Micah 1

Introduction

The prophet Micah lived in Moresheth-gath. This was a settlement near the Philistine city of Gath. It was located about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Jerusalem. Since he does not mention the name of his father, we can assume that he was not a person of wealth or prominence. While Micah is the prophet’s abbreviated name, his full name is later seen in Jeremiah 26:18. It is Micayah in Hebrew, and it means, “Who is like God?” [1] Micah was a young contemporary of the great prophet Isaiah, and some of his passages are parallel to those of Isaiah, such as Micah 4:1-5 and Isaiah 2:2-4. [2]

The dates of Micah’s ministry correspond roughly to the reigns of the Judean kings, Jotham (739-735 BC), Ahaz (735-715) and Hezekiah (715-687). Micah was very much concerned with the great and expanding Assyrian Empire. The dates and names of kings in his era are Tiglath-pileser III (745-727 BC), Shalmaneser V (727-722), Sargon II (722-705), and Sennacherib (705-681). It is of note that the Assyrian Empire conquered all the Near East, except Egypt and Jerusalem. [3]

Dr. John Phillips of Moody Bible Institute writes: “As the echoes of the book of Jonah die away, the Ninevites are in sackcloth and ashes, humbling themselves under the mighty hand of God. But by the time Micah writes his prophecy, the Assyrians have gone back to their warlike, wicked ways and the king of the north is on the march…Nineveh had thrown off its sackcloth and ashes to become the tyrant and terror of the world.” [4]

American professor of Semitics, Charles Feinberg, mentions that the Book of Micah is easily divided into three sections. These are chapters 1 and 2, chapters 3 to 5 and chapters 6 onward. Each section is marked with the words “Hear ye” (or “listen”). [5] Micah’s message was mostly given to Judah but he also certainly had Israel in view as well. Phillips writes, “When Micah picked up his pen, Samaria’s doom was assured.” [6]

The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah – the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Micah 1:1

The message of Micah was not only about Samaria but about Jerusalem and Judah as well. In fact, it was and is a message to all people everywhere. Under wicked king Ahaz, Judah was compelled to pay tribute to Assyria. Even the later good King Hezekiah could not reverse this situation. [1] Because of the influence of some good kings and the great mercy of God, Judah and Jerusalem would outlast Assyria and would live on for almost another century and a half.

“Hear, you peoples, all of you, listen, earth and all who live in it, that the Sovereign LORD may bear witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple” (1:2). Warren Wiersbe, Moody pastor, religious broadcaster and voluminous commentator, sees the picture here as a court of law where both Samaria and Jerusalem are called before the Almighty Judge as defendants. [2] The prophet Isaiah says of this scene: “See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer” (Isa. 26:21).

Pastor Charles “Chuck” Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel Movement, notes how striking it is that an earlier prophet also by the name of Micaiah (1 Ki. 22:28; 2 Chr. 18:27) uses the same expression, “Hear, all ye people” (ASV, NRS) found in Micah’s opening. [3] Paul tells us that the word has gone out in all the earth. However, the problem in Micah’s day and in our day is the matter of “hearing” the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11; Rom. 10:17-21).

“Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth” ( 1:3). Dr. Bob Utley, of East Texas Baptist University points out how the “high places” or “heights” can refer either to the mountains or to the local fertility altars, as the same word is used for both. [4] Phillips comments: “Let those who would turn our country toward the pursuit of false gods ponder well the sin of Samaria and the tramp of God’s mighty feet.” [5]

“The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope” (1:4). James Burton Coffman, influential Churches of Christ commentator, reminds us of this sobering fact: “The geophysical disturbance of the whole earth is repeatedly mentioned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as accompaniments of the final judgment day (See Revelation 6:14ff, 11:19,16:17-21, etc.).” [6] Even the proud sinners of our Western World need to prepare for this fiery scenario.

“All this is because of Jacob’s transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah’s high place? Is it not Jerusalem? (1:5). The northern kingdom called “Israel,” which included ten of the tribes, had gotten itself off to a very bad start. Its first king, Jeroboam, made Israel sin greatly by setting up two golden calves, one at Bethel and the other at Dan. These idols helped bring about the eventual downfall of that nation. In addition, Israel had to endure the exceedingly evil reign of King Ahab and his wicked queen Jezebel. She almost eliminated the true prophets of God and had for herself several hundred prophets of Baal and other false deities. This idolatry and evil is called Jacob’s transgression and it had much of its source in the capital city of Samaria.

