The Lord Announces Judgment on Samaria
Micah 1:1-7
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Mic.1.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- מיכה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המרשתי: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בימי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יותם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחז: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יחזקיה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מלכי: NOUN,pl,m,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- אשר: PRON,rel
- חזה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וירושלם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 1:1 (verbal): Prophetic superscription with nearly identical wording and overlapping reigns (Uzziah/Jotham/Ahaz/Hezekiah); both introduce a prophet's oracle and situate it by the kings of Judah.
- Hosea 1:1 (verbal): Opening formula 'the word of the LORD that came to...' (דבר יהוה) — a common prophetic introduction emphasizing divine origin of the message.
- Amos 1:1 (structural): Superscription that dates the prophecy by the reigns of kings and specifies the prophet's origin and audience (Amos of Tekoa) — parallels Micah's formulaic prophetic introduction.
- Jeremiah 1:1 (structural): Another prophetic introduction using 'the words of the LORD' and situating Jeremiah historically; parallels Micah in genre and in asserting divine authorship and historical setting.
- Zephaniah 1:1 (structural): Prophetic superscription that names the prophet and situates his activity in the reign of a Judean king (Josiah) — parallels Micah's practice of dating the prophetic oracle by contemporary kings.
Alternative generated candidates
- The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—what he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
- The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—he who had a vision concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
Mic.1.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שמעו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- עמים: NOUN,pl,m,abs
- כלם: PRON,3,m,pl
- הקשיבי: VERB,hiph,imp,2,f,sg
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומלאה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- לעד: ADV
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- מהיכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קדשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 32:1 (structural): 'Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth' — Moses summons heaven and earth as witnesses, a structural precedent for Micah’s universal summons and witness-formula.
- Isaiah 1:2 (verbal): 'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken' — nearly identical opening summons of heaven and earth to attend to the LORD’s indictment against the people.
- Joel 3:16 (Joel 4:16 Hebrew) (allusion): 'The LORD shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem' — like Micah’s 'the LORD from his holy temple,' both portray divine proclamation issuing from Zion/temple as the source of judgment.
- Psalm 50:1 (thematic): 'The mighty God... hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof' — a universal summons of creation to recognize God’s testimony and judgment, echoing Micah’s appeal to earth and nations.
Alternative generated candidates
- Hear, all peoples; give ear, earth and all that fills it! Let the LORD GOD be a witness against you—the LORD from his holy temple.
- Hear, all you peoples; give ear, O earth, and all that fills it! Let the LORD God be witness against you— the LORD from his holy temple.
Mic.1.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- הנה: PART
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- יצא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ממקומו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- וירד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ודרך: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- במתי: PREP
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Habakkuk 3:3-6 (verbal): God 'comes' from the south/Teman and 'descends', with cosmic shaking and trampling imagery—close language to Micah's picture of the Lord coming out of his place and treading the earth.
- Psalm 18:9-16 (verbal): The psalm depicts God bending the heavens and coming down with darkness under his feet and the earth shaking—parallel motifs of divine descent and judgmental impact on the land.
- Isaiah 63:1-6 (thematic): Isaiah portrays the Lord coming from Edom and trampling in his anger (treading like a winepress), echoing Micah's theme of the Lord descending to judge and 'tread' the high places.
- Nahum 1:3 (verbal): Nahum depicts the LORD's movement in whirlwind and storm, with 'the clouds as the dust of his feet'—a vivid image of divine approach and trampling comparable to Micah's coming/treading motif.
- Isaiah 64:1 (allusion): A prayerful plea—'Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down'—which echoes the expectation or image of God descending from his place found in Micah 1:3.
Alternative generated candidates
- For behold, the LORD will come forth from his place and will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
- For behold, the LORD goes forth from his place and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.
Mic.1.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונמסו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- ההרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- תחתיו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- והעמקים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- יתבקעו: VERB,hitp,impf,3,m,pl
- כדונג: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מפני: PREP
- האש: NOUN,f,sg,def
- כמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מגרים: VERB,qal,part,3,m,pl
- במורד: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Nahum 1:5 (verbal): Explicitly depicts mountains quaking and hills melting before Yahweh — a close verbal parallel to Micah’s image of mountains melting and valleys splitting at divine presence.
- Psalm 97:5 (verbal): “The mountains melt like wax before the LORD” closely echoes Micah’s simile of mountains melting like wax in the face of divine fire/presence.
- Isaiah 64:1-2 (verbal): Prayer for God to come down so that “the mountains might flow down” at his presence — a similar image of mountains flowing/melting in response to God’s coming.
- Exodus 19:18 (thematic): During the Sinai theophany the mountain quakes, is wrapped in smoke and fire — thematically parallels Micah’s depiction of cosmic upheaval and fire at God’s appearance.
- Psalm 46:2-3 (thematic): Describes the earth giving way and mountains falling into the sea in the face of God’s power — a related motif of cosmic disturbance and collapse at divine action.
Alternative generated candidates
- The mountains shall melt beneath him and the valleys be cleft; like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a slope.
