaria and Judah (1:1–3:12). 1:1. As with most other prophetic books, the book of Micah begins with an introductory verse that gives the prophet’s name, the time period in which he ministers, and the object of the message that God gives him.

1:2. Micah begins with an invocation, a call to listen to the Lord. The call goes out to the whole earth and all who are in it, but the message is specifically directed toward Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom, and briefly toward Jerusalem, the capital of the southern kingdom (see 1:5). Micah announces that the Lord has a case against Israel. He will witness against Israel by exposing her evil deeds (1:5–7). The concept of the witness is connected to the covenant (Dt 30:18; 31:19, 26; Jos 24:27). The witness was present at the time Israel agreed to obey the law and now comes forward to challenge the nation’s integrity (see further the commentary on 6:1–8).

1:3–4. The naming of the sin of Israel is preceded by the dramatic appearance of the Lord. He comes as a fearful judge, a mighty warrior. God comes from the temple, the earthly symbol of his true, heavenly dwelling place (1:2). He leaves it in order to destroy the high places (1:3; see the CSB footnote), sites of false worship the Israelites built for the worship of other gods.

When God appears as judge or warrior, nature reacts violently (cf. Nah 1:4–5; Zch 14:3–11). The mountains, a well-known symbol of stability, will melt like wax before fire or water rushing down a slope (1:4).

1:5–7. Micah 1:5 points the finger at the guilty parties. They are none other than Samaria and Jerusalem, the capital cities of the northern and southern kingdoms, respectively. Omri and his son Ahab (1 Kg 16:24), a pair known for their sympathy with the Baal cult in the north, built Samaria. Jerusalem, the city chosen by God for his earthly dwelling place, has time and time again been perverted with the worship of false gods. Even the temple itself has been polluted by the presence of pagan idols.

The accusation is followed immediately by God’s judgment. Samaria will be devastated and turned into an empty field—a field with scattered rubble, which will be so empty that it will be used for agricultural purposes (1:6). God’s judgment is directed against the wicked religion that flourishes in Samaria (1:7). Deuteronomy 23:17–18 prohibits both the practice (known among Israel’s neighbors) of religious prostitution and the use of prostitutes’ wages for gifts to the temple. For breaking this law and others, Samaria will be destroyed.

1:8–9. The second half of chapter 1 (1:8–16) gives the reaction to God’s announcement of judgment. The first to react is the prophet himself, who is plunged into noisy mourning. His mourning will sound like the howl of a jackal and the moan of an ostrich (1:8), animals of the wilderness often mentioned in judgment oracles against cities (Is 13:21; 34:13; Jr 50:39). Micah’s mourning is triggered not by a concern for personal safety but rather by the destruction coming to God’s people and the land he has given them (1:9). The prophet is distressed particularly by the danger that comes so near to Jerusalem. This oracle fits well with the various invasions of Samaria and Judah in the last quarter of the eighth century BC and specifically the incursion of Sennacherib in 701 BC.

Micah mentions numerous cities in Mc 1:10–15, starting with Gath and ending with Adullam. Back in 1 Sm 22:1, David flees from Saul, starting in Gath and ending up in Adullam.

1:10–12. The bulk of this section, however, predicts the reaction of a number of cities located in the southern foothills (1:10–15), likely the ones subdued by Sennacherib as he made his way down the coast of Palestine toward Jerusalem. The prophet employs wordplay between the names of the cities and their reactions. The wordplay begins in 1:10 with the use of similar sounds within each Hebrew clause. Although Micah tells Gath, “Don’t weep at all,” he urges those on the Israelite side of the foothills in Beth-leaphrah (“House of Dust”) to express their mourning.

The next four towns Micah mentions have either unknown or uncertain identifications. Nevertheless, the wordplays continue. The inhabitants of Shaphir, a name connected with a Hebrew word for “pleasant” or “beauty,” will be naked and full of shame because of the coming judgment (1:11). The citizens of Zaanan, a city whose name probably comes from the Hebrew verb “to go out,” will not come out, presumably due to fear of the invaders. The significance of the name Beth-ezel is not obvious to the modern interpreter. Maroth (1:12) is a name related to the Hebrew word for “bitter.” They waited for something sweet, but the bitter truth was the presence of the enemy at the very gate of the capital.

1:13–14. Lachish is a well-known city in the Judean foothills (1:13). The wordplay is based on the similarity between the name Lachish and the Hebrew for “to the team of horses” (larekesh). Lachish is accused of beginning the sin that infected Jerusalem. The reference to chariots may indicate that the sin was an overreliance on military armaments.

