Reference: Micah
American
1. The Morasthite, or of Maresheth, a village near Eleutheropolis, in the west of Judah; the seventh in order of the lesser prophets. He prophesied under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, for about fifty years, if with some we reckon from near the beginning of the reign of Jotham, to the last year of Hezekiah B. C. 750-698. He was nearly contemporary with Isaiah, and has some expressions in common with him. Compare Isa 2:2 with Mic 4:1, and Isa 41:15 with Mic 4:13. His bold fidelity served as a shield to the prophet Jeremiah a century afterwards, Jer 26:18-19; Mic 3:12. He wrote in an elevated and vehement style, with frequent transitions. His prophecy relates to the sins and judgments of Israel and Judah, the destruction of Samaria and Jerusalem, the return of the Jews from captivity, and the punishment of their enemies. He proclaims the coming of the Messiah, "whose going forth have been from of old, from everlasting," as the foundation of all hope for the glorious and blessed future he describes; and specifies Bethlehem in Judah as the place where He should be born of woman, Mic 5:2-3. The prediction was thus understood by the Jews, Mt 2:6; Joh 7:41-42.
2. An Ephraimite in the time of the Judges, soon after Joshua, who stole eleven hundred shekels of silver from his mother, but restored them, and with her consent employed them in establishing a private sanctuary, with an image to be used in the worship of Jehovah, and with a Levite for his priest. Providence frowned on his idolatrous service, and a troop of Danites robbed him of his priest and of all implements of worship, Jg 17:13.
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And Micah said, "Now I know Yahweh will make me prosperous, because the Levite has become my priest."
And it shall happen in the future of the days the mountain of the house of Yahweh [shall] be established; it will be among the highest of the mountains, and it shall be raised from [the] hills. All [of] the nations shall travel to him;
Look! I will make you into a new sharp threshing sledge, {with} sharp edges. You shall thresh and crush [the] mountains, and you shall make [the] hills like chaff.
"Micah the Morashtite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he said to all the people of Judah, {saying}: 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Zion will be plowed, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the {temple} as high places of wood." ' [Did] Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and all Judah actually put him to death? [Was he] not in fear of Yahweh? And he entreated the face of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster that he had spoken against them. But we [are] about to do great disaster to ourselves."
Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed [as] a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and {the temple mount} as a high place [in] a forest.
And it will be [that] at the end of those days, the mountain of Yahweh will be established as the highest of the mountains, and it will be lifted up above the hills, and people will stream to it.
Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for your horn I will make [as] iron and your hooves [as] bronze. And you will break many peoples in pieces, and their gain you will devote to destruction to Yahweh, and their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth."
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, [too] small to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go out for me, to be ruler in Israel; and his origins [are] from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he will give them up until the time of she who is with child has given birth. And the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.
'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you will go out a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
Others were saying, "This man is the Christ!" But others were saying, "No, for the Christ does not come from Galilee, [does he]? Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"
Easton
a shortened form of Micaiah, who is like Jehovah? (1.) A man of Mount Ephraim, whose history so far is introduced in Jg 17, apparently for the purpose of leading to an account of the settlement of the tribe of Dan in Northern Palestine, and for the purpose also of illustrating the lawlessness of the times in which he lived (Jg 18; 19:1-29; 21:25).
(2.) The son of Merib-baal (Mephibosheth), 1Ch 8:34-35.
(3.) The first in rank of the priests of the family of Kohathites (1Ch 23:20).
(4.) A descendant of Joel the Reubenite (1Ch 5:5).
(5.) "The Morasthite," so called to distinguish him from Micaiah, the son of Imlah (1Ki 22:8). He was a prophet of Judah, a contemporary of Isaiah (Mic 1:1), a native of Moresheth of Gath (Mic 1:14-15). Very little is known of the circumstances of his life (comp. Jer 26:18-19).
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Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "[There is] still one man to inquire from Yahweh, but I despise him, for he never prophesies [anything] good concerning me, but only bad: Micaiah the son of Imlah." Then Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say so."
And the son of Jonathan [was] Merib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah. And the sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
"Micah the Morashtite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he said to all the people of Judah, {saying}: 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Zion will be plowed, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the {temple} as high places of wood." ' [Did] Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and all Judah actually put him to death? [Was he] not in fear of Yahweh? And he entreated the face of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster that he had spoken against them. But we [are] about to do great disaster to ourselves."
The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, that he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:
Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth-Gath; the houses of Achzib [will be] a deception to the kings of Israel. I will again bring the conqueror upon you, O inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
Fausets
1. Of Mount Ephraim. (See JONATHAN .) The date of the event is implied as before Samson, for the origin of the name Mahaneh Dan occurs in this narrative (Jg 18:12) and it is mentioned as already so named in Samson's childhood (Jg 13:25, margin). Josephus places the synchronous narrative of the Levite and his concubine at the beginning of the judges. Phinehas, Aaron's grandson, is mentioned (Jg 20:28). The narrative was written after the monarchy had begun (Jg 18:1; 19:1), while the tabernacle was still at Shiloh, not yet moved by David to Jerusalem (Jg 18:31).
