Micah
Chapter One
Leon L. Combs, M.A., M.Div., Ph.D.
The first verse places this writing in the eighth-century since Jotham ruled from 750-731 B.C.
and Hezekiah ruled from 715-686 B.C. Most scholars date this book at ca 722 B.C. It is written
in Hebrew poetry and so contains parallelism structures that are a bit difficult to understand for
those of us who do not read Hebrew. This was a time of great worldly prosperity of Judah and
Israel but also of great spiritual depravity. The territories of both kingdoms were almost the same
as under Solomon. The religion of the Canaanites had influenced their worship but Micah would
spend much of his criticism against the social injustices of the ruling classes. Most of his
prophecy is directed against the capitals of Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem) because of the
faults of the leaders of both kingdoms. Jotham and Ahaz ruled for 16 years each and it seems that
Micah preached during the last months of Jotham’s rule. It also seems that Micah preached for
only the first few months of the reign of Hezekiah. Thus it appears that Micah preached for 20 to
25 years before there was a satisfactory response by the people. The people did listen to Micah
and repented so that God’s judgment was withheld for about a century. This should encourage all
readers to know that the Lord can work through one person to make a difference. But it did take
a great dedication of Micah to continue pleading with the people. We need to have the attitude of
Paul:
 Gal 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow
weary.
 1Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Micah 1:1-4
The word of the LORD which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz
and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. (2)
Hear, O peoples, all of you; Listen, O earth and all it contains, And let the Lord GOD be
a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple. (3) For behold, the LORD is
coming forth from His place. He will come down and tread on the high places of the
earth. (4) The mountains will melt under Him And the valleys will be split, Like wax
before the fire, Like water poured down a steep place.
Micah seems to have not been from a distinguished family. He came from a very small village
called Moresheth. It was so small that it was usually called Moresheth Gath so as to locate it near
the more well-known city of Gath. This is similar to how sometimes Carol and I reply when
people ask where we are from. We both grew up in Newton, MS but it is such a small town that
we will say we are from Newton, near Meridian, MS or Newton, near Jackson, MS. He began his
prophecy by asking all people everywhere to pay attention to what he has to say. He also states
that the Lord GOD will be a witness against them if they do not pay attention to what he has to
say. Micah then writes anthropomorphically as he pictures God coming against the nations from
His dwelling place. He specifies that God is speaking from His holy temple and that He is getting
ready to pounce upon the earth in judgment. Specifying that the message is for all the people of
the earth as a witness against them is a statement that God will be judging everyone by His
judgment against His people. If God will judge His own people, surely He will judge everyone.
The high places refer to the ruling areas of the world. By stating that God will come from His
place to judge the rulers of the earth is a basic OT statement of the total sovereignty over
everything and everybody. Verse four is a way of stating that God’s judgment will be
unstoppable as He rules over everything. God will visit His judgement over the world as a
waterfall over a steep hill cannot be slowed.
Micah 1:5-8
All this is for the rebellion of Jacob And for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the
rebellion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? What is the high place of Judah? Is it not
Jerusalem? (6) For I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country, Planting
places for a vineyard. I will pour her stones down into the valley And will lay bare her
foundations. (7) All of her idols will be smashed, All of her earnings will be burned with
fire And all of her images I will make desolate, For she collected them from a harlot's
earnings, And to the earnings of a harlot they will return. (8) Because of this I must
lament and wail, I must go barefoot and naked; I must make a lament like the jackals And
a mourning like the ostriches.
The rulers had been paying only lip service to Yahweh as they had allowed the Canaanite
religion to influence their worship. They had disregarded the required social status of the nation
as we will see clearly. The question “What is the rebellion of Jacob?” literally reads “Who is
Jacob’s transgression?” It seems that Micah wants to infer them to be harlots. God will turn
Samaria into a ruin by even destroying its foundation. The idolatry they practiced led to many
idols and earnings from the poor so God will smash the idols and burn up their earnings with
fires. The images they collected also from their idolatry and they will be returned as the invading
Assyrians would transfer the wealth of Samaria to their temples for idolatrous worship. Micah
then represented himself as wailing about naked as required of such deep mourning as evidenced
by that of David (2 Sam 15:30).
Micah 1:9-13
For her wound is incurable, For it has come to Judah; It has reached the gate of my
people, Even to Jerusalem. (10) Tell it not in Gath, Weep not at all. At Beth-le-aphrah
roll yourself in the dust. (11) Go on your way, inhabitant of Shaphir, in shameful
nakedness. The inhabitant of Zaanan does not escape. The lamentation of Beth-ezel: "He
will take from you its support." (12) For the inhabitant of Maroth Becomes weak waiting
for good, Because a calamity has come down from the LORD To the gate of Jerusalem.
(13) Harness the chariot to the team of horses, O inhabitant of Lachish-- She was the
beginning of sin To the daughter of Zion-- Because in you were found The rebellious acts
of Israel.
The judgment to come to Samaria was stated as incurable, meaning that it was irreversible. It has
even come to Jerusalem also. Now Micah embarks on some great puns that are not evident by
those who do not read Hebrew and especially Hebrew poetry. Micah uses six verses to list cities
of Judah that will be involved in the coming disaster. Micah knows these people since he is from
there and he does not want them to suffer what will be caused by the sins of the rulers of the
larger cities. The Hebrew word for “Gath” is similar to the Hebrew word for “tell” so he is
saying not to tell it to the town that tells all. He does not want them to weep but it is up to them
to repent. The second city’s ending name is like “aphar” that means “dust”. He is then telling
them to repent by rolling in the dust as indicated by their name. The next city is Shaphir and that
Hebrew name sounds like the word for “beautiful”. He is telling them to remove what seems to
be beautiful from them and repent in shameful nakedness. The word for Zaanan sounds like the
Hebrew word for “exit” or “go out” so he is telling them that they will hide within their walls
and not escape as the city falls. The name Beth-ezel means “the nearby city” but on the day of
judgement it will not be a city nearby to help for God will take away its support. Maroth means
bitterness so the city will writhe in bitterness without repentance. Lachish was a famous military
city about thirty miles southwest of Jerusalem and was renowned for its chariot horses. However
they will not fight but will harness their horses and flee as the city is taken during Sennacherib’s
invasion. He even used scenes of his invasion to decorate his palace in Nineveh. They will fall
because the rebellion of Israel was also in that city.
Micah 1:14-16
Therefore you will give parting gifts On behalf of Moresheth-gath; The houses of Achzib
will become a deception To the kings of Israel. (15) Moreover, I will bring on you The
one who takes possession, O inhabitant of Mareshah. The glory of Israel will enter
Adullam. (16) Make yourself bald and cut off your hair, Because of the children of your
delight; Extend your baldness like the eagle, For they will go from you into exile.
Micah’s home town of Moresheth sounds like the Hebrew word for “betrothed” so he speaks of
giving the city wedding gifts as she becomes wedded to her new conqueror. The word “Achzib”
sounds like the Hebrew word for “deceitful, disappointing” and she will then prove deceptive to
the kings of Israel. Mareshah is related to the Hebrew word for “possessor, heir” so she will be
possessed by someone else. Adullam was the city of refuge where David stayed during the time
when he was fleeing from Saul. Micah writes that this city will again be inhabited by the
aristocracy of Israel as they flee. The chapter ends as Micah urges the rulers of Jerusalem to go
into repentance by outer appearances so as to help these smaller cities which he states are their
children. He then uses the word “exile” for the first time as he tells them that unless they repent
all of those “children” will be put into exile as slaves indicating the end of the nation.