Moresheth-gath (1:14), Micah’s hometown, located near Lachish, has a name similar to the Hebrew word for “betrothed.” The parting gifts are specifically those given by a father to his daughter as she leaves for the home of her husband. Micah alludes to the deportation that will follow the defeat of his hometown. The town known as Achzib, related to the Hebrew word for “lie,” will be a deception. Achzib was a city devoted to the production of materials that would bring in money for the support of the nation. It let Judah down in the moment of need.

Micah’s lament speaks of sorrow over the coming exile (Mc 1:16). This Assyrian relief from Nimrud shows women mourning as they are led away into exile (865–860 BC).

© Baker Publishing Group and Dr. James C. Martin. Courtesy of the British Museum, London, England.

1:15–16. Mareshah (1:15) sounds like the word for “conqueror,” but a conqueror will come against this town. The last city named is Adullam, the location of the cave in which David sought refuge as he fled from Saul (2 Sm 23:13).

The last verse in the chapter (1:16) addresses all the inhabitants and tells them to cut off their hair (an ancient mourning rite), for God is about to separate them from their children through exile.

2:1–5. The second chapter begins with a woe oracle (2:1–5). Adapted from a funeral lament, the genre of the woe oracle signifies that the object of the oracle is as good as dead. No sympathy may be heard in Micah’s voice, only threat of sure judgment.

The object of the oracle is those who stay up at night contemplating how to work evil and then rise early to perform their wicked deeds (2:1). Their specific evil is amassing real estate at the expense of other people (2:2). The land-grabbers both covet and seize land belonging to others, breaking two of the Ten Commandments. Their sin is particularly grievous since the land was given to the Israelites by the Lord, so certain laws protected ownership by the original recipients (Lv 25).

The Lord chooses an appropriate punishment for these greedy and selfish men. The evil men plan iniquity; the Lord plans disaster against them (2:3). They desire status and riches at the expense of others; the result will be ridicule (2:4). Indeed, their own land will be taken away and given to others, even traitors. Micah 2:5 may be an allusion to the future exile.

The story of Naboth and Ahab (1 Kg 21) provides a good historical example of the type of coveting and seizure of land described in Mc 2:2.

2:6–9. The false prophets come to the aid of the land-grabbers and confront Micah (2:6–11). Attacking Micah’s message that God will punish their sin, they forbid Micah to preach (2:6). They do not believe judgment is coming their way. According to the false prophets, God will not do the things Micah is insisting on. Indeed, the word for “preach” in verse 6 may have a negative connotation (“rant” or “dribble”).

Micah exposes the deeds of social injustice current during his time period. The false prophets and their clients rob the shirts off the backs of defenseless travelers (2:8). They treat God’s people like their enemy. They rob women and children, the vulnerable in Israelite society who are the object of God’s special protection, of their possessions and God’s blessing (2:9).

The attitude of confidence the false prophets express is similar to that found in Jr 7, where the people trust in the temple as the sign of God’s presence in Jerusalem.

2:10–11. Once again Micah alludes to exile (2:10). God will eject the wicked from the land because through their wickedness they have made the land unclean.

The section ends on a strongly sarcastic note (2:11). The false prophets are prophets who bring only good news. Micah is no doubt extremely unpopular because of the generally negative tone of his prophecy. These people would rather hear a prophet who prophesies plenty of wine and beer.

2:12–13. Suddenly the prophet speaks in positive tones. Micah glimpses that beyond the punishment of the exile God will once again bring his people together (2:12). The phrases “I will indeed gather” and “I will bring them together” emphasize the certainty of the future promise. The image used is the familiar one of the people of God as the sheep and the Lord as the Shepherd. The Good Shepherd will gather the remnant into its pasture. He will once again, as at the time of the exodus, lead his people out of captivity (2:13).

3:1–4. The words “then I said” (3:1) remind us that Micah is being used of God to bring his judgment against the people and indicate that chapter 3 is a continuation of what came before. Once again (cf. 1:2) Micah calls for attention, this time the attention of the leaders and rulers of Israel. They are accused of gross sin and dereliction of duty. They should know justice (perhaps judges are specifically in mind), but they do not. They have rejected the admonition Amos (5:14) gave earlier, so that they hate good and love evil (3:2a).

The image Micah then evokes is that of a cannibal who rends the flesh of the victim, cooks it, and then has a meal (3:2b–3). In other words, the leaders, who should be protecting the people whom God has entrusted to their care, are exploiting them. They use them to their own advantage and to the people’s disadvantage. The time will come when these wicked leaders will turn to the Lord and cry out to him (3:4). The Lord, however, will not respond to these individuals, because their sin is too great.

