Micah (prophet)
Encyclopedia
Micah, meaning “who is like Yahweh
," was a prophet who prophesied from approximately 737-690 BC in Judah
and is the author of the Book of Micah
. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah
, Amos
and Hosea
and is considered one of the twelve minor prophets of the Tanakh
(Old Testament
). Micah was from Moresheth-Gath, in southwest Judah. He prophesied during the reigns of Jotham
, Ahaz
, and Hezekiah
of Judah. Micah’s messages were directed chiefly toward Jerusalem. He prophesies the future destruction of Jerusalem and Samaria, the destruction and then future restoration of the Judean state, and he rebukes the people of Judah for dishonesty and idolatry. His prophecy that the Messiah
would be born in the town of Bethlehem
is recalled in the Book of Matthew.
Micah prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah. Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah from 742 – 735 BC. Jotham was succeeded by his son Ahaz, who reigned over Judah from 735 – 715 BC. Then Ahaz’s son Hezekiah ruled from 715 – 696 BC. Micah was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea. Jeremiah
, who prophesied about thirty years after Micah, recognizes Micah as a prophet from Moresheth who prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah.
and Jerusalem for their respective sins. The people of Samaria are rebuked for worshipping idols which were bought with the income earned by prostitutes. Micah was the first prophet to predict the downfall of Jerusalem. According to him, the city was doomed because its beautification was financed by dishonest business practices, which impoverished the city’s citizens. He also called to account the prophets of his day, whom he accused of accepting money for their oracles.
Micah also anticipates the destruction of the Judean state and promises its restoration more glorious than before. He prophesies an era of universal peace over which the Lord will preside from Jerusalem. Micah also declares that when the glory of Zion and Jacob is restored that the LORD
will force the Gentiles to abandon idolatry.
Micah also rebukes Israel because of dishonesty in the marketplace and corruption in government. He threatens them on behalf of God with destruction. He tells them what the LORD requires of them: Israel’s response to Micah’s charges and threats consists of three parts: an admission of guilt, a warning of adversaries that Israel will rely on the LORD for deliverance and forgiveness, and a prayer for forgiveness and deliverance.
Another prophecy given by Micah details the future destruction of Jerusalem and the plowing of Zion
(a part of Jerusalem). This passage (Micah 3:11-12), is stated again in Jeremiah 26:18, Micah’s only prophecy repeated in the Old Testament. Since then Jerusalem has been destroyed three times, the first one being the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, about 150 years after Micah gave this prophecy.
. In Micah 5:2, there is a prophecy that reveals that Bethlehem, a small village just south of Jerusalem, would be the birthplace of the Messiah
. This prophecy eliminates all other cities and towns in the world as places in which the Messiah could be born. This passage and prophecy closely corresponds with Matthew 2:6, and the fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus is further described in Matthew 2:1-6.
In Matthew 10:35-36, Jesus
quotes directly from Micah 7:6, saying: Micah is referring to the division in Judah and Samaria, the distrust that has arisen between all citizens, even within families. Jesus is using the same words to describe something different. Jesus says that he did not come to bring peace, but to divide households. Men are commanded to love Jesus Christ more than their own family members, and Jesus says this priority will lead to persecution from others and separation within families.
In Micah 7:20, Micah reminds Judah of God’s covenant to be merciful to Jacob and show love to Abraham
and his descendants. This is repeated in Luke 1:72-73, the song of Zechariah
when the Holy Spirit
fills him and prophesies through him about Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist
. This prophecy concerns the kingdom and the salvation through the Messiah. It is a step in the fulfillment of the blessing of the descendants of Abraham. When Micah restates this covenant promise, he is comforting Judah with the promise of God’s faithfulness and love.
s in the Calendar of saints
of the Armenian Apostolic Church
on July 31.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church
he is commemorated twice in the year. The first feast day is January 5 (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar
, January 5 currently falls on January 18 of the modern Gregorian Calendar
). However, since January 5 is also the Eve
of the Theophany (Epiphany), his major celebration is on August 14 (the forefeast of the Dormition).
