Micah 1 Commentary: A Kingdom Man's Lament Over Rebellion
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.
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.
For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Beth–ezel; he shall receive of you his standing.
For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem.
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.
Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth–gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.
Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.
Micah 1 introduces us to the prophet Micah, a man whose name means "Who is like the LORD?" This question, a rhetorical challenge to the idols of his day, sets the stage for his prophetic ministry. Micah 1:1 tells us that the word of the LORD came to him during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Though he lived under earthly rulers, Micah served the King of kings, whose kingdom transcends all others.
Micah was a Moreshite, hailing from Moresheth-gath, a town southwest of Jerusalem and under the sphere of influence of the Philistine city of Gath. This was no metropolis, highlighting a crucial truth: God can use anyone, from anywhere, who is receptive to His call. A kingdom man or woman can be found wherever the word of God reaches. Micah’s vision focuses on two prominent cities: Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, and Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. These cities, representing the entirety of God’s covenant people, are the targets of his prophetic message.
A Universal Summons and Divine Indictment
Micah 1:2-7 issues a powerful summons: "Listen, all you peoples; pay attention, earth and everyone in it." This is a reminder that when God speaks, the entire world must take heed. Micah alerts his fellow Israelites that a case is being brought against them, with the Creator of the universe Himself as the primary witness. The idolatry rampant in Samaria and Jerusalem had reached such a point that God was stepping down to address it personally.
The core issue was rebellion and sin against God’s covenant (Micah 1:5). Israel had entered into a covenant relationship with the Lord, often portrayed by the prophets as a marriage covenant. God was the husband, and Israel was His bride. Therefore, their embrace of idolatry, the worship of false gods, was considered spiritual adultery. Like a spouse unfaithful to their vows, Israel had "prostituted" themselves with foreign nations and their false gods.
Micah vividly illustrates this spiritual infidelity. Samaria had collected the wages of a prostitute (Micah 1:7), accumulating wealth through its idolatrous practices. However, this wealth would ultimately be plundered by another "prostitute," another idol-worshiping nation, highlighting the futility and ultimate destruction that comes with turning away from God. Samaria would become a heap of ruins, and her idols would be smashed (Micah 1:6-7).
The Prophet's Grief and Impending Judgment
Micah 1:8-16 reveals Micah's deeply personal response to his own prophetic message. He weeps, feeling the pain of seeing his people being driven from the land, many facing death. Even Judah would suffer the consequences of idolatry, facing scorn as surrounding nations rejoiced over their downfall (Micah 1:9).
Micah grieves over the Judean towns that would be devastated, including his own hometown of Moresheth-gath (Micah 1:11-15). He calls on his countrymen to shave their heads bald, a powerful symbol of intense mourning (Micah 1:16). This isn't just a superficial act of grief; it's a call to genuine repentance and a recognition of the severity of the impending judgment.
Micah's lament serves as a reminder that true prophets aren't detached observers. They are deeply connected to their people, feeling their pain and sharing their sorrow. His willingness to grieve publicly demonstrates the burden of the prophetic calling and the weight of God's judgment on sin. Micah 1 sets the stage for the rest of the book, where we see both the severity of God's judgment and the hope of His eventual restoration. This chapter serves as a potent warning against idolatry and a call to return to the one true God.
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.
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.
For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Beth–ezel; he shall receive of you his standing.
For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem.
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.
Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth–gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.
Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.
Micah 1 introduces us to the prophet Micah, a man whose name means "Who is like the LORD?" This question, a rhetorical challenge to the idols of his day, sets the stage for his prophetic ministry. Micah 1:1 tells us that the word of the LORD came to him during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Though he lived under earthly rulers, Micah served the King of kings, whose kingdom transcends all others.
Micah was a Moreshite, hailing from Moresheth-gath, a town southwest of Jerusalem and under the sphere of influence of the Philistine city of Gath. This was no metropolis, highlighting a crucial truth: God can use anyone, from anywhere, who is receptive to His call. A kingdom man or woman can be found wherever the word of God reaches. Micah’s vision focuses on two prominent cities: Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, and Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. These cities, representing the entirety of God’s covenant people, are the targets of his prophetic message.
A Universal Summons and Divine Indictment
Micah 1:2-7 issues a powerful summons: "Listen, all you peoples; pay attention, earth and everyone in it." This is a reminder that when God speaks, the entire world must take heed. Micah alerts his fellow Israelites that a case is being brought against them, with the Creator of the universe Himself as the primary witness. The idolatry rampant in Samaria and Jerusalem had reached such a point that God was stepping down to address it personally.
The core issue was rebellion and sin against God’s covenant (Micah 1:5). Israel had entered into a covenant relationship with the Lord, often portrayed by the prophets as a marriage covenant. God was the husband, and Israel was His bride. Therefore, their embrace of idolatry, the worship of false gods, was considered spiritual adultery. Like a spouse unfaithful to their vows, Israel had "prostituted" themselves with foreign nations and their false gods.
Micah vividly illustrates this spiritual infidelity. Samaria had collected the wages of a prostitute (Micah 1:7), accumulating wealth through its idolatrous practices. However, this wealth would ultimately be plundered by another "prostitute," another idol-worshiping nation, highlighting the futility and ultimate destruction that comes with turning away from God. Samaria would become a heap of ruins, and her idols would be smashed (Micah 1:6-7).
The Prophet's Grief and Impending Judgment
Micah 1:8-16 reveals Micah's deeply personal response to his own prophetic message. He weeps, feeling the pain of seeing his people being driven from the land, many facing death. Even Judah would suffer the consequences of idolatry, facing scorn as surrounding nations rejoiced over their downfall (Micah 1:9).
Micah grieves over the Judean towns that would be devastated, including his own hometown of Moresheth-gath (Micah 1:11-15). He calls on his countrymen to shave their heads bald, a powerful symbol of intense mourning (Micah 1:16). This isn't just a superficial act of grief; it's a call to genuine repentance and a recognition of the severity of the impending judgment.
Micah's lament serves as a reminder that true prophets aren't detached observers. They are deeply connected to their people, feeling their pain and sharing their sorrow. His willingness to grieve publicly demonstrates the burden of the prophetic calling and the weight of God's judgment on sin. Micah 1 sets the stage for the rest of the book, where we see both the severity of God's judgment and the hope of His eventual restoration. This chapter serves as a potent warning against idolatry and a call to return to the one true God.