Q: In Mic, what is the main point of the book?
A: Like many other minor prophetic books, Micah speaks primarily to the rebellious, whom it is hoped will change and become penitent. It addresses two questions: where are we now, and where can we go from here?
See 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered p.209, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.1475, and the Believer’s Bible Commentary p.1132 for more info.
 

Q: In Mic, what are the similarities with the book of Isaiah?
A: Micah and Isaiah lived at the same time, and they well might have known one another and listened to one another. While there are not exact quotes, there are a number of similarities in phrases and thought.

Micah	Isaiah
Micah 1:8 stripped and naked	Isaiah 20:2-4; 47:3 naked
Micah 3:4 God does not hear their cry	Isaiah 1:15, God will not hear the many prayers of people whose hands are filled with blood
Micah 4:1 last days	Isaiah 2:2-4, 24-27
Micah 4:1-2 many shall come to Mount Zion	Isaiah 51:11 The redeemed shall return with singing to Zion
Micah 4:3 swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, not learn war	Isaiah 2:4 swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, not train for war anymore
Micah 4:5 walk in God’s name forever	Isaiah 59:21; 26:4; 40:8; 60:21; 65:18 Trust, live, rejoice forever
Micah 5:2 goings forth from everlasting.	Isaiah 9:6 Messiah called the "Everlasting Father" or "Father of Everlasting"
Micah 5:1 smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek	Isaiah 53:3,4-7 the suffering servant was wounded
Micah 4:12 They know not the thoughts of the Lord, nor understand His counsel	Isaiah 40:13, do not understand the mind of the Lord. Isaiah 55:8-12, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts
Micah 4:10 the daughter of Zion in the labor of birth	Isaiah 54:1-3 barren woman will give birth to a child
Micah 5:5 shepherds raised against Assyria	Isaiah 10:24; 36-37 [present] judgment against the Assyrians
Micah 4:10 future exile to Babylon	Isaiah 39 future exile to Babylon
Micah 5:13 God will get rid of the graven images	Isaiah 2:18-20 The people will get rid of their idols
Micah 6:1-2 speaking to the mountains	Isaiah 41,49 speaking to the islands
Micah 7:1 Micah says "Woe is me!" because of the people’s sins	Isaiah 6:5 Isaiah says "Woe is me!" because of his and the people’s sins
Micah 7:20 our fathers, including Abraham	Isaiah 51:2, Abraham your father

Micah has 105 verses, so that is one parallel per 7 verses. By comparison, the Book of Revelation has one parallel with the rest of the Bible per 5 verses.
 
In contrast, here is a shorter list of parallels with Jeremiah.

Micah	Jeremiah
Micah 1:1 Morasheth was 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem	Jeremiah 1:1 Anathoth was 3 miles northeast of Jerusalem
Micah 3:4 God does not hear their cry	Jeremiah
Micah 3:11 Prophets working for money	Jeremiah 6:13; 8:10 all are greedy for gain. prophet and priest alike, all practice deceit
Micah 3:7 People will be ashamed	Jeremiah 3:25 We will lie down in our shame
Micah 4:10 future exile to Babylon	Jeremiah 20:4, etc.
Micah 7:1 Micah says "Woe is me!" because of the people’s sins	Jeremiah 4:19; 9:1-2 Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet
Micah 7:5 woman lying next to you	Jeremiah 9:4 do not trust your immediate family
Micah 6:1-2 speaking to the mountains	Jeremiah 9:10 weeping and wailing for the mountains and pastures

 

Q: In Mic 1, when was this book written?
A: Since Micah mentions the city of Samaria, and this city existed from around 900 B.C., Micah had to be written after that time. As the skeptical Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.652 correctly points out, since Samaria was destroyed in 722 B.C., at least part of Micah was written before that time. Micah lived about the same time as Isaiah. Micah 3:12 was quoted a century later in Jeremiah’s time in Jeremiah 26:18. 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered p.209 says between 750 and 686 B.C.
 

