the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Commentaries
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Commentary Critical
Judgment Against Israel and Judah; Coming Desolation.Chapter 2
Woe to Oppressors; Promise of Restoration.Chapter 3
Judgment on False Leaders and Prophets.Chapter 4
Future Glory of Zion and Peace.Chapter 5
Prophecy of the Ruler from Bethlehem; Israel's Future.Chapter 6
God's Complaint Against Israel; Call to Justice.Chapter 7
Confession of Sin; Hope for Restoration.
- Micah
by Robert Jamieson; A.R. Fausset; David Brown
THE BOOK OF
MICAH
Commentary by A. R. FAUSSETT
INTRODUCTION
MICAH was a native of Moresheth, not the same as Mareshah in :-, but the town called Moresheth-gath ( :-), which lay near Eleutheropolis, west of Jerusalem, on the border of the Philistine country; so called to distinguish it from Moresheth of Judah. His full name is Micaiah (not the Micaiah mentioned 1 Kings 22:8, the son of Imlah), signifying, Who is like Jehovah? The time of his prophesying is stated in the introduction to be in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, that is, between 757 and 699 B.C. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:18) quotes Micah 3:12, as delivered in the reign of Hezekiah. He was thus a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea. The idolatries practised in the reign of Ahaz accord with Micah's denunciations of such gross evils, and confirm the truth of the time assigned Micah 1:1. His prophecies are partly against Israel (Samaria), partly against Judah. As Samaria, Israel's metropolis, was taken first, and Jerusalem, the capital of Judah subsequently, in the introductory heading, Micah 1:1- :, Samaria is put first, then Jerusalem. He prophesies the capture of both; the Jews' captivity and restoration; and the coming and reign of Messiah. His style is full, round, and perspicuous; his diction pure, and his parallelisms regular. His description of Jehovah (Micah 7:18; Micah 7:19) is not surpassed by any elsewhere in Scripture. The similarity between Isaiah and Micah in some passages (compare Micah 4:1-3; Isaiah 2:2-4) is to be accounted for by their being contemporaries, acquainted with each other's inspired writings, and having the same subjects for their theme. HENGSTENBERG maintains that the passage in Micah is the original. Isaiah was somewhat the older, being a prophet in the reign of Uzziah, Jotham's predecessor, whereas Micah began his prophecies under Jotham.
The book consists of two parts: (1) the first through fifth chapters; (2) the sixth and seventh chapters, a dialogue or contestation between Jehovah and His people, in which He reproaches them with their unnatural and ungrateful conduct, and threatens judgment for their corruptions, but consoles them with the promise of restoration from captivity.
Micah stands sixth of the minor prophets in the Hebrew canon, but third in the Septuagint.