We see in this verse that Jacob’s transgression did not stop with Samaria. Judah also had her high places and they even reached the capital of Jerusalem. The Holy City was not so holy, despite having the holy temple in her midst. Even the temple had become polluted. Judah’s wicked king Ahaz had spied a pagan altar in Damascus and ordered that one like it be built and placed in the temple compound. This was done and the new pagan altar replaced the God-ordained brazen altar in many of the sacrifices (2 Ki. 16:10-16). Jeremiah also tells us later that incense was being burned to Baal and other gods on Jerusalem’s rooftops (Jer. 32:29).

“Hear now what the LORD is saying, ‘Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice’” (1:6 NAS). Several years ago, I had an occasion to visit ancient Samaria. I remember it as a beautiful hill that overlooked a pleasant and fertile valley. However, the hill was strewn with building stones, many of which had been tossed down toward the valley. It was difficult to imagine that the stones once formed a near impregnable city that took the Assyrians three years to conquer (2 Ki. 18:10). [7]

Why would God show such wrath to his own people? God’s covenant with Israel was like a marriage covenant. When wicked Jezebel introduced Canaanite fertility worship, the people of God went whoring after other gods. They broke the holy covenant and therefore God’s wrath was rained down upon them.

“All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used” (1:7). It is difficult to think that pieces of the idols for whom these people gave their lives, their fortunes and their futures would finally be found trashed among the ruins of the city. Micah gives us some vivid pictures of ancient pagan worship. Pagan temples were thronged with “holy” prostitutes and the worship included sexual excesses of all sorts. The price of the prostitute was a gift to the gods. We can understand why these shrines were so popular. Scottish minister, Robert Jamieson and his associates, mention that the picture of a harlot’s hire as a temporal reward is a common thing in the scriptures (cf. Hos. 2:12). [8]

Weeping And Wailing

Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl. Micah 1:8

Micah was certainly not an uninvolved observer regarding Samaria’s plight. He wept deeply over it. He also wept for the cities of Judah. James Boice once said, “Many who have rejected a Christian’s logic have been won by his tears.” [9] Apparently, the prophet went around naked in his grief as Isaiah once did (Isa. 20:2). The nakedness was probably a way of picturing the plight of captive people. Assyria forced total nudity on their captives to embarrass and demoralize them (v. 11, Isa. 47:2-3; Jer. 13:26-27; Hos. 2:3, 10). [10] Utley points out that “naked” used here probably does not mean total nudity but that it likely means one is wearing only the inner loincloth without the outer robe (cf. 1 Sam. 19:24; 2 Sam. 6:20; Jn. 21:7). [11]

To illustrate the coming plight of Israel’s captives, the prophet went around howling like a Jackal. British theologian, Donald Guthrie, remarks that Jackals “…have a peculiar howl at night, beginning with a high-pitched, long-drawn-out cry repeated at a successively higher pitch, and finishing with a series of loud yelps.” [12] In addition to howling like a jackal, he moaned like an owl. He must have been some sight to see and hear. Since this was the day before electronic sound effects the prophet just had to improvise to get attention and to get his message across.

“For Samaria’s plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself” (1:9). Judah and Jerusalem may have been shocked to hear themselves included in Samaria’s woes. The coming verses will vividly describe the Assyrian sweep through the southern cities of Judah and even to the very gates of Jerusalem (Mic. 1:10-16). They could not conquer Jerusalem because God performed a mighty miracle to protect the city. We read in 2 Kings 19:35, that the angel of the Lord came and put to death 185,000 soldiers in the Assyrian camp. With this, Sennacherib broke off Jerusalem’s siege and quickly headed for home. Jerusalem was spared, but it seems that the Assyrians decimated much of Judah’s outlying territory.

Descriptive Words For Judah’s Defeat

We do not want to miss the interesting play on words that the prophet gives us. It is a little difficult to reconstruct a 2700- year-old wordplay, but we can try. He says: “Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah roll in the dust” (1:10). It seems that Judah was always careful to keep the Philistines from rejoicing over her own woes (cf. 2 Sam. 1:20). How interesting it is today that the Palestinians, who now live where the Philistines once did, and falsely claim to be Philistines, still rejoice over Israel’s woes. Some years ago, when Saddam Hussein’s missiles were falling on Tel Aviv, the Palestinians actually danced with joy on their rooftops.