2. MICAH THE PROPHET. The oldest form of the name was Mikaiahuw, "who is as Jah?" (compare MICHAEL.) In Mic 7:18 Micah alludes to the meaning of his name as embodying the most precious truth to a guilty people such as he had painted the Jews, "who is a God like unto Thee that pardon iniquity," etc. Sixth of the minor prophets in the Hebrew canon, third in the Septuagint. The Morasthite, i.e. of Moresheth, or Moresheth Gath (near Gath in S.W. of Judaea), where once was his tomb, but in Jerome's (Ep. Paulae 6) days a church, not far from Eleutheropolis. Micah prophesied in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah somewhere between 756 and 697 B.C. Contemporary with Isaiah in Judah, with whose prophecies his have a close connection (compare Mic 4:1-3 with Isa 2:2-4, the latter stamping the former as inspired), and with Hosea and Amos during their later ministry in Israel.
His earlier prophecies under Jotham and Ahaz were collected and written out as one whole under Hezekiah. Probably the book was read before the assembled king and people on some fast or festival, as certain elders quoted to the princes and people assembled against Jeremiah (Jer 26:18) Mic 3:12, "Micah the Morasthite in the days of Hezekiah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. Did Hezekiah put him ... to death? Did he not fear the Lord and besought the Lord, and the Lord repented Him of the evil which He had pronounced against them?" The idolatries of Ahaz' reign accord with Micah 's denunciations. He prophesies partly against Israel (Samaria), partly against Judah.
Shalmaneser and Sargon took Samaria in the sixth year of Hezekiah (722 B.C.). The section in which is (Mic 1:6) "I will make Samaria as an heap" was therefore earlier. The "high places" (Mic 1:5) probably allude to those in Jotham's and Ahaz' reigns (2Ki 15:35; 16:4). The "horses and chariots" (Mic 5:10) accord with Jotham's time, when Uzziah's military establishments still flourished (2Ch 26:11-15). Mic 5:12-14; 6:16, "the statutes of Omri are kept and all the works of the house of Ahab," accord with the reign of Ahaz who "walked in the way of the kings of Israel" (2Ki 16:3).
DIVISIONS. The thrice repeated phrase "Hear ye" (Mic 1:2; 3:1; 6:1) divides the whole into three parts. The middle division (Micah 3-5) has Messiah and His kingdom for its subject. The first division prepares for this by foretelling the overthrow of the world kingdoms. The third division is the appeal based on the foregoing, and the elect church's anticipation of God's finally forgiving His people's sin completely, and restoring Israel because of the covenant with Jacob and Abraham of old. The intimations concerning the birth of Messiah as a child and His reign in peace, and Jacob's remnant destroying adversaries as a "lion," but being "a dew from the Lord amidst many people" (Mic 4:9-5:5), correspond to Isa 7:14-16; 9:6-7.
This middle section is the climax, failing into four strophes (Mic 4:1-8,5-9;Mic 4:2; 5:8-15). Mic 6:7, form a vivid dialogue wherein Jehovah expostulates with Israel for their sinful and monstrous ingratitude, and they attempt to reply and are convicted (Mic 6:6-8). Then the chosen remnant amidst the surrounding gloom looks to the Lord and receives assurance of final deliverance. Zacharias (Lu 1:72-73) reproduces the closing anticipation (Mic 7:16-20), "Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." Sennacherib's invasion is foreseen, Mic 1:9-16; especially Mic 1:13-14, compare 2Ki 18:14-17. Jerusalem's destruction in Mic 3:12; 7:13.
The Babylonian captivity and deliverance in Mic 4:10,1-8; 7:11, confirming the genuineness of the latter half of Isaiah his contemporary, with whom Micah has so much in common and who (Isaiah 39-66) similarly foretells the captivity and deliverance. The fall of Assyria and Babylon are referred to (Mic 5:5-6; 7:8,10). Hengstenberg thinks that Micaiah's words (1Ki 22:28), "hearken, O people, every one of you," were intentionally repeated by Micah to intimate that his own activity is a continuation of that of his predecessor who was so jealous for God, and that he had more in common with him than the mere name.
STYLE. His diction is pure and his parallelisms regular. His description of Jehovah (Mic 7:18-19), "who is a God like unto Thee, forgiving?" etc., alludes to the meaning of his own name and to Ex 15:11; 34:6-7, and is a fine specimen of his power and pathos. He is dramatic in Micah 6; 7. His similarity to Isaiah in style is due to their theme being alike (Mic 1:2; Isa 1:2; Mic 2:2; Isa 5:8; Mic 2:6,11; Isa 30:10; Mic 2:12; Isa 10:20-22; Mic 6:6-8; Isa 1:11-17).
He is abrupt in transitions, and elliptical, and so obscure; the contrast between Babylon, which triumphs over carnal Israel, and humble Bethlehem out of which shall come forth Israel's Deliverer and Babylon's Destroyer, is a striking instance: Mic 4:8-5:7. Pastoral and rural imagery is common (Mic 1:6,8; 2:12; 3:12; 4/3/type/leb'>4:3,12-13; 5:4-8; 6:15; 7:1,4,14). Flays upon words abound (Mic 1:10-15). (See APHRAH; BETHEZEL; MAROTH; ACHZIB; MARESHAH.) New Testament quotations of Micah: Mt 2:5-6 (Mic 5:2); Mt 10:35-36 (Mic 7:6); Mt 9:13 (Mic 6:6-8); Mr 13:12; Lu 12:53 (Mic 7:6); Joh 7:42 (Mic 5:2); Eph 2:14 (Mic 5:5).
3. The Reubenite Joel's descendant (1Ch 5:5).
4. Mephibosheth's or Meribbaal's son (1Ch 8:34; 2Sa 9:12), MICHA.
5. A Kohathite Levite, Uzziel's oldest son; nephew of Amram, and cousin to Moses (1Ch 23:20; 24:24-25); the spelling varies in the two chapters.
6. Abdon's father (2Ch 34:20); Achbor's, 2Ki 22:12.
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Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh? Who is like you--glorious in holiness, awesome [in] praiseworthy actions, doing wonders?
And Yahweh passed over before him, and he proclaimed, "Yahweh, Yahweh, God, [who is] compassionate and gracious, {slow to anger}, and abounding with loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love to the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he does not leave utterly unpunished, punishing [the] guilt of fathers on sons and on sons of sons on third and fourth [generations]."
And the Spirit of Yahweh began to stir him in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites [was] seeking territory for itself to live in, because until that day it had not been allotted territory among the tribes of Israel.
They went up and encamped at Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Therefore they called this place Camp of Dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath Jearim.
So they set up for themselves the carved divine image that Micah had made, all the days that the house of God [was] in Shiloh.
In those days there was no king in Israel; there was a man, a Levite, who dwelled as a foreigner in the remote areas of the hill country of Ephraim. And he took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, [was] standing {before it} [to minister] in those days), saying, "Should we go out once more to battle against the descendants of Benjamin our relatives, or should we stop?" And Yahweh said, "Go up tomorrow; I will give them into your hand."
Then Micaiah said, "If you indeed return in peace, then Yahweh has not spoken with me." Then he said, "Let all the peoples hear!"
Only the high places were not removed; the people still [were] sacrificing and offering incense on the high places. He built the upper gate of the temple of Yahweh.
He walked in the way of the kings of Israel; he even let his son pass through the fire according to the detestable things of the nations which Yahweh drove out from before the {Israelites}. He sacrificed and offered incense on the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.
So Hezekiah king of Judah sent [word] to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong. Withdraw from me. What you impose on me I will bear." So the king of Assyria imposed on Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. Then Hezekiah gave all of the silver found [in] the temple of Yahweh and in the storerooms of the house of the king. read more. At that time, Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of Yahweh and the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and he gave them to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria sent the commander in chief, the chief eunuch, and the {chief advisor} from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a heavy army. They went up and came [to] Jerusalem, then they went up and came and stood at the aqueduct of the upper pool which is on the main road of the {washer's} field.
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Acbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the servant of the king, saying,
The sons of Uzziel, Micah; the sons of Micah, Shamur. The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah.
And Uzziah had troops {trained and ready for war} in divisions according to the number of their enrollment at the hand of Jeuel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah of the king's commanders. The whole number of the heads of the {families} for mighty warriors of strength [was] two thousand six hundred. read more. And under their hand [were] army troops [numbering] three hundred and seven thousand five hundred who could make war with power and strength to help the king against an enemy. And Uzziah prepared small shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slingstones for the whole army. And he made siege machines in Jerusalem designed [by] skillful men to be [set] upon the towers and upon the corners to shoot arrows and large slingstones. And his fame went out far, for he helped marvelously, for he was strong.
and the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king, saying,
Hear, heavens, and listen, earth, for Yahweh has spoken: "I reared children and I brought [them] up, but they rebelled against me.
What [is the] abundance of your sacrifices to me? says Yahweh. I have had enough [of] burnt offerings of rams and [the] fat [of] fattened animals and I do not delight in [the] blood of bulls and ram-lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who asked for this from your hand: you trampling my courts? read more. You must not {continue} to bring offerings of futility, incense--it [is] an abomination to me; new moon and Sabbath, [the] calling of a convocation-- I cannot endure iniquity with [solemn] assembly. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become to me like burden, I am not able to bear [them]. And when you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I [will] not be listening. Your hands are full of blood. Wash! Make yourselves clean! Remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes! Cease to do evil! Learn to do good! Seek justice! Rescue [the] oppressed! Defend [the] orphan! Plead for [the] widow!
And it shall happen in the future of the days the mountain of the house of Yahweh [shall] be established; it will be among the highest of the mountains, and it shall be raised from [the] hills. All [of] the nations shall travel to him; many peoples shall come. And they shall say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob, and may he teach us part of his ways, and let us walk in his paths." For instruction shall go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. read more. He shall judge between the nations and he shall arbitrate for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. A nation shall not lift up a sword against a nation, and they shall not learn war again.
