Books of the Bible

The Book of Micah

Old Testament · Minor Prophets · Genre: Prophecy · Author: The prophet Micah · Chapters: 7

Micah confronts the sins of both Israel and Judah, especially the injustice of leaders who exploit the poor, yet promises a coming ruler from Bethlehem. It holds together fierce warning and tender hope, and gives one of Scripture's clearest summaries of what God requires.

Start reading: Micah chapter 1

A key verse

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?Micah 6:8 (KJV)

The setting and background of Micah

Micah is one of the twelve Minor Prophets, a contemporary of Isaiah in the eighth century before Christ, who prophesied to both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. He came from a small town and spoke with special sympathy for the common people crushed by the powerful, and with special anger at the leaders who exploited them.

The book alternates between oracles of judgment and promises of hope, warning that both Samaria and Jerusalem will fall, yet foretelling a coming ruler from Bethlehem, a gathered remnant, and a day of peace among the nations. It distills true religion into one memorable verse, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

Micah was written to confront injustice and to hold out the hope of a coming shepherd-king. In the sweep of Scripture, its prophecy of a ruler born in Bethlehem is quoted in the New Testament when the wise men seek the newborn king, and its shepherd-king whose origins are from everlasting is fulfilled in Jesus, who is himself our peace.

The story and structure of Micah

Micah prophesied in the eighth century before Christ, a contemporary of Isaiah, to both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. He came from a small town and spoke with special sympathy for the common people who were being crushed by the powerful, and with special anger at the leaders, prophets, and priests who exploited them.

Micah's message alternates between judgment and hope, as oracles of coming ruin give way to promises of restoration and back again. He announces that because of its injustice and idolatry, both Samaria and Jerusalem will fall, and that even the temple mount will be plowed like a field. His warnings are unsparing toward the corruption of those in power.

Yet woven through the warnings are luminous promises. Micah foretells a day when the mountain of the Lord will be lifted up and the nations will stream to it, when they will beat their swords into plowshares and learn war no more. He promises that a remnant will be gathered and that God will shepherd his people.

Most strikingly, Micah names the birthplace of a coming ruler. Out of Bethlehem, small among the towns of Judah, will come one to be ruler in Israel, whose origins are from of old, from everlasting. This shepherd-king will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, and he will be their peace.

The book distills the whole of what God desires into one unforgettable verse: that the Lord requires his people to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God. It answers the question of what religion is really for, and it closes with wonder at a God who pardons iniquity and delights in mercy, casting the sins of his people into the depths of the sea.

The great themes of Micah

Key passages in Micah

Micah in the sweep of Scripture

Micah stands among the twelve as a prophet who joins a passion for justice with a clear vision of the coming Messiah. Its prophecy of a ruler from Bethlehem is quoted in the New Testament when the wise men seek the newborn king, and its summary of true religion, to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly, has become one of the best known verses in Scripture. Its vision of nations streaming to God's mountain and beating swords into plowshares shapes the Bible's hope of lasting peace.

Where Christ is in Micah

Micah's prophecy that the ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem is fulfilled in the birth of Jesus there, the shepherd-king whose origins are from everlasting and who is himself our peace. His call to do justly and love mercy is embodied in Christ, and his wonder at a God who casts sins into the depths of the sea finds its ground in the cross, where that pardoning mercy is poured out.

How to read Micah well

Read Micah for its blend of warning and hope, letting its denunciation of injustice challenge any complicity in the exploitation of the vulnerable. Let its summary of true religion, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God, shape your daily life as a simple and searching rule. And let its prophecy of the ruler from Bethlehem lead you to Jesus, the shepherd-king who is our peace and in whom God's pardoning mercy is made sure.

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