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
," was a prophet who prophesied from approximately 737-690 BC in Judah
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
and is the author of the Book of Micah
Book of Micah
The Book of Micah is one of fifteen prophetic books in the Hebrew bible/Old Testament, and the sixth of the twelve minor prophets. It records the sayings of Mikayahu, meaning "Who is like Yahweh?", an 8th century prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah...
. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
, Amos
Amos (prophet)
Amos is a minor prophet in the Old Testament, and the author of the Book of Amos. Before becoming a prophet, Amos was a sheep herder and a sycamore fig farmer. Amos' prior professions and his claim "I am not a prophet nor a son of a prophet" indicate that Amos was not from the school of prophets,...
and Hosea
Hosea
Hosea was the son of Beeri and a prophet in Israel in the 8th century BC. He is one of the Twelve Prophets of the Jewish Hebrew Bible, also known as the Minor Prophets of the Christian Old Testament. Hosea is often seen as a "prophet of doom", but underneath his message of destruction is a promise...
and is considered one of the twelve minor prophets of the Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
(Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
). Micah was from Moresheth-Gath, in southwest Judah. He prophesied during the reigns of Jotham
Jotham
Jotham was the youngest of Gideon's seventy sons. He escaped when the rest were put to death by the order of Abimelech . When "the citizens of Shechem and the whole house of Millo" were gathered together "by the plain of the pillar" "that was in Shechem, to make Abimelech king," from one of the...
, Ahaz
Ahaz
Ahaz was king of Judah, and the son and successor of Jotham. He is one of the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew....
, and Hezekiah
Hezekiah
Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz and the 14th king of Judah. Edwin Thiele has concluded that his reign was between c. 715 and 686 BC. He is also one of the most prominent kings of Judah mentioned in the Hebrew Bible....
of Judah. Micah’s messages were directed chiefly toward Jerusalem. He prophesies the future destruction of Jerusalem and Samaria, the destruction and then future restoration of the Judean state, and he rebukes the people of Judah for dishonesty and idolatry. His prophecy that the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
would be born in the town of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
is recalled in the Book of Matthew.
Background
Micah was active in Judah from before the fall of Samaria in 722 BC and experienced the devastation brought by Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah in 701 BC. He prophesied from approximately 737-690 BC. Micah was from Moresheth, also called Moresheth-Gath, a small town in southwest Judah. Micah lived in a rural area, but often rebuked the corruption of city life in Israel and Judah.Micah prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah. Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah from 742 – 735 BC. Jotham was succeeded by his son Ahaz, who reigned over Judah from 735 – 715 BC. Then Ahaz’s son Hezekiah ruled from 715 – 696 BC. Micah was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea. Jeremiah
Jeremiah
Jeremiah Hebrew：יִרְמְיָה , Modern Hebrew:Yirməyāhū, IPA: jirməˈjaːhu, Tiberian:Yirmĭyahu, Greek:Ἰερεμίας), meaning "Yahweh exalts", or called the "Weeping prophet" was one of the main prophets of the Hebrew Bible...
, who prophesied about thirty years after Micah, recognizes Micah as a prophet from Moresheth who prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah.
Message
Micah’s messages were directed mainly towards Jerusalem, and were a mixture of denunciations and prophecies. In his early prophecies, he predicts the destruction of both SamariaSamaria
Samaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
and Jerusalem for their respective sins. The people of Samaria are rebuked for worshipping idols which were bought with the income earned by prostitutes. Micah was the first prophet to predict the downfall of Jerusalem. According to him, the city was doomed because its beautification was financed by dishonest business practices, which impoverished the city’s citizens. He also called to account the prophets of his day, whom he accused of accepting money for their oracles.