Ah! Those who {join} house with house, they join field together with field until {there is no place} and you are caused to dwell alone in the midst of the land.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! the virgin [is] with child and she is about to give birth [to] a son, and she shall call his name 'God with us.' He shall eat curds and honey until he knows to reject the evil and to choose the good. read more. For before the boy knows to reject the evil and to choose the good, {the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.}
For a child has been born for us; a son has been given to us. And the dominion will be on his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. {His dominion will grow continually, and to peace there will be no end} on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and sustain it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.
And this shall happen: on that day, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will not continue to lean on [the] one who struck it but will lean on Yahweh, the holy one of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return-- the remnant of Jacob--to [the] mighty God. read more. For though your people Israel was like the sand of the sea, [only] a remnant of it will return. Annihilation [is] determined, overflowing [with] righteousness.
who say to those who do see, "You must not see!" and to the seers, "You must not see truth for us; speak smooth things to us, see illusions,
"Micah the Morashtite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he said to all the people of Judah, {saying}: 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Zion will be plowed, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the {temple} as high places of wood." '
Hear, all you peoples; give heed, O earth and its fullness. And let the Lord Yahweh be against you as a witness, the Lord from {his holy temple}.
Hear, all you peoples; give heed, O earth and its fullness. And let the Lord Yahweh be against you as a witness, the Lord from {his holy temple}.
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? And what [are] the high places of Judah? [Are they] not Jerusalem? So I will make Samaria as a heap of rubble in the field, a place for planting a vineyard. And I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations.
So I will make Samaria as a heap of rubble in the field, a place for planting a vineyard. And I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations.
On account of this I will lament and wail. I will go about barefoot and naked. I will make a lamentation like the jackals, and a mourning ceremony like the {ostriches}. For her wounds [are] incurable, because it has come to Judah. It has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem. read more. Do not tell [it] in Gath; you must not weep at all. In Beth-le-Aphrah roll yourself [in] dust.
Do not tell [it] in Gath; you must not weep at all. In Beth-le-Aphrah roll yourself [in] dust. Pass on, you inhabitants of Shaphir, in naked shame. The inhabitants of Zaanan do not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ha-Ezel will take its protection from you.
Pass on, you inhabitants of Shaphir, in naked shame. The inhabitants of Zaanan do not come forth; the wailing of Beth-ha-Ezel will take its protection from you. For the inhabitants of Maroth writhed for good, because disaster has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem.
For the inhabitants of Maroth writhed for good, because disaster has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem. Harness the chariot to the team of horses, O inhabitants of Lachish; it [is] the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
Harness the chariot to the team of horses, O inhabitants of Lachish; it [is] the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
Harness the chariot to the team of horses, O inhabitants of Lachish; it [is] the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth-Gath; the houses of Achzib [will be] a deception to the kings of Israel.
Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth-Gath; the houses of Achzib [will be] a deception to the kings of Israel.
Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth-Gath; the houses of Achzib [will be] a deception to the kings of Israel. I will again bring the conqueror upon you, O inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
I will again bring the conqueror upon you, O inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel will come to Adullam. Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair for the children of your pleasure. Expand your baldness as the eagle, for they will go into exile away from you.
They covet fields and seize [them], and houses, and they take [them] away. They oppress a man and his house; a man and his inheritance.
"Do not preach!" they are preaching. They should not preach to these; disgrace will not overtake us.
If a man walks about in a spirit of deception and lies, [saying] "I will preach to you of wine and strong drink," then he would be a preacher [for] this people! I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely gather together the remainder of Israel. I will set them like sheep of Bozrah. Like a herd in the midst of their pasture they will be in tumult from people.
I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely gather together the remainder of Israel. I will set them like sheep of Bozrah. Like a herd in the midst of their pasture they will be in tumult from people.
And I said, "Listen, O heads of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel! [Is it] not for you to know justice?
Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed [as] a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and {the temple mount} as a high place [in] a forest.
Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed [as] a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and {the temple mount} as a high place [in] a forest.
Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed [as] a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and {the temple mount} as a high place [in] a forest.
And it will be [that] at the end of those days, the mountain of Yahweh will be established as the highest of the mountains, and it will be lifted up above the hills, and people will stream to it.
And it will be [that] at the end of those days, the mountain of Yahweh will be established as the highest of the mountains, and it will be lifted up above the hills, and people will stream to it.
And it will be [that] at the end of those days, the mountain of Yahweh will be established as the highest of the mountains, and it will be lifted up above the hills, and people will stream to it. And many nations will come and say, "Come! Let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the {temple} of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths," for the law will go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
And many nations will come and say, "Come! Let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the {temple} of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths," for the law will go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
And many nations will come and say, "Come! Let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the {temple} of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths," for the law will go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
And many nations will come and say, "Come! Let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the {temple} of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths," for the law will go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. And he will judge between many peoples and will arbitrate for strong nations far away; and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up a sword against a nation, and they will no longer learn war.
And he will judge between many peoples and will arbitrate for strong nations far away; and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up a sword against a nation, and they will no longer learn war.