Q: In Mic 1:1, could this Micah be the same as Micaiah, who prophesied to Ahab in 1 Ki 22:8?
A: No. while Micah is a shortened form of Micaiah, Micaiah prophesied about 854 B.C., while Micah here lived over a hundred years later. The skeptical Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.650 says the same.
 

Q: In Mic 1:1, where was Morasheth?
A: Micah’s hometown was about 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, southwest of Jerusalem.
 

Q: Why does Mic 1:1 mention the city of Samaria, since the Samaritans first existed a century later, after the exile?
A: Though the Samaritans did not exist until the exile, the city of Samaria pre-dated them. The city of Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel from the time of Jeroboam prior to 900 B.C.
 

Q: In Mic 1:2, how and why is God a witness against some people?
A: God sees all and knows all. As judge of mankind, God is a witness of the evil people say and do.
However, this verse emphasizes that God is a witness against them. For people who do evil, they would rather God not know what they do.
 

Q: In Mic 1:6, how was Samaria to become as the heap on a field and the plantings of a vineyard?
A: These metaphors are visible reminders of the previously cleaned-up waste and useless material. As Christians, 2 Timothy 2:20-21 and 2 Peter 1:8 are reminders that we need to take care that our disobedience does not make us useless.
 

Q: In Mic 1:6 (KJV), what does it mean to discover the foundations of Samaria?
A: This means to strip the city and walls off of the foundations. The NIV translates this "lay bare her foundations." The NET Bible says. "tear down her fortifications to their foundations."
 

Q: In Mic 1:7, does God ever honor offerings given to Him of money gained by evil means?
A: God is free to do as He wishes with money gained by evil means. However, as to whether God honors offerings from ill-gotten money, that would negate the concept of obediently offering something to God. In 2 Samuel 24:24, David refused to make a sacrifice to God that cost him nothing. In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus commended the generosity of the widow who sacrificially gave.
 

Q: In Mic 1:8 (KJV), why does it mention dragons?
A: The NIV and NKJV translate this as jackals; the NET Bible translates this as wild dogs. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.79 says that the Hebrew word, tannim, can refers to desert animals or dragons. The word is rather generic. This makes sense, as when one hears strange far-off howls in the desert, one does not see the relatively small jackal that makes such a large noise. Perhaps the Hebrew word originally referred to whatever made that sound, without being tied down to a physical description.
 

Q: In Mic 1:8 and Jer 30:12,15, when are people’s spiritual wounds incurable by God?
A: While God is Almighty, there are certain things He chooses not to do. When some one does not want God to cure them of their evil, and refuses God, God is under no obligation to force on them what they do not want. When this is the case, the wound is incurable, as in Hosea 5:13.
 

Q: In Mic 1:10-14, why is this prophet using wordplays in this serious situation?
A: These plays on words are not humor, but a literary device in ancient Hebrew poetry. It was good for the prophecies to be delivered in a way that was easy to remember, as they would recall the words when the prophecy came true. Micah was not unique, as the first time God gave Jeremiah a vision, God gave it in the form of a pun.
 

Q: In Mic 1:15, where was Adullam?
A: This was a city of Judah in the foothills.
 

Q: In Mic 1:16 (KJV), what does it mean to poll them of their delicate children?
A: The NIV, NKJV, and Green’s literal translation translate this as they should cut off their hair to mourn for their children, who will go into exile with them. The NET Bible translates this as "Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love."
 

Q: In Mic 1:16, since there will be baldness as the eagle, were the bald eagles in Palestine?
A: There were no birds of the species we call "bald eagle" in Palestine, as these birds are in America. Micah 1:6 says "bald as the eagle/vulture".
Black vultures, also called ospreys, were bald in the head and neck, as many other birds are that scavenge dead animals.
Gier eagles, also called Egyptian vultures, have a bald head too, with yellow neck feathers.
Griffon vultures, also simply called eagles, have a neck that is bald or very thinly covered with white down.
Two true eagles in Palestine, the imperial eagle and the golden eagle do not have bald heads or necks.
According to the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.91-92, the baldness prevents feathers clumping together due to blood clotting as the bird plunges head first into the insides of the dead animal.
 