Micah also anticipates the destruction of the Judean state and promises its restoration more glorious than before. He prophesies an era of universal peace over which the Lord will preside from Jerusalem. Micah also declares that when the glory of Zion and Jacob is restored that the LORD
Yahweh
Yahweh is the name of God in the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jews and Christians.The word Yahweh is a modern scholarly convention for the Hebrew , transcribed into Roman letters as YHWH and known as the Tetragrammaton, for which the original pronunciation is unknown...
will force the Gentiles to abandon idolatry.
Micah also rebukes Israel because of dishonesty in the marketplace and corruption in government. He threatens them on behalf of God with destruction. He tells them what the LORD requires of them: Israel’s response to Micah’s charges and threats consists of three parts: an admission of guilt, a warning of adversaries that Israel will rely on the LORD for deliverance and forgiveness, and a prayer for forgiveness and deliverance.
Another prophecy given by Micah details the future destruction of Jerusalem and the plowing of Zion
Zion
Zion is a place name often used as a synonym for Jerusalem. The word is first found in Samuel II, 5:7 dating to c.630-540 BCE...
(a part of Jerusalem). This passage (Micah 3:11-12), is stated again in Jeremiah 26:18, Micah’s only prophecy repeated in the Old Testament. Since then Jerusalem has been destroyed three times, the first one being the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, about 150 years after Micah gave this prophecy.
Elsewhere in the Bible
Micah is described and his prophecies fulfilled in several places in the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. In Micah 5:2, there is a prophecy that reveals that Bethlehem, a small village just south of Jerusalem, would be the birthplace of the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
. This prophecy eliminates all other cities and towns in the world as places in which the Messiah could be born. This passage and prophecy closely corresponds with Matthew 2:6, and the fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus is further described in Matthew 2:1-6.
In Matthew 10:35-36, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
quotes directly from Micah 7:6, saying: Micah is referring to the division in Judah and Samaria, the distrust that has arisen between all citizens, even within families. Jesus is using the same words to describe something different. Jesus says that he did not come to bring peace, but to divide households. Men are commanded to love Jesus Christ more than their own family members, and Jesus says this priority will lead to persecution from others and separation within families.
In Micah 7:20, Micah reminds Judah of God’s covenant to be merciful to Jacob and show love to Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
and his descendants. This is repeated in Luke 1:72-73, the song of Zechariah
Zechariah (priest)
In the Bible, Zechariah , is the father of John the Baptist, a priest of the sons of Aaron, a prophet in , and the husband of Elisabeth who is the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus.In the Qur'an, Zechariah plays a similar role as the father of John the Baptist and ranks him as a prophet alongside...
when the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
fills him and prophesies through him about Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
. This prophecy concerns the kingdom and the salvation through the Messiah. It is a step in the fulfillment of the blessing of the descendants of Abraham. When Micah restates this covenant promise, he is comforting Judah with the promise of God’s faithfulness and love.
Liturgical commemoration
He is commemorated with the other minor prophetMinor prophet
Minor prophets is a book of the Hebrew Bible, so named because it contains twelve shorter prophetic works. In Christian Bibles the twelve are presented as individual books...
s in the Calendar of saints
Calendar of Saints (Armenian Apostolic Church)
-January:* 1 Third Day of the Fast of the Nativity* 2 Fourth Day of the Fast of the Nativity* 3 Fifth Day of the Fast of the Nativity* 4 Sixth Day of the Fast of the Nativity* 5 Eve of the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ...
of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
on July 31.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
he is commemorated twice in the year. The first feast day is January 5 (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
, January 5 currently falls on January 18 of the modern Gregorian Calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
). However, since January 5 is also the Eve
Eve
Eve is the first woman created by God in the Book of Genesis.Eve may also refer to:-People:*Eve , a common given name and surname*Eve , American recording artist and actress-Places:...
of the Theophany (Epiphany), his major celebration is on August 14 (the forefeast of the Dormition).
External links
- Prophet Micah Orthodox iconIconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
and synaxarion for January 5 - Prophet Micah Orthodox icon and synaxarion for August 14
- Historical and Literary Overview