And he will judge between many peoples and will arbitrate for strong nations far away; and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up a sword against a nation, and they will no longer learn war.
And he will judge between many peoples and will arbitrate for strong nations far away; and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up a sword against a nation, and they will no longer learn war. But they will sit, each under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the mouth of Yahweh of hosts has spoken.
But they will sit, each under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the mouth of Yahweh of hosts has spoken. For all the nations walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God, forever and ever.
For all the nations walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God, forever and ever.
For all the nations walk, each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God, forever and ever. "In that day," {declares Yahweh,} "I will assemble the one who limps, and I will gather the one who has been scattered, and [those] whom I have mistreated.
"In that day," {declares Yahweh,} "I will assemble the one who limps, and I will gather the one who has been scattered, and [those] whom I have mistreated.
"In that day," {declares Yahweh,} "I will assemble the one who limps, and I will gather the one who has been scattered, and [those] whom I have mistreated. And I will make the one who limps a remnant, and the one driven far away a strong nation, and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from now to forever.
And I will make the one who limps a remnant, and the one driven far away a strong nation, and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from now to forever.
And I will make the one who limps a remnant, and the one driven far away a strong nation, and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from now to forever. And you, O Migdal-Eder, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, and the former dominion will come, [the] reign of the daughter of Jerusalem.
And you, O Migdal-Eder, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, and the former dominion will come, [the] reign of the daughter of Jerusalem.
And you, O Migdal-Eder, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, and the former dominion will come, [the] reign of the daughter of Jerusalem. So then, why do you shout a loud shout? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished that pangs like a woman in labor have seized you? read more. Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will go forth from the city, and you will camp in the field; you will go to Babylon. There you will be rescued; there Yahweh will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.
But they do not know the thoughts of Yahweh, and they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to his threshing floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for your horn I will make [as] iron and your hooves [as] bronze. And you will break many peoples in pieces, and their gain you will devote to destruction to Yahweh, and their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth."
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, [too] small to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go out for me, to be ruler in Israel; and his origins [are] from of old, from ancient days.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, [too] small to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go out for me, to be ruler in Israel; and his origins [are] from of old, from ancient days.
And he will stand and shepherd [his flock] in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God. And they will live, for now he will be great unto the ends of the earth. And this one will be peace. [As for] the Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads on our fortresses, then we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.
And this one will be peace. [As for] the Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads on our fortresses, then we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.
And this one will be peace. [As for] the Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads on our fortresses, then we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. And they will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances. And he will rescue [us] from the Assyrian when he comes into our land, and when they tread upon our border.
And they will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod at its entrances. And he will rescue [us] from the Assyrian when he comes into our land, and when they tread upon our border. And the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many nations, like dew from Yahweh, like showers upon the grass which does not wait for a man, nor delays for the children of humankind. read more. And the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the wild animals of the forest, like a young lion among the herds of sheep which, when it passes through and treads [down] and tears in pieces, there is none who [can] deliver.
And the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the wild animals of the forest, like a young lion among the herds of sheep which, when it passes through and treads [down] and tears in pieces, there is none who [can] deliver. Your hand will be lifted high over your enemies, and all your foes will be cut off. read more. "And it will happen [that] in that day," {declares} Yahweh, "then I will cut off your horses from among you, and I will destroy your chariots.
"And it will happen [that] in that day," {declares} Yahweh, "then I will cut off your horses from among you, and I will destroy your chariots. And I will cut off the cities of your land, and I will demolish all your fortifications. read more. And I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you will not have soothsayers.
And I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you will not have soothsayers. And I will cut off your idols and your stone pillars from among you, and you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.
And I will cut off your idols and your stone pillars from among you, and you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands. And I will uproot your Asherahs from among you, and I will destroy your cities.
And I will uproot your Asherahs from among you, and I will destroy your cities. And in anger and in wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations who did not obey."
Hear now what Yahweh says: "Arise! Plead [your case] with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice."
With what shall I approach Yahweh, and bow down to God on high? Shall I approach him with burnt offerings, with bull calves a year old?
With what shall I approach Yahweh, and bow down to God on high? Shall I approach him with burnt offerings, with bull calves a year old?
With what shall I approach Yahweh, and bow down to God on high? Shall I approach him with burnt offerings, with bull calves a year old? Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body [for the] sin of my soul?
Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body [for the] sin of my soul?
Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body [for the] sin of my soul?
Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body [for the] sin of my soul? He has told you, O mortal, what [is] good, and what does Yahweh ask from you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
He has told you, O mortal, what [is] good, and what does Yahweh ask from you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
He has told you, O mortal, what [is] good, and what does Yahweh ask from you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
You yourself will sow, but you will not reap; you will tread olives, but you will not anoint yourself with oil; [you will tread] grapes, but you will not drink wine. For you have observed the regulations of Omri and all the works of the house of Ahab. And you have walked in their counsels, so that I am making you a desolation and your inhabitants an object of scorn. So you will bear the scorn of my people.
