Micah 1

Chapter context

What is happening in Micah 1?

justicehumilityjudgmentmessianic hope

Micah 1 belongs to the opening movement of the book, especially the section often described as judgment on Samaria and Jerusalem. Micah joins social critique, Zion hope, and one of Scripture’s most memorable summaries of what the Lord requires. Read this chapter with the wider themes of justice, humility, and judgment in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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. 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. 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. 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 helps

Glossary

Hezekiah Person v. 1: Whom Jehovah has strengthened. (1. ) Son of Ahaz ( 2 Kings 18:1 ; 2 Chr. 29:1 ), whom he succeeded on the throne of the kingdom of Judah. He reigned twenty-nine years (B. C. 726-697).
Jerusalem Place v. 1, 5, 9, 12: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Micah Person v. 1: A shortened form of Micaiah, who is like Jehovah? (1. ) A man of Mount Ephraim, whose history so far is introduced in Judg.
Moresheth-gath Place v. 1, 14: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Goded.
Samaria Place v. 1, 5-6, 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Samaria.
Beth-le-aphrah Place v. 10: (R. V. Micah 1:10 ), house of dust. The Authorized Version reads “in the house of Aphrah. ” This is probably the name of a town in the Shephelah, or “low country,” between Joppa and Gaza. Modern identification: Khirbet et Taiyiba.
Gath Place v. 10: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Safi.
Beth-ezel Place v. 11: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Deir al Asal al Fauqa.
Shaphir Place v. 11: Beautiful, a town of Judah ( Micah 1:11 ), identified with es-Suafir, 5 miles south-east of Ashdod. Modern identification: Tell as Sawafir.
Zaanan Place v. 11: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell ed Duweir.
Maroth Place v. 12: Bitterness; i. e., “perfect grief”, a place not far from Jerusalem; mentioned in connection with the invasion of the Assyrian army ( Micah 1:12 ). Modern identification: Khirbet Qufin.
Lachish Place v. 13: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell ed Duweir.
Zion Place v. 13: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Achzib Place v. 14: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel el Beida.
Adullam Place v. 15: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet esh Sheikh Madhkur.
Mareshah Place v. 15: Possession, a city in the plain of Judah ( John. 15:44 ). Here Asa defeated Zerah the Ethiopian ( 2 Chr. 14:9 , 10). It is identified with the ruin el-Mer’ash, about 1 1/2 mile south of Beit Jibrin. Modern identification: Tel Maresha.