- And the mountains will melt beneath him and the valleys will split like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.
Mic.1.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בפשע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- ובחטאות: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- פשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הלוא: PART
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומי: PRON,interr
- במות: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- הלוא: PART
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 17:7-23 (thematic): Explains the historical outcome of Israel's (Samaria's) persistent sin and idolatry — God removes Israel from the land — which parallels Micah's charge that Samaria/Jacob and Jerusalem/Judah are responsible for their guilt.
- 1 Kings 12:26-30 (structural): Describes Jeroboam's establishment of golden calves at Bethel and Dan (Samaria/Israel) that initiated institutional idolatry — provides the institutional background for Micah's attribution of Jacob's sin to Samaria.
- Ezekiel 23:1-49 (allusion): Uses the allegory of two sisters (Oholah = Samaria, Oholibah = Jerusalem) to indict both northern and southern kingdoms for sexual/idolatrous unfaithfulness, closely paralleling Micah's simultaneous condemnation of Samaria and Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 1:21-23 (thematic): Isaiah likewise denounces Jerusalem as a 'faithful city' turned harlot and corrupt in leadership — echoing Micah's critique of Judah/Jerusalem's culpability in the nation's sins.
- Jeremiah 3:6-10 (thematic): God's reproach against both Israel and Judah for spiritual adultery and covenant breaking parallels Micah's rhetorical identification of Samaria and Jerusalem as the loci of Jacob's and Judah's transgressions.
Alternative generated candidates
- For all this is for the transgression of Jacob 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? Is it not Jerusalem?
- All this is because of the transgression of Jacob 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? Is it not Jerusalem?
Mic.1.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ושמתי: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לעי: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- למטעי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,construct
- כרם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והגרתי: VERB,hiph,perf,1,m,sg
- לגי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אבניה: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
- ויסדיה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg+PRON,3,f,sg
- אגלה: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
Parallels
- 2 Kings 17:5-6 (structural): Narrates the historical fall of Samaria and the exile of Israel by Assyria — the fulfillment/context for Micah’s prophecy of Samaria being laid waste and its people removed.
- Isaiah 5:1-6 (thematic): The ‘song of the vineyard’ pronounces divine judgment using vineyard/field imagery; thematically parallels Micah’s agricultural language (field/vineplanting) to describe punishment and loss.
- Jeremiah 51:37 (verbal): Speaks of Babylon becoming a heap/ruin and a haunt for wild animals — parallels Micah’s language of making Samaria a heap and desolate place, sharing the motif of exposed ruins and desolation.
- Hosea 13:16 (allusion): Direct oracle against Samaria predicting its violent fall and disgrace; thematically parallels Micah’s pronouncement of Samaria’s overthrow, scattering, and shame.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the field, a place for planting vineyards; I will cast down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations.
- Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the field, a place for planting vineyards; I will throw down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations.
Mic.1.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- פסיליה: NOUN,m,sg,suff3fs
- יכתו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- אתנניה: NOUN,f,pl,poss3f
- ישרפו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- באש: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- עצביה: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
- אשים: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- שממה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- מאתנן: PREP
- זונה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- קבצה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ועד: CONJ+PREP
- אתנן: NOUN,m,sg,construct
- זונה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ישובו: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 2:18 (thematic): Predicts the utter abolishing of idols and images—parallels Micah’s declaration that all images and idols will be destroyed.
- Ezekiel 6:6-7 (verbal): Speaks of altars made desolate and idols broken—language and theme closely match Micah’s announcement that images and teraphim will be beaten and burned.
- Hosea 13:2 (thematic): Condemns Israel’s making of molten images and increasing idolatry; parallels Micah’s critique of collecting idols and their ultimate destruction.
- Psalm 115:4-8 (thematic): Portrays idols as powerless and man-made, emphasizing the futility and fate of idols—echoes Micah’s judgment that images and idols will be made desolate.
- Deuteronomy 7:5 (structural): The Mosaic command to destroy and burn the graven images of Canaanite gods provides the legal/ritual precedent behind prophetic calls (like Micah’s) to break and burn idols.
Alternative generated candidates
- And all her carved images they shall beat to pieces, and all her gifts they shall burn with fire; all her idols I will make desolate, for from the wages of a harlot she gathered them, and to the wages of a harlot shall they return.
- All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her incense altars shall be burned with fire; I will make all her idols a desolation— for she gathered them as a harlot gathers wages, and to a harlot’s wages they shall return.
The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshethite: in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—what he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
Hear, all you peoples; give ear, O earth, and all that fills it. Let the LORD God be a witness against you—the LORD from his holy temple.
For behold, the LORD comes forth from his place and will go down and tread upon the heights of the earth.
The mountains will melt under him and the valleys will split; like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.
All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?
I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards; I will cast down her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations.
All her carved images I will shatter, all her votive gifts I will burn with fire; I will make all her idols a desolation, for she gathered them with the wages of a prostitute, and to the wages of a prostitute they shall return.