Woe is me! For I have become like the gatherings of summer, like the gleanings of the grape harvest, [when] there is no cluster of grapes to eat [or] early ripened fruit [that] my soul desires.
The best of them [is] like a brier; [the most] upright [worse] than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchman, your punishment, has come; now their confusion will come.
For a son treats a father with contempt; a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; [the] enemies of a man [are] the men of his own house.
For a son treats a father with contempt; a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; [the] enemies of a man [are] the men of his own house.
You should not rejoice over me, O my enemy! When I fall I will stand up; when I sit in darkness Yahweh [will be] a light for me.
Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, "Where [is] Yahweh your God?" My eyes will look upon her; now she will become a trampling place, like mud in the streets. A day for building your walls; [on] that day he will extend [your] boundary.
But the earth will be a desolation because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their deeds. Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, those dwelling alone [in] a forest in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as [in] the days of old.
The nations will see and be ashamed because of all their might. They will lay [the] hand on [the] mouth; their ears will be deaf. They will lick the dust like the serpent, like the crawling things of the earth. They will come trembling from their strongholds to Yahweh our God. Let them fear and be afraid of you. read more. Who [is] a God like you, forgiving sin and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, for he delights in loyal love.
Who [is] a God like you, forgiving sin and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, for he delights in loyal love.
Who [is] a God like you, forgiving sin and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, for he delights in loyal love. {He will again have compassion} on us; he will trample our iniquities. And you will hurl all their sins in the depths of the sea.
{He will again have compassion} on us; he will trample our iniquities. And you will hurl all their sins in the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.
So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you will go out a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
But go [and] learn what it means, "I want mercy and not sacrifice." For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
For I have come to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And the enemies of a man [will be] the members of his household.
And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father [his] child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to Abraham our father, to grant us
They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"
For he himself is our peace, who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of the partition, the enmity, in his flesh,
Hastings
The Morashtite, one of the four prophets of the 8th century b.c. whose writings have survived. Probably his prophecy does not extend beyond the first three chapters of the Book of Micah (see next art.).
According to the general interpretation of Mic 1:5, Micah prophesied, at least in part, before the destruction of Samaria, which took place in b.c. 722; though some place his prophetic activity entirely in the years 705
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Ah! Those who {join} house with house, they join field together with field until {there is no place} and you are caused to dwell alone in the midst of the land.
"Micah the Morashtite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he said to all the people of Judah, {saying}: 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Zion will be plowed, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the {temple} as high places of wood." '
The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, that he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:
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? And what [are] the high places of Judah? [Are they] not Jerusalem?
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? And what [are] the high places of Judah? [Are they] not Jerusalem?
Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth-Gath; the houses of Achzib [will be] a deception to the kings of Israel.
Woe [to] those who plan wickedness and evil deeds upon their beds! In the light of the morning they did it, because they have power in their hands.
And I said, "Listen, O heads of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel! [Is it] not for you to know justice? [Those of you who are] haters of good and lovers of evil, [who] tear their skin from them and their flesh from their bones, read more. and who eat the flesh of my people, and strip their skin from them, and break their bones, and chop [them] like meat in the pot, and like flesh in the midst of a cooking pot." Then they will cry to Yahweh, but he will not answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time, when they have made their deeds evil. Thus says Yahweh concerning the prophets who are leading my people astray, who are biting with their teeth and proclaim, "Peace," but whoever puts nothing into their mouths they declare war against.
But I, I am filled [with] power, with the Spirit of Yahweh, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his rebellion, and to Israel his sin.
he who builds Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wickedness. Its rulers judge for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money. But they lean on Yahweh, saying, "[Is] not Yahweh in our midst? Disaster will not come upon us."
Its rulers judge for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money. But they lean on Yahweh, saying, "[Is] not Yahweh in our midst? Disaster will not come upon us." Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed [as] a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and {the temple mount} as a high place [in] a forest.
Morish
Micah. Mi'cah
1. A man of Mount Ephraim, whose history reveals the sad state of private life in Israel, as well as the mixture of idolatry with the name of Jehovah, early in the times of the Judges, Phinehas being still high priest. He had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons to act as priest. A wandering son of Levi finding his way to Micah's house was gladly received by him, treated as one of his sons, and became his priest. Then Micah said, "Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest." The Danites however, seeking a larger inheritance, sent spies to the north, who came near Micah's house, and knowing the voice of the Levite, asked him to inquire of God for them. He ventured to reply, "Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go." A larger body of Danites afterwards came and carried away the gods of Micah, and the ephod and the teraphim, together with the Levite, and took them to the north, where they established themselves. Micah hastened after them, but could not recover his gods. There was no king in Israel, and every man did that which was right in his own eyes; and God, though nominally owned, was, alas, in reality ignored. Judges 17, Judges 18.
2. Son of Shimei, a descendant of Reuben. 1Ch 5:5.
3. Son of Merib-baal, or Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul. 1Ch 8:34-35; 9:40-41. Called MICHA in 2Sa 9:12.
4. Son of Zichri, or Zabdi, or Zaccur, a Levite. 1Ch 9:15. Apparently called MICHA in Ne 11:17,22; and MICHAIAH in Ne 12:35.
5. Son of Uzziel, a Kohathite. 1Ch 23:20. Called MICHAH in 1Ch 24:24-25.
6. Father of Abdon. 2Ch 34:20. Called MICHAIAH in 2Ki 22:12.
7. The Morasthite, the prophet. Jer 26:18; Mic 1:1.
Micah, Mi'cah Book of.
Nothing is known of the prophet personally. He prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and was thus contemporary with Isaiah and Hosea. His prophecy was concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. God spoke from His holy temple, and the prophet exclaimed, "Hear, all ye peoples." He spoke to all people saying "Hearken, O earth." All the earth was involved in the judgements that God was going to bring upon His chosen people: a solemn consideration when the people of God, instead of being a testimony for Him, bring the judgements of God down on the world. The time has come that judgement must begin at the house of God. The prophecy seems to divide itself into three sections: the word 'hear' introducing each.
1. Mic 1:1; 2/1/type/leb'>2:1;
2. Micah 3 - 5; and
Mic 1:1; 2:1 may be regarded as introductory. Judgements should fall upon Samaria, her wound was incurable; but they should also approach Judah and Jerusalem. The Assyrian is the special instrument of the judgements.
Micah 2. The prophet speaks of the moral state of the people that called for judgement. Schemes of violence were devised by them to gratify their covetousness. They had turned away from the testimony, and it should be taken from them. Mic 2:6 may be translated "Prophesy ye not, they prophesy. If they do not prophesy to these, the ignominy will not depart." Their wickedness spared neither women nor children. There was a call to arise and depart, for the land of promise was polluted. Nevertheless, God does not renounce His purpose concerning Israel, He will gather them together for blessing in the last days. There shall be a 'breaker' by whom He will remove all obstacles.
Micah 3. The princes and prophets are denounced because of their iniquity; but the prophet himself was full of power to declare the sin of Israel, consequently Zion should be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem should become heaps. This prophecy has been literally fulfilled.
Micah 4 turns to the blessing of the last days, when Mount Zion will have the first place, and many nations will approach the mountain of the Lord that they may learn His ways. The people will be judged in righteousness; and there will be peace, safety, and plenty. But before this there would be the loss of the royal power established in Zion, and their captivity in Babylon, but they should be redeemed. Eventually there would be many nations come against Zion, but the daughter of Zion should beat them to pieces, and consecrate their spoils to Jehovah, the Lord of the whole earth: comp. Ps. 83; Isa 17:12-14; Zec 14:2.
Micah 5 Another subject and another Person are introduced before the final blessings of Israel can be brought to them, namely, the MESSIAH, 'the judge of Israel,' whose goings forth had been from of old, from everlasting. Mic 5:2 tells where Christ would be born, and this prophecy was referred to by the religious rulers when Herod inquired of them respecting His birth. If this verse be read as a parenthesis it will make the context clearer. Because the Judge of Israel was smitten on the cheek with a rod, therefore He gave them up until the time of bringing forth, when the remnant of His brethren should return unto the children of Israel; that is, they will no longer be added to the church as in Ac 2:27. "He shall stand and feed in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God; and they shall abide."
The Assyrian will appear at the close, but only to be destroyed; for Jehovah will have renewed His connection with Israel. The remnant of Jacob will then be in power as a lion: horses and chariots will be destroyed; and all graven images and symbols of idolatry. God will execute such vengeance as will not previously have been heard of.
Micah 6 returns to the moral condition of the people, and the judgements that must follow. Jehovah pathetically appeals to His people. He recounts what He has done for them, and asks wherein He had wearied them. Let them testify against Him. He rehearses their sins, and the punishments that must follow.
Micah 7. The prophet takes the place of intercessor, and pleads with God for the people, lamenting their condition; but in faith he says, "I will look unto Jehovah; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me." Those who rejoiced at their tribulation shall be trodden down as mire. The city will be rebuilt and the people brought from far, to the amazement of the nations, who will be confounded to see them in power again. The prophet closes with expressions of faith in and adoration of the God that pardons. He has confidence that God will perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which He had sworn to their fathers from the days of old.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name [was] Micah, and all of the dwelling of the household of Ziba [became] servants for Mephibosheth.
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Acbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the servant of the king, saying,
And the son of Jonathan [was] Merib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah. And the sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
And the son of Jonathan [was] Meribaal. And Meribaal fathered Micah. And the sons of Micah [were] Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, [and Ahaz.]
The sons of Uzziel, Micah; the sons of Micah, Shamur. The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah.
and the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king, saying,
Mattaniah son of Micah, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, [who was] the leader to begin the thanksgiving prayer, and Bakbukiah the second of his brothers; Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.
The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem [was] Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, from the descendants of Asaph, the singers over the work of the house of God.
and the {priests} with trumpets; Zechariah son of Jehonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph;
Ah! [The] noise of many peoples, they make a noise like [the] noise of [the] seas! And [the] roar of nations, they roar like [the] roar of mighty waters! [The] nations roar like [the] roar of many waters, but he will rebuke him, and he will flee far away. And they are chased like chaff of [the] mountains before [the] wind and like tumbleweed before [the] storm. read more. At [the] time of evening, and look, terror! Before morning he is no more. This [is] the fate of those who plunder us and [the] lot of those who plunder us.