Q: In Mic 2:1, what is significant about plotting evil on their beds?
A: Not only did people do evil when they were tempted in a situation, and not only did they do premeditated evil, but they even laid awake in their beds at night plotting how to do evil. Perhaps this is one reason Psalm 4:4 instructs people "when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." (NIV)
 

Q: In Mic 2:3 (KJV), how can a time period be evil?
A: When evil flourishes and is not held in check, that period of time can be dreadful and dangerous.
 

Q: In Mic 2:9, how can some one take God’s glory away from a child forever?
A: In our wills, and even who we grow up to be, we have a degree of interdependence with those around us.
 

Q: In Mic 2:11, why is it appropriate that false prophets would prophesy wine for this people?
A: A prophet like that would both prophesy what they people wanted, and what they were going to get. No supernatural gift was needed for a prophecy the people would only too gladly fulfill themselves. 2 Timothy 4:3 speaks of people who have "itching ears", and will listen only to preachers who say what they want to hear.
 

Q: In Mic 2:12 and Isa 34:6, where is Bozrah?
A: It was in Edom according to Amos 1:12. The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 6 p.219, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.1084 and the New Geneva Study Bible p.1081 say the capital of Edom is modern day Buseirah, which is 25 to 30 miles south of the Dead Sea.
 

Q: In Mic 3:2-4, is this speaking of actual cannibalism?
A: No. It is consuming people’s souls for the sake of money.
 

Q: In Mic 3:4, does God ever keep his blessing from people who ask for it?
A: Often He does. One has to ask why the people are asking for God’s blessings. When people want the blessings of a close relationship with God, while avoiding a close relationship of obedience to God, people do not always get what they want. James 4:3 speaks of people who ask God, and do not receive because they ask to use it for their own desires. See When Critics Ask p.311 for more info.
 

Q: In Mic 4:9-13, who is the woman in distress?
A: This is an allegory of the people of Judah and Israel. She is crying because of her loss. It is also like a woman in labor, for after the exile the returnees rebirthed their nation. See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.139 for more info.
 

Q: In Mic 4:10, does this reference to Babylon show that, if this was not a divinely inspired prophecy vision of the future, then this indicates that Micah was written later, as Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.652-653 says?
A: Two points to consider in the answer.
1. Asimov probably says this because Babylon did not become the dominant world power until almost a century after Samaria was destroyed.
2. While this is a divinely inspired prophecy, Asimov overlooks some history here. Right after the Assyrians were stopped outside of Jerusalem, King Merodach-Baladan of Babylon sent ambassadors to Judah to make an alliance. King Hezekiah showed them everything in 2 Kings 20:12-15 and 2 Chronicles 32:31. God used Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that the people will be exiled to Babylon in 2 Kings 20:16-20.
In summary, the Babylonian’s visit, combined with Isaiah’s public prophecy at this time of Judah’s exile, would not make Micah anachronistic.
 

Q: In Mic 5:1, why would Micah mention "Ephrathah" here?
A: There were two Bethlehem’s, one in north, and one in Judah; Bethlehem Ephrathah was the Bethlehem in Judah. As Walter Kaiser says in Hard Sayings of the Bible p.335-336, "Ephrathah is the older name for Bethlehem. It comes from the word ‘to be fruitful’, and that name is most appropriate for the birthplace of the one who would bring salvation to the earth." Bethlehem is called Ephrath in Genesis 35:19 and 48:7.
Also, Caleb’s wife was named Ephrath and the founder of Bethlehem was a descendent of Caleb and Ephrath in 1 Chronicles 2:19,50-51.
 

