Micah is a prophet speaking in Judah, the southern kingdom. His ministry begins around 740 BC, addressing both kingdoms from his location in the southern kingdom.
Micah 1:1-4, Coming down from His dwelling place
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.
Hear, O peoples, all of you,
listen, O earth and all who are in it,
that the Sovereign LORD may witness against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.
Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place;
he comes down and treads the high places of the earth.
The mountains melt beneath him
and the valleys split apart,
like wax before the fire,
like water rushing down a slope.
Micah's name, in Hebrew, means "Who is like Yah[weh]?" His ministry begins in the reign of King Jotham of Judah, several decades before the fall of the northern kingdom, and continues past the collapse of Israel/Samaria into the reign of Hezekiah of Judah. The prophet is from Moresheth-Gath, southwest of Jerusalem.
Micah sees a vision of YHWH stepping down from His throne, causing the mountains to melt. Although living in Judah, Micah includes Israel/Samaria in his focus.
Micah 1:5-7, Samaria and Jerusalem to face justice
All this is because of Jacob's transgression,
because of the sins of the house of Israel.
What is Jacob's transgression?
Is it not Samaria?
What is Judah's high place?
Is it not Jerusalem?
"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
a place for planting vineyards.
I will pour her stones into the valley
and lay bare her foundations.
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."
In a future judgment, Samaria will be reduced to rubble, her walls broken down, idols and temples destroyed. Samaria gathered wealth from prostitution (probably referring to her idolatry and possibly cult prostitutes) and the victor will then spend those riches on (literal) prostitutes. The prostitution metaphor may also be implied in the phrase "lay bare her foundations", a possible euphemism for "display her nakedness." (The Hebrew word galah , translated "lay bare" by the NIV, sometimes had sexual overtones; for example, it appears twice in Leviticus 18:7.)
Micah 1:8-9, Barefoot and naked
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.
For her wound is incurable;
it has come to Judah.
It has reached the very gate of my people,
even to Jerusalem itself.
Micah's prophecy cause him to weep and wail, to display all the signs of lament and distress. Waltke notes that the NIV does a good job of echoing the assonance of the Hebrew wə·’ê·lî·lāh, ’ê·lə·ḵāh in verse 8.
Micah 1:10-12, Tell it not in Gath
Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah roll in the dust.
Pass on in nakedness and shame, you who live in Shaphir.
Those who live in Zaanan will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning; its protection is taken from you.
Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief,
because disaster has come from the LORD,
even to the gate of Jerusalem.
This section and the next is replete with wordplay. It begins with a Hebrew ripple of words bə·ḡaṯ ’al- ṯag·gî·ḏū meaning "tell it not in Gath", echoing David's lament for Jonathan and Saul in 2 Samuel 1:20. After that, the names of the cities emphasizes Micah's prophecy before circling back to David.
- Beth Ophrah, "House of Dust", is told not to "roll in dust."
- Shaphir means "Beautiful" and is contrasted with "shameful nakedness."
- Zaanan means "going out" but that city will not go out.
- Beth Ezel is "House of removal" or "House of mourning" and as its protection is taken away, it will live up to its name.
- Maroth apparently comes from a Hebrew word for bitterness, such as a bitter poison.
Micah 1:13-15, Glory of Israel to Adullam
You who live in Lachish, harness the team to the chariot.
You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion,
for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
Therefore you will give parting gifts to Moresheth Gath.
The town of Aczib will prove deceptive to the kings of Israel.
I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah.
He who is the glory of Israel will come to Adullam.
Assyrian king Sennacherib, around 701 BC, conquered 46 fortified cities in Judah (writes Waltke) including the cities in verses 10-15 above. Apparently these cities are in a region around Micah's home of Moresheth.
Lachish was a fortress city to Jerusalem's west, protecting approaches to the capital city. Its name sounds like lā·re·ḵeš, translated "team" by the NIV. Moresheth (in Gath) may be intended to sound like orasah, which means "betrothed", one to whom parting gifts might be given. The name Aczib means "deception" and it will be (says Micah) deceptive. Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew hay·yō·w·rêš, translated "conqueror" by the NIV. Adullam was the site of a cave of refuge for David (1 Samuel 22:1-2.) Certainly a Hebrew hearing of the glory of Israel going to Adullam would think of David returning. The oracle in verses 10-15, begins and ends with a allusions to the life of David.
The staccato rhyme/rhythm of the Hebrew reminds one of rap lyrics. A loose translation of some lines from 13-15 might be:
You in TeamTown harness a team,
You fortress of sin to Zion,
Lachish leader of lawlessness!
Betrothed Gath gives away her dowry!
DeceptiveTown deceives the kings!
ConquerTown is conquered,
As Glory returns through Adullam!
Micah 1:16, Shave your heads
Shave your heads in mourning
for the children in whom you delight;
make yourselves as bald as the vulture,
for they will go from you into exile.
The chapter ends with a lament as in verses 8 and 9. Shaving one's head, making oneself bald, like wearing sackcloth or rolling the dust, going barefoot and naked, was a sign of deep anguish.
Some Random Thoughts
The book of Micah is so full of wordplay that we cannot look at them all. In addition to the standard parallelisms, which abound, there are chiasmi, examples of assonance, onomatopoeia and considerable play with the names of the towns and allusions to Hebrew history.
First published July 12, 2025; updated July 12, 2025
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