"Micah the Morashtite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he said to all the people of Judah, {saying}: 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, "Zion will be plowed, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the {temple} as high places of wood." '
The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, that he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:
The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, that he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:
The word of Yahweh that came to Micah the Morashtite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah, that he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem:
Woe [to] those who plan wickedness and evil deeds upon their beds! In the light of the morning they did it, because they have power in their hands.
"Do not preach!" they are preaching. They should not preach to these; disgrace will not overtake us.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, [too] small to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go out for me, to be ruler in Israel; and his origins [are] from of old, from ancient days.
I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, and they will loot the houses, and the women will be raped; half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be cut off from the city.
because you will not abandon my soul in Hades, nor will you permit your Holy One to experience decay.
Smith
Mi'cah
(who is like God?), the same name as Micaiah. [MICAIAH]
See Micaiah
1. An Israelite whose familiar story is preserved in the 17th and 18th chapters of Judges. Micah is evidently a devout believers in Jehovah, and yet so completely ignorant is he of the law of Jehovah that the mode which he adopts of honoring him is to make a molten and graven image, teraphim or images of domestic gods, and to set up an unauthorized priesthood, first in his own family,
and then in the person of a Levite not of the priestly line. ver.
A body of 600 Danites break in upon and steal his idols from him.
2. The sixth in order of the minor prophets. He is called the Morasthite, that is, a native of Moresheth, a small village near Eleutheropolis to the east, where formerly the prophet's tomb was shown, though in the days of Jerome it had been succeeded by a church. Micah exercised the prophetical office during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, giving thus a maximum limit of 59 years, B.C. 756-697, from the accession of Jotham to the death of Hezekiah, and a minimum limit of 16 years, B.C. 742-726, from the death of Jotham to the accession of Hezekiah. He was contemporary with Hosea and Amos during the part of their ministry in Israel, and with Isaiah in Judah.
3. A descendant of Joel the Reubenite.
4. The son of Meribbaal or Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan.
5. A Kohathite levite, the eldest son of Uzziel the brother of Amram.
6. The father of Abdon, a man of high station in the reign of Josiah.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The man Micah had for himself {a shrine}, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and {he appointed one of his sons} who became a priest for him.
So Micah {appointed the Levite}, and the young man became a priest for him; and he was in the house of Micah.
And the son of Jonathan [was] Merib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah. And the sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.
And the son of Jonathan [was] Meribaal. And Meribaal fathered Micah. And the sons of Micah [were] Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, [and Ahaz.]
And [they were] to stand {every morning}, thanking and praising Yahweh, and likewise in the evening,
and the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king, saying,
Watsons
MICAH, the seventh in order of the twelve lesser prophets, is supposed to have prophesied about B.C. 750. He was commissioned to denounce the judgments of God against both the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, for their idolatry and wickedness. The principal predictions contained in this book are, the invasions of Shalmanezer and Sennecharib; the destruction of Samaria and of Jerusalem, mixed with consolatory promises of the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity and of the downfall of the power of their Assyrian and Babylonian oppressors; the cessation of prophecy in consequence of their continued deceitfulness and hypocrisy; and a desolation in a then distant period, still greater than that which was declared to be impending. The birth of the Messiah at Bethlehem is also expressly foretold; and the Jews are directed to look to the establishment and extent of his kingdom, as an unfailing source of comfort amidst general distress. The style of Micah is nervous, concise, and elegant, often elevated, and poetical, but sometimes obscure from sudden transitions of subject; and the contrast of the neglected duties of justice, mercy, humility, and piety, with the punctilious observance of the ceremonial sacrifices, affords a beautiful example of the harmony which subsists between the Mosaic and Christian dispensations, and shows that the law partook of that spiritual nature which more immediately characterizes the religion of Jesus.
The prophecy of Micah, contained in the fifth chapter, is, perhaps, the most important single prophecy in all the Old Testament, and the most comprehensive respecting the personal character of the Messiah, and his successive manifestations to the world. It crowns the whole chain of predictions respecting the several limitations of the promised seed: to the line of Shem; to the family of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; to the tribe of Judah; and to the royal house of David, terminating in his birth at Bethlehem, "the city of David." It carefully distinguishes his human nativity from his divine nature and eternal existence; foretels the casting off of the Israelites and Jews for a season; their ultimate restoration; and the universal peace which should prevail in the kingdom and under the government of the Messiah. This prophecy, therefore, forms the basis of the New Testament revelation which commences with the birth of the Messiah at Bethlehem, the miraculous circumstances of which are recorded by St. Matthew and St. Luke in the introduction to their respective histories; the eternal subsistence of Christ as "the Word," in the sublime introduction to St. John's Gospel; his prophetic character and second coming, illustrated in the four Gospels and in the apostolic epistles.