Some commentators say the underlying meaning here is “Tell it not in Tell-town.” However, the Hebrew does not seem to bear this out. The meaning of “Gath” has to do particularly with an olive press. There is a pun or play on words with Beth Ophrah. This name means house of dust. [13]

The prophet is saying “Roll in the dust at dust house.” This was a way of expressing grief or deep sorrow in the ancient world (Jer. 6:26; Ezek. 27:30). The idea behind the use of puns is an ancient one, that somehow character and destiny are described in a name. [14]

“Pass by naked and in shame, you who live in Shaphir. Those who live in Zaanan will not come out. Beth Ezel is in mourning; it no longer protects you” (1:11). The pun on Shaphir would be something like “beauty shamed at Beauty-town.” [15] Zaanan may be a sound play on another Hebrew word meaning “coming out” or “going out.” [16] Beth Ezel conveys the idea of proximity in Hebrew. It is thought that this city was near Jerusalem and they may have leaned on the city for protection. Phillips may have the pun right in saying, “no neighborliness at Neighbor-town.” [17]

“Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem” (1:12). Since Maroth is related to bitterness and Jerusalem is related to peace in the Hebrew, Phillips may have the pun close in saying, “Maroth: ‘bitter tears at Bitter-town’….Jerusalem: ‘no peace at Peace-town.’” [18]

“You who live in Lachish, harness fast horses to the chariot. You are where the sin of Daughter Zion began, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you” (1:13). Lachish was an important fortified city and chariot town in the lowlands about 30 miles (38 km) southwest of Jerusalem. It too was conquered by Sennacherib. Lachish had the dishonor of being the first to introduce Samaria’s false religions into Judah, as we see in this verse. [19]

Utley feels that this verse makes a pun sounding like the Hebrew term “to the steeds.” Lachish was a city famous for its horses and chariots. [20] Phillips may have the pun right once more in saying, “Horsepower gone from Horse-town.” [21]

“Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath. The town of Akzib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel” (1:14). Moresheth Gath was the hometown of the prophet Micah. English Bible scholar, Peter Pett, says that the sound of this town’s name was similar to the word which means possession or gift. He says, “But now the gift would be a parting one, because she was going into captivity. This must have been an especially bitter blow to Micah.” [22] The houses of Akzib would be a big disappointment to the Judean dynasty who would need their help. Feinberg comments: “The Achzabim of the Old Testament are brooks that are dry in summer, thus deceiving the thirsty traveler (see Jer. 15:18).” [23] Phillips again comes up with the possible pun, “Falsehood reigns at

False-town.” [24]

“I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. The nobles of Israel will flee to Adullam” (1:15). Mareshah has the meaning of possession or inheritance. The prophet is saying that the possession town will be possessed. [25] However it will be possessed by an enemy.

The area of Adullam was an area of caves. Here David once hid from Saul (1 Sam. 22:1-2). No doubt, many hid from the Assyrians in these caves, but it was all in vain.

“Shave your head in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourself as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile” (1:16). A shaved head among the Jewish people was a sign of deep mourning (Lev. 19:27; Deut. 14:1; Ezr. 9:3; Job 1:20; Amos 8:10). The picture here seems to be that of a Griffon vulture, which appears quite bald. There is probably no mourning like that of watching one’s children be led away into captivity. Apparently, the Assyrians killed the very young and the very old. The rest were carried away. Micah is the first prophet to assert that the southern two tribes also would go into captivity. [26]

Footnotes

1. Charles F. Pfeiffer & Everett F. Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), p. 851.

2. Charles L. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1990), p. 153.

3. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 851.

4. John Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1998), p. 159.

5. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 153.

6. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 159.

Chapter 1

1. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 161.

2. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2007), p. 1452.

3. Charles Ward Smith, Smith’s Bible Commentary, Micah, v. 1: 2. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/csc/micah-1.html

4. Bob Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Micah, v. 1:3, https://www.freebiblecommentary.org/old_testament_studies/VOL10OT/VOL10DOT_01.html

5. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 162.

6. James Burton Coffman, Commentary on Micah, v. 1:4. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/micah.html

7. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Micah, v. 1:6.

8. Robert D. Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Micah, 1871-78, v. 1:7. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/jfu/micah.html

9. Quoted in David Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Micah, vs. 1:8-9. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/micah-1/

10. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Micah, vs. 1:8-9.

11. Ibid.

12. D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer, A.M. Stibbs, D. J. Wiseman, The New Bible Commentary: Revised (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970), p. 753.

13. Ibid.

14. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Micah, vs. 1:10-16.

15. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 164.

16. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Micah, v. 1:11.

17. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 164.

18. Ibid.

19. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 156.

20. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Micah, v. 1:13.

21. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 164.

22. Peter Pett, Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, Micah, v. 1:14. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/pet.html

23. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 156.

24. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 164.

25. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Micah, v. 1:15.

26. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, Micah, v. 1:16.