Bible Commentaries
Micah 1

Verse 1

Mic 1:1. The word of the Lord that came to Micah shows that he was inspired to write his book. Moreover, in Jer 26:17-18 we have his writing referred to favorably by some elders of the land and there is no Indication that his predictions were called in question by anyone. His predictions pertained to the 10-tribe and the 3-tribe kingdom of the Jews, for Samaria was the capital of the first and Jerusalem that of the second. The date of his writing is identified with the reigns of some of the kings of the 2-tribe kingdom. A glance at the history of those times will show that Micah began writing about 40 years before the captivity of the 10- tribe kingdom and some 150 years before that of the 2-tribe kingdom. Since those revolutionary events were so near, we may expect the prophet to have a great deal to say on the subject. He will also say many things relative to the corruption that was the cause of God’s wrath toward his people, namely, their worship of idols.

Verse 2

Mic 1:2. The Lord God was about to be a witness against the people. The significance of that ts that since God knows everything, there could be no question as to the truth of the testi¬mony about to be uttered. From his holy temple refers to the throne of the universe, which indicates the supreme headquarters from which the testimony was to be issued.

Verse 3

Mic 1:3. The holy temple in heaven is the Lord's personal duelling place, hut He is everywhere at all times in a spiritual sense. And He. is spoken of as being in or coming to specific spots on the earth when some definite work is to be accomplished, such as inflicting a chastisement on His people for their sins.

Verse 4

Mic 1:4. The power of God is illustrated by the figurative melting of mountains and cleaving of the alleys. AH of the material events mentioned in this verse are for the same purpose, to indicate that God can do as he wills with kingdoms of men.

Verse 5

Mic 1:5. This verse gives the key to the figures of the preceding one. The two kingdoms of the Jews are meant by Jacob (or Israel) and Judah. The same is meant by Samaria and Jerusalem because they were the capitals of those kingdoms. They are named in direct connection with sins and transgressions because the kings and other leaders of nations are located in their capitals. High places identifies the particular corruption of these kingdoms to have been idolatry.

Verse 6

Mic 1:6. For the present the predictions are against the 10-tribe kingdom whose capital was Samaria, Heap is from a Hebrew word that Strong defines as "a ruin (as if overturned)." When the Assyrian army subjugated the kingdom of Israel it left the country in ruins, at least as far as its government was concerned. The history of this event is recorded in 2 Kings 17.

Verse 7

Mic 1:7. God’s complaint against his people was about their idolatry, and he was determined to abolish it through the agency of the Assyrians. The hires thereof refers to the possessions of the people of Israel which they claimed they had obtained by the help of their gods. Hire of an harlot. idolatry was compared to adultery in ancient times, and the gains that were claimed to have been acquired through the favor of the gods is here likened to the money that a harlot would receive in payment for her service to Immoral men. Shall return to the hire of an harlot. Israel claimed to have received these material possessions through the favor of the gods. The italicized clause means that the heathen nations from whom the people of Israel learned the corrupt practice of idolatry would come upon the country and take possession of these very goods that were claimed to have been received through the favor of the gods.

Verse 8

Mic 1:8. The first person of pronouns is used in the prophetic writings somewhat interchangeably as referring to either God or the prophet. That is because the writing is inspired of God although the prophet is doing the writing. But when language describes such actions as the ones in this verse we should understand the pronoun to refer to the prophet. We have seen instances where the prophets were induced to do some ‘'acting” on account of the affairs of God's people. In the present verse the prophet goes through Borne of the ancient customary acts of mourning over the deplorable condition of the nation.

Verse 9

Mic 1:9. Israel had become so corrupt in devotion to idols that God saw no cure for it except by the services of a foreign nation which was to be the Assyrians. Wound . . , come unto Judah. The Assyrians did not rest content after having taken the kingdom of Israel into captivity, but came on and threw Jerusalem into a panic of fear. The history of this is recorded in 2 Kings 18, 19.

Verse 10

Mic 1:10. Gath and Aphrah were places in the land of the Philistines bordering on the country of Israel. The verse means that Israel should not make too much ado over the unfor¬tunate situation, or these heathen communities would hear about it and take pleasure from it. Instead, in their distress let them quietly sit down or roll in the dust as a silent token of their humiliation.

Verse 11

Mic 1:11. The revolutionary events that were to come upon the country involved various cities and communities in one way or another. Some cities had encouraged Israel in wrong¬doing, and others had taken the opposite trend and refused even to sympathize with the people of the Lord in their many misfortunes. The places and persons alluded to in this verse were among the descriptions given and all were destined to fall.

Verse 12

Mic 1:12. Maroth was another town in Palestine that was destined to feel the sting of the Lord’s wrath. Waited carefully . . . evil came. The gist of this verse is virtually the same as the preceding one, and predicts that this was another city that was to be disappointed of its expectations regarding the continuance of its prosperity.

Verse 13

Mic 1:13. The swift beast refers to the horse which is a swift animal and can draw a chariot with speed. The purpose of binding the chariot to this beast was to try to escape from the foe. This does not mean that any city’s inhabitants could actually escape the foe, for God had decreed that all were to become captives. The statement is a prediction that when the invasion came the unhappy citizens would wish to flee away for safety. She is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion. The pronoun she stands for the city of Lachish, a place of Importance south of Jerusalem. According to 2Ki 18:14; 2Ki 18:17 and 2Ch 11:5; 2Ch 11:9, Lachish was among the first cities to take up with the corruptions of Jeroboam, leader of the revolt of the ten tribes from the government in Jerusalem. Such is the meaning of the italicized clause, and it also explains the statement, the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

Verse 14

Mic 1:14, Give presents to [“for" In the margin] Morcsheth-gath. Give presents Is a terra of military and political significance, meaning to make a formal surrender to another, or at least to acknowledge his superiority. This was another idolatrous place and the people of God were destined to give presents to the Assyrians Eor or because of their corrupt practices in this and other cities. Achzib shall be a lie. The last word is from AKZAB which Strong defines, “falsehood; by implication treachery." The kings of Israel had counted on this city and others like it for support, in times of national need. The prediction means that when the test comes they will fail the kings and will prove to be traitors.

Verse 15

Mic 1:15. An heir means one who will become the possessor of the place and that was to he the Assyrians, They were destined soon to invade this territory and take possession of the cities and put the inhabitants under subjection.

Verse 16

Mic 1:16. Make thee bald is an allusion to a custom of shaving the head as a symbol of distress. This is a prediction that the places mentioned would mourn over their children (citizens) because they would be taken away into captivity.