Q: Since Mic 5:2 says "thousands" in the Masoretic text and the Septuagint, why does Mt 2:6 say "governors/rulers",?
A: Regardless of what Micah 5:2 says, this is what is reported the priests and teachers said to Herod. Let's look at four points that could explain why they said that.
1) Micah 5:2 says, "You, Bethlehem Ephratha, being least among the thousands of Judah you, He shall come forth to Me, to become ruler in Israel…" (Green’s Literal Translation) The point is that though Bethlehem was small in size, it will become great in importance.
2) The Hebrew word for "thousands" (plural) in Micah 5:2 is ‘alapim. The Greek equivalent is chiliasin. The Hebrew word for governors/rulers (plural) is ‘allupe. The Greek equivalent is hegemosin. While the Greek words are totally different, the Hebrew words are very similar, ignoring the vowels. The Old Testament was originally written with no vowels; they were only added about 700 A.D. This indicates they were not reading from the Greek Septuagint, but either the Hebrew, Aramaic, or possibly another Greek translation.
3) This was spoken by the priests and teachers of the law. They could have made a mistake, or they could have been quoting to Herod a Greek translation besides the Septuagint. More likely though, they could have been translating from Hebrew to Aramaic or Greek verbally as they were going along.
4) Actually though, the priests and teachers of the law did not make a mistake in conveying the meaning: small Bethlehem is NOT least in importance for the ruler who will come from there.
See Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.318-319 for a complementary answer.
 

Q: In Mic 6:1-2, why was Micah speaking to the hills and mountains?
A: This is a poetic use of a literary device called personification. God was calling the hills and mountains as witnesses of God’s faithfulness toward the Israelites and their unfaithfulness toward Him. As a side note, Isaiah, who lived at the same time, used similar literary devices.
 

Q: What does Mic 6:6-8, say about sacrifices in the Old Testament?
A: There is no command to discontinue sacrifices here. Five points to consider in the answer.
1. The speaker in this poetic passage is Micah, and not God.
2. Micah never says he will discontinue his sacrifices either. He will continue to bow before God, and bring burnt offerings.
3. Micah himself asks whether the Lord would be pleased with extravagant offerings, which God did not ask for, such as 1,000 rams, 10,000 rivers of oil, or human sacrifice of his firstborn. The implicit answer is, of course not.
4. Some might fail to see that Micah is speaking here of priorities. The most extravagant free-will offerings imaginable are not as good to God as to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him.
5. The immediate historical context here is probably the huge sacrifice Hezekiah made in 2 Chronicles 30:24, which included 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep in 2 Chronicles 30:24. Micah was putting a bit of a "damper" on this situation. As impressive as this sacrifice would look, God would be more impressed with the people all walking obediently with Him than with this outward show.
 

Q: In Mic 6:6-8, how were the people to obtain salvation here?
A: While people obtain salvation through God giving it to them, Micah 6:6-8 does not speak of salvation. Rather, for some one who is already a believer, Micah asks:
1) What he should bring to God
2) What God would be pleased with
3) And what God has showed is good and what does the Lord require.
It is interesting that the first two questions are answered by the following questions.
1) To know what you should bring to God, you should ask what would please God.
2) Instead of making up what God might be pleased with, ask what God has shown to be good and what does God require.
3) God has show that we should do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
See Hard Sayings of the Bible p.336-337 and 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered p.209-210 for more info.
 

Q: In Mic 6:8, what is significant about the object of the sentence here?
A: The Hebrew word here adam means man. Thus, this is definitely not intended for just Israel but for all people.
 

Q: In Mic 6:11, what is a "deceitful weight"?
A: This is a weight that a trader deceitfully represents as either a certain weight, or else equivalent to another weight, as Deuteronomy 25:13 shows. For example, a cheating merchant, when weighing something out to sell it uses a weight labeled one kilogram that is really 0.95 kilograms. When he weighs out something to buy it he uses use a weight labeled 1 kilogram that is really 1.05 kilograms.
 

Q: In Mic 7, why does God not show mercy and then show mercy?
A: Three points to consider on the mercy of God.
1. Mercy is undeserved. Specifically, mercy is not getting the bad things you deserve.
2. God is under no obligation to give mercy to anyone. However, God is very merciful, and He delights to show mercy.
3. God is not required to give the same amount of mercy to everyone. As Romans 9 shows, God was just to both Esau and Jacob, but God had a special mercy to Jacob that He did not give to Esau.
 

Q: In Mic 7:5, who is the woman referred to here?
A: This woman would be the listener’s wife. The language is unusual here, implying a distance, or separation. It implies not only a lack of communication, but says there are legitimate reasons to keep information from her and not to trust her. This is a sad commentary on a marriage, when this situation is true. Marriages would be like this during these times of disobedience.
 

Q: In Mic, what are some of the earliest manuscripts that still exist today?
A: Dead Sea scrolls: (300-200 B.C.) There are two copies of Micah among the Dead Sea scrolls, called 4Q81 (=4QXIIf) and 4Q82 (4QXIIg). The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated (p.479). Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.271 says this was in the third century B.C. There is also a commentary on Micah called 1Q14 (=1QpMic) (The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated p.468.)
4Q81 contains Micah 5:1-2
4Q82 contains Micah 1:7,12-15; 2:3-4; 3:12; 4:1-2; 5:6-7; 7:2-3,20
See The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls p.418 for more info. However, The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated p.479 does not mention 4Q82 contains Amos, Jonah, and Micah.
Nahal Hever is a cave near Engedi, that has a fragment of the twelve minor prophets in Greek (8 Hev XIIgr). According to Manuscripts of the Greek Bible p.34, is it thought to be written between 50 B.C. and 50 A.D. It was hidden during the Bar Kokhba revolt against Rome. It is a revision of the Septuagint, made in Judea, and almost identical to the Masoretic text. It contains Micah 1:1-8; 2:7-8; 3:5-6; 4:3-10; 5:1-6 [LXX 2-7]
The wadi Murabb'at scroll (MurXII) is from c.132 A.D. It contains Micah 1:1-16; 2:1-13; 3:1-12; 4:1-14; 6:1-7,11-16; 7:1-20.
Overall, preserved in the Dead Sea scrolls, Nahal Hever, and wadi Murabb’at are following verses from Micah: 1:2-5,6,7,8,9,12-15; 2:2-3,6,10-11; 3:12; 4:1-2,13; 5:1-2, 6-7,14-16; 7:2-3,11,20. See The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls for more details.
Christian Bible manuscripts, from about 350 A.D., contain the Old Testament, including Micah. Micah is complete in both Vaticanus (325-250 A.D.) and Alexandrinus (c.450 A.D.), where the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets were placed before Isaiah.
Hosea, Amos, and Micah were never present in Sinaiticus (340-350 A.D.).
The New Testament quotes from Micah twice: Matthew 2:6; 10:35-36.
 

Q: Which early writers referred to Micah?
A: Pre-Nicene writers who referenced or alluded to verses in Micah are:
Justin Martyr (c.138-165 A.D.) mentions Micah one of the twelve [minor prophets]. Dialogue with Trypho the Jew ch.108 p.253
Melito/Meleto of Sardis (170-177/180 A.D.)
Melito of Sardis (170-177/180 A.D.) (Implied) mentions the "Old Testament" and lists the books. He does not list the twelve minor prophets individually, but calls them The Twelve. Fragment 4 from the Book of Extracts vol.8 p.759
Irenaeus of Lyons (182-188 A.D.)
Clement of Alexandria (193-217/220 A.D.)
Tertullian (198-220 A.D.)
Hippolytus (222-235/6 A.D.)
Origen (240 A.D.) quotes Micah 2:9 as "this is what the divine Scripture expresses". Homilies on Jeremiah Homily 28 ch.5 p.264 (translated by Jerome)
Treatise Against Novatian (c.248-258 A.D.)
Cyprian of Carthage (c.246-258 A.D.)
Victorinus of Petau (martyred 304 A.D.)
Methodius of Olympus and Patara (c.260-312 A.D.) quotes Micah 4:4 as by Micah. The Banquet of the Ten Virgins Discourse 10 p.350
Lactantius (c.303-c.325 A.D.)
After Nicea (325 A.D.):
Athanasius of Alexandria (367 A.D.) (Implied because mentions the twelve prophