1:1. The Title.
E A 1:2-3:12. Threatening.
B 4:1-5:15 Consolation.
A 6:1-7:10. Threatening.
B 7:11-20. Consolation.
The prophecy of Micah is dated as being given "in the days of Fotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah".
Micah begins, apparently, a year or two before the end of Jotham's reign. Isaiah, in that case, had already been prophesying some 17 or 18 years.
By comparing 4:10 with Isaiah 39:6, we have another case of similar words occurring in two different prophets; and some, having concluded that one prophet copied from another, have built upon this, certain theories as to dates, &c. But no valid argument can be based on such coincidences: for the simple reason that we are not dealing with the words of the Prophets, but with the words which God spoke by them [Heb. 1:1, &.]. Surely God may speak the same message, even in identical words, by 2, 3, or more of His prophets. If the need were the same, why should not the words be the same? 1
In this case, the period covered by Micah and Isaiah was almost exactly the same [cp. Mic. 1:1 with Isa. 1:1]. It is no wonder the circumstances did not call for similar utterances, constituting a confirmation of the Word of Yehovah "by the mouth of two or three witnesses". Both were independent, without any idea of "copying" one from the other, as alleged by the writer in the Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition, who says: "it is impossible that much, if any, of these chapters [Mic. 4-7] can be ascribed to Micah himself". This is said in the face of the fact that Jeremiah [26:16-19] definitely quotes and refers to Micah.
Having regard to Micah 1:1, we see that he must have been a contemporary of Isaiah for 29 or 30 years [Isaiah continuing for another 17 or 18 years if he died in the Manassean persecution. We may thus date Micah as from 632 to 603 B.C.
1 In connection with this we may well compare other passages as follows:-
Mic. 1:9-16. Isa. 10:28-32. Mic. 3:13. Isa. 32:14. Mic. 5:6. Isa. 14:25
" 2:1,2. " 5:8. " 4:1. " 2:2. " 6:6-8. " 58:6,7.
" 2:6,11 " 30:10,11. " 4:4. " 1:20. " 7:7. " 8:17.
" 2:11. " 28:7. " 4:7. " 9:7. " 7;12. " 11:11.
" 2:12. " 10:20-23. " 4:10. " 39:6.
" 3:5-7. " 29:9-12. " 5:2-4. " 7:14.
(No one, no thing, is like God our Father, and He is unhappy with His children. Nobody is listening to Him. He keeps sending prophets to to them, but still very few will listen!)
632-603 B.C.
Micah 1)
1 The word of the LORD (Yahaveh) that came to Micah (= Who is like Yehovah? An abbreviated form of Micaiah [2 Chron. 18:7,&c.; it is used in Jer. 26:18. Cp. 7:18) the Morasthite (now Tel Sandahanna, in the Shephelah, or plain, between Judah and Philistia. In the excavations at Sandahanna the ancient name is seen as Marissa. Marissa was a Sidonian colony [3rd cent. B.C.], and was afterward used as the capital of Idumea by the Edomites during the captivity of Judah) in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. (Cp. Isa. 1:1. Obad. 1. Nah. 1:1.)
A A 1:2-2:13. The People.
B 3:1-4. The Rulers.
A 3:5-8. The False Prophets.
B 3:9-12. The Rulers.
A C 1:2-4. The coming of Yahaveh.
D1 a1 1:5. Incrimination.
b1 1:6,7. Threatening.
c1 1:8-16. Lamentation.
D2 a2 2:1,2. Incrimination.
b2 2:3. Threatening.
c2 2:4,5. Lamentation.
D3 a3 2:6-. Incrimination.
b3 2:-6. Threatening.
c3 2:7-11. Lamentation.
C 2:12,13. The coming of Yahaveh.
2 Hear, peoples, all of them (including ourselves. Micah begins by taking up the concluding words of the other Micah or Micaiah [1 Kings 22:28], and recurs to them in 3:1,9; 6:1,2); hearken, O earth, and all her fullness: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you (ref. Gen. 31:50), the LORD from His holy temple. (Cp. Ps. 11:4. Jonah 2:7. Hab. 2:20)
3 For, behold, the LORD comes forth out of His place, and will come down (2nd Advent. No "rapture"!), and tread upon the high places of the earth. (Ref. Deut. 32:13; 33:29. Cp. Amos 4:13)
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. (This verse foretells the calamities of 2 Kings 17 and 25. Cup of wrath poured out. See 2 Pet. 3:10.)
5 For the rebellion of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. Whose is the transgression of Jacob? is it not Samaria' [idolatry]? (false religion) and what are the high places of Judah? (Cp. 1 Kings 12:31; 14:23. Ezek. 6:6. These existed in Jerusalem [Jer. 32:35]; hence the mention of them in the further question. Cp. 2 Kings 16:4) is it not Jerusalem's [idol altars]?
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. (Ahab's wine-celars have been discovered.)
7 And all the graven images (Heb. pesilim. Ref. Ex. 20:4) 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 (cp. Hos. 8:9,10; 9:1. Ref. Deut. 23:18), and they shall return to the hire of an harlot. (I.e. the wealth gained by idolatry shall be taken away by the Assyrian idolaters. They are going to be doing it again and are doing it now. Harlot = "Mystery Babylon".)
8 Therefore I will lament and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the jackals, and mourning as the owls (Heb. daughters of a doleful cry).
9 For her stroke is incurable (without God's help); for it (referring to the stroke) is come to Judah; he (Satan, the antichrist) is come to the gate (cp. Obad. 11,13) of My people, even to Jerusalem. (Cp. Rev. 14.)
10 Declare you it not at Gath (cp. 2 Sam. 1:20), weep you not at all: in the house of Aphrah (= dust-house) roll yourself in the dust. (Statement of degradation.)
11 Pass you away (i.e. go into exile), you inhabitant of Saphir, having your shame naked (here we have contrast. Saphir = Beauty-town, with beauty shamed; now es Suafir): the inhabitant of Zaanan came not forth (Heb. = not gone out [to weep] has the inhabitant of Outhouse). The trouble of Beth-ezel (Neighbor-town)
shall be a useless neighbor. (Or, the Bystanders house will, from you, get its standing-room. There are so many that will be deceived. No one will help.)
12 For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good (the inhabitants of Bitter town bitterly grieved for her goods [taken from her]): but calamity came down from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem. (In Taylor's Cylinder, Sennacherib mentions his breaking of this gate)
13 O you inhabitress of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast (= [bind the chariot] to the horse, O inhabitress of Horse-town): she (evidently Samaria. Cp. 5,9; 6:16) is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. (Where fake religion started)
14 Therefore shall you give up possessions at Moresheth-gath: the houses of Achzib shall be a lie (= the houses of False-town shall prove false) to the kings of Israel. (They will believe a lie.)
15 Yet will I bring an heir to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah (= the posessor...O Possession. The possessor whom Yehovah would bring was Assyria): he shall come to Adullam the glory of Israel. (The glory: i.e. the nobility [Isa. 5:13] of Israel shall go [or flee] to [the cave] Adullum; as David had done [1 Sam. 22:1]. He going to try to come as David.)
16 Make you bald, and poll you for your delicate sons (the sign of mourning. This is addressed to Judah. It was forbidden under the Law [Deut. 14:1]. Judah had become as the heathen: let them mourn as the heathen); enlarge your baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from you. (Gone like slaves. Cp. Deut. 28:15-19.)