Micah 1
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.1 ¶ 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.

For the setting, see the Micah home page.

  Morashite The town of Moresheth-gath v14 is thought to be a few miles east of Gath and 21 miles (34 km.) southwest of Jerusalem in the "low country."
  In the days of Jotham Micah was one of a number of prophets bringing warning messages. He began his ministry shortly before Isaiah, Hosea and Amos. Jotham was the son of Uzziah who had  profaned the temple. is0101, ho0101, am0101.
 2  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.   Samaria and Jerusalem Micah preached mainly to Judah which may be seen as represented by Jerusalem here.
  Witness In judgment.
  Holy temple See on hk0220.
.3  For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.
 4  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.
.5  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?
.6  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.
.7  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.
  3 - Cometh The Lord would come as the promised Messiah but would first establish His kingdom of grace jn1836f. He comes later in glory, then at the end of the thousand years, the earth will be made new re2101. Although the judgments here are on "Samaria and Jerusalem" we may see the calamities compared to the final wrath of God on the earth.
  3 - High places These could be sites for idol worship 1ki1422ff, 1ki2224 but more likely here the tops of the mountains which will be leveled. See zc1404. The intent may be that Jerusalem, representing those claiming to obey God, had become like the pagan high places of worship. Jerusalem was on a mountain top.
.8 ¶ Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped [barefoot] and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.
 9  For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.
 10  Declare ye it not at Gath, weep ye not at all: in the house of Aphrah roll thyself in the dust.
 11  Pass ye away, thou inhabitant of Saphir, having thy shame naked: the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive of you his standing.
 12  For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.
.13  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.
  8 - Naked From 'arom which may be completely naked or only partly clothed. We assume the latter although the captives may have been taken totally naked by the Assyrians.
  9 - Wound ... incurable They had passed the time of wanting forgiveness. Their iniquity called for punishment.
  9 - Unto Judah The disease of sin had even reached the nation that seemed best v5.
  10 - Declare it not Verses 10-16 are a dirge, a slow mourning because of the the punishment coming to Judah. The last part repeats the beginning of David's lament over Saul 2sa0120.
  10 - Gath An important Phoenician city. See map.
  11 - Zaanan Perhaps the same as Zenan in jos1537, a town in the Shephelah.
  11 - Mourning The Hebrew is unclear.
  12 - Maroth Possibly the same as Massrath jos1559 near Hebron.
  13 - Bind the chariot Or "hitch the horses to the chariot."
.14  Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moreshethgath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie to the kings of Israel.
 15  Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.
  14 - Thou Apparently Judah. Perhaps the town was to become a present. The word "Achib" sounds like akzab which is translated "lie." The play on words seems to indicate that the actions of the town are like its name.
  14 - Moreshethgath See on v1.
  15 - Mareshah A town about 23 mi (37 km.) Southwest of Jerusalem in the Shephelah of Judah jos1544, 2ch1409. Another play on words. "I will bring an inheritor who will claim your "Heritage-town."
.16  Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.   Make thee bald Shaved heads indicated mourning am0810. Mother Jerusalem would "mourn" for her children taken into exile. Incidentally, the bald eagle is the US national bird. "Bald" for the bird means having white head feathers – not to be confused with vulture or with heads which have no hair as indicated in our verse.
  Poll Means "to cut hair."
  Eagle From nesher which is also translated "vulture" and is likely the intended meaning since this bird has few head feathers. Picture below.
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