3:5–8. The subject of God’s judgment now switches to the prophets. In a word, they prophesy falsely and thus turn the people away from the Lord (3:5). Why do they do this? The Lord accuses them of loving payment more than him or his people. A positive oracle may be gained from these false prophets if the pay is high enough. On the other hand, if no payment is offered, they declare war.

Their judgment is appropriate. They have sinned with the gift of prophecy, so that gift will now be removed from them (3:6–7). There will be no visions and no divination, only darkness. No answers will be forthcoming from God.

A strong contrast exists between these false prophets and Micah. The Lord has given Micah the Spirit and has empowered him with his message, which is one of judgment (3:8).

3:9–12. The third judgment oracle of the chapter once again (cf. 3:1) opens with a call to the leaders and rulers to heed the word of the Lord (3:9). They are again characterized as enemies of justice and right. They are further identified as leaders in Jerusalem, who bring progress to that city through oppression and violence (3:10).

Micah 3:11 compares the sin of the leaders, priests, and prophets. Their common sin is that they perform their duty for their own glory, specifically for money. Their confidence in the Lord is hollow. They trust in God’s choice of Jerusalem as his place of special dwelling. If God’s house is in Jerusalem, how can it be destroyed? God himself will destroy this proud city so completely that nothing will be left (3:12). Even the temple will be utterly destroyed and abandoned, so that weeds will overgrow it.

In Jr 26:18–19 we get a unique glimpse of the reaction to Micah’s oracle in Mc 3:12. When the word of judgment came to Hezekiah, he repented, and the Lord relented. Jeremiah makes the same argument in chapter 26, that the leaders presume the Lord’s presence in Jerusalem. However King Jehoiakim does not respond in the same positive way as Hezekiah.

B. God’s word of hope to Israel (4:1–5:15). Another abrupt transition from threat to promise takes place between the end of the third chapter and the beginning of the fourth. An oracle of severe judgment (3:9–12) is followed by a contrastingly glorious picture of salvation (4:1–13).

4:1–5. Micah looks beyond the immediate future of Zion’s punishment (cf. 3:12) to the more distant future, in which Zion will be exalted. Isaiah (2:2) and Micah both speak of the day when Zion will be raised above all other mountains in preeminence (4:1a). Zion is a relatively small mountain; its greatness is based on God’s choice of it as his place of earthly dwelling. When Zion is so exalted, it will be like a magnet for the nations. People will flow into Jerusalem in order to learn God’s law (4:1b–2).

As the nations learn God’s law and apply it to their lives, the world will be transformed. Warfare will be a thing of the past; nations will engage in constructive activities (4:3). Individuals will live out their lives in security and with satisfaction (4:4a), reminiscent of the high point of security reached during the reign of Solomon (1 Kg 4:25).

The hope is real. It will be fulfilled; God has spoken it (4:4b). Accordingly, the people of God must make their stand for the Lord in the present. Thus, Micah reaffirms their commitment to trust and obey the Lord, even though the nations follow their own false gods (4:5).

4:6–8. The opening phrase “on that day,” beginning a second oracle of hope, reminds the reader that Micah is focusing on the future (4:6). God will restore his people whom he has punished. They are weak (lame, exiled, grief stricken) because of God’s punishment, but God brings strength out of weakness (4:7). The Lord will again establish his kingdom from Jerusalem. Further, the glories Jerusalem once knew in the days of David and Solomon will be known again (4:8).

4:9–10. With the next oracle, Micah seems to take a giant step backward. He refers to the future Babylonian exile. This oracle is connected to the preceding one by its reference to Zion.

Micah begins the oracle with a satirical question—Why do you cry aloud?—addressed to the people (4:9). They are crying because they are under attack; they are in pain because the Babylonian army is pressing them and forcing them out of Jerusalem. They will be exiled to Babylon (4:10). Micah, however, does not stop there but goes on to reveal that God will deliver them out of Babylon. Verse 9 also implies that they will lose the king. In Israel the king not only was the focus of the government but also was considered the Lord’s anointed.

4:11–13. Once again Micah reverts to the time of distress. Jerusalem is pressed by many nations. Micah 4:11 pictures the nations gathering to wage war against God’s people (cf. Ps 2:2; Zch 14:2). God is behind the enemy’s action even though they are unaware of it. Micah 4:12 makes this clear; God is in control of the situation and gathers the enemy against his people only so he may devastate the enemy. They are gathered like sheaves on the threshing floor. They will soon feel the hooves of the ox as Israel threshes them with particularly dangerous metallic hooves (4:13). Jerusalem will, in brief, wage holy war against their enemies and accordingly devote the spoils to God, who will provide the victory.

5:1–2. Similar to the previous two oracles, this one begins by describing a time of distress from which Israel will be delivered (5:1–6). This oracle, however, concentrates on the positive note of deliverance. The act of cutting oneself was a well-known expression of mourning in the nations surrounding Israel (5:1). The reason for mourning is clearly given. The Israelites are under siege, and the ruler has been publicly humiliated (struck with a rod).

At this point, however, the mood changes (5:2). Israel moves from humiliation to deliverance. That the deliverance will come from Bethlehem Ephrathah is a surprise. God uses the small and the weak of the world to accomplish his mighty purposes. But from this small village came King David (1 Sm 16), a connection made explicit when Micah refers to the ancient pedigree of the coming ruler. That pedigree is Davidic, and the roots of the fulfillment may be found in the Davidic covenant (2 Sm 7).

Micah 5:2 identifies the city the Messiah will come from (Bethlehem) and also connects him to the Davidic covenant (2 Sm 7), since Bethlehem was the city of David. Micah’s prophecy finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who comes out of Bethlehem (Mt 2:6) and whose “origin is from antiquity, from ancient times” (Mc 5:2). He is the son of David (Rm 1:3), our peace (Eph 2:14; see Mc 5:5).

5:3–6. However, a delay is anticipated in the fulfillment of this hope, as expressed in the metaphor of 5:3: the one in labor (a symbol of the distress of the siege) must give birth first (the distress must first end). Then the promised deliverer from Bethlehem will come to establish a kingdom of peace and shepherd his people, guiding and protecting them (5:4). In fact, he will be their peace (5:5a).

The connection of the next two verses (5:5b–6) to this oracle is not certain. It may be a separate oracle. However, it does continue the theme of the security of Israel in the face of enemies. In these two verses an Assyrian invasion is anticipated and calmly considered. The defense will be sufficient (“seven . . . even eight” signifies that there will be more than enough). Assyria here may stand for any potential enemy of Israel.

5:7–9. In the future, God is the one who will reverse Israel’s situation so that it will dominate other nations. Micah expresses this thought through two metaphors. The second one is clear (5:8). The remnant of Israel will be like a lion among the nations. The lion symbolized powerful and ruthless nations who were capable of devastating others. The first metaphor (5:7) is less clear. Often in the OT, dew and showers signify blessing. It is better to understand dew here as a curse. In any case, 5:9 makes it clear that the hope in this oracle focuses on future military victory over present enemies.

5:10–15. The formula “in that day” again indicates that the prophet is looking into the future (5:10a). God pronounces a series of purifying actions that he will bring against Israel. God is going to remove the sources of temptation from Israel’s midst and abolish those objects that lead Israel to trust things other than him.

First, by removing horses, chariots, and fortified cities from the land, God will destroy the confidence Israel places in military might (5:10b–11). God has promised to protect obedient Israel and has proved that he can do so.

Second, God will destroy those objects by which Israel tries to manipulate the divine, including magic and idolatry (5:12–14). Sorcery is a method for trying to force God to perform an act or reveal a message. Idolatry elevates a part of creation to the level of the Creator (Rm 1:22–23). The Asherah pole is a symbol of life and fertility associated with the worship of the goddess Asherah. These objects were prohibited (Ex 34:13; Dt 7:5; 12:3; 16:21).

The last verse shifts attention to the nations and presupposes that Israel has been purified (5:15). At the end time, God’s judging action will turn against the nations. This is a note of hope concerning Israel’s future.

2. SECOND ROUND OF JUDGMENT AND SALVATION (6:1–7:20)

A. God’s dispute with Israel (6:1–8). God’s dispute with Israel takes the form of a legal proceeding. It is as if God, calling on creation to serve as witness to his complaint against his people, has taken Israel to court (6:1–2). The background of this section is the covenant God established with his people. Before witnesses, the people responded to God’s gracious acts of deliverance by receiving God’s law and promising to obey it (Ex 19–24). Now that the people have broken the law repeatedly, God calls on the witnesses of the covenant to attest to the people’s wickedness.

Israel is called to account for its actions toward God. It has turned against him. Why? Not only has he done nothing against Israel; he has also done marvelous acts of salvation on its behalf (6:3–5). Specifically, God reminds the people of the exodus, Balaam’s divinely inspired blessing (Nm 22–24), and the miraculous crossing of the Jordan.

Asherah figurine. Micah alludes to “carved images,” “sacred pillars,” and “Asherah poles” that were found in the land. Asherah, the Canaanite goddess, was venerated by many in Israel and Judah (eighth century BC).

© Baker Publishing Group and Dr. James C. Martin. Courtesy of the Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel.

This leads to God’s instruction to Israel concerning what response he desires from them. How will the Israelites make their relationship with God right again? Micah contrasts external religious acts (sacrifices; 6:6–7) with inward religious attitudes (justice, mercy, humility; 6:8). Micah is attacking not the sacrificial system itself but the conviction that external religious acts without inward piety can establish a right relationship with God.

B. God’s reproach for Israel’s social sins (6:9–16). 6:9–12. God once again pronounces judgment on his people. Micah adds a parenthetical comment directed to God: to fear God’s name is wisdom (6:9; cf. Pr 1:7; 9:10). As the people will soon learn, the opposite holds true as well; to treat God wrongly or indifferently is foolish and extremely dangerous.

God then addresses the people of the city (most likely Jerusalem) and forcefully informs them that he is well aware of their sins, specifically social oppression (6:10–12). They cheat and lie in order to prosper in business. They grow rich at the expense of others.

6:13–16. God will not permit this state of affairs to continue, so he will punish them (6:13). The punishment, once again, focuses on the nature of their sin. They cheated (by fraudulent business practices; compare Pr 11:1; 16:11; see also Lv 19:35, 36; Dt 25:13–16) in order to get rich and live a comfortable life; but they will be anything but comfortable. The Lord had blessed Israel with much material prosperity while they were faithful to him. God told them that they would have cities, houses, vineyards, and olive groves that they did not build or plant (Dt 6:10–12). Now that they are disobedient, however, no matter how much work they do, they will have no material prosperity (6:14–15).

The last verse of this section summarizes both the reason for punishment and the nature of that punishment (6:16). Israel has sinned by following Omri and Ahab. These kings were known for their importation of the worship of Baal into the northern kingdom. Furthermore, Ahab was renowned for his own evil business practices. Since the people have followed in the way of Ahab rather than in the way of justice, mercy, and humility, they will be destroyed.

C. The prophet laments Israel’s condition (7:1–7). Micah continues with a lament, which is an example of an individual lament, that is, the prophet Micah’s mournful cry. He mourns the spiritual condition of his people.

Micah paints a dark picture of contemporary society. No one is left who desires to follow God. The only thing the people do well is evil (7:2–3). Micah is exceedingly distressed and likens his own reaction to that of a man who craves grapes and figs but arrives too late in the field to get any (7:1). In short, he is bitterly disappointed and frustrated. Even the most promising of his contemporaries are quite bad (7:4).

The sins of the people have caught up with them. Society has turned against itself; the situation has degenerated into chaos. Even the closest human relationships (wife, child, parents) are unreliable (7:5–6). Hope is not to be found in human relationships; hope may be found only in God, and Micah is confident in his God (7:7).

D. Psalms of hope and praise (7:8–20). The concluding verses of Micah are united by their psalm-like style and their forward look to the time of restoration.

7:8–10. Micah continues to speak in the first-person singular, but now he stands for the whole nation. He envisions the time when Israel will be downtrodden and taunted by enemies. He warns these nations not to rejoice, since God will deliver his people (7:8). The prophet proclaims that, though now the people of God are laid low, the Lord will bring salvation in the future.

This transformation of the Lord’s attitude toward his people will result from the people’s acknowledgment of their sin (7:9). When God reverses the fortunes of his people, he will lift them up, and the taunting nations will become the object of judgment (7:10).

7:11–13. The prophet then addresses the people of Israel directly and informs them that the day of restoration will come (7:11). That future day will be a day in which the wall (probably of Jerusalem) will be restored. Such an allusion anticipates the future work of Nehemiah. People will then flock to Zion from such far-flung and normally hostile locations as Assyria and Egypt (7:12). The context does not make it clear whether the reference is to the return of exiled Israelites to the land or the conversion of foreign peoples. In any case, Israel’s blessing once again coincides with the downfall of the rest of the world (7:13).

7:14–20. Micah addresses his next words to the Lord and presents the needs of the people before him. He asks God to shepherd the people (7:14). The shepherd metaphor emphasizes God’s guidance and care of his people (see Ps 23). The Lord will once again restore his love to his people and deliver them as in the days of old (7:15). For a third time the nations are mentioned as the objects of God’s future punishment (7:16–17).

The prophecy concludes with a hymn that meditates on God’s forgiveness and faithfulness to his people. The opening question, “Who is a God like you?” (7:18) is a wordplay on the name Micah (meaning “Who Is Like Yahweh?”). Micah is stirred to speak of God’s incomparable forgiveness. He removes Israel’s sin and throws it away (7:19). He does this because he is faithful to the covenant relationship, which he established with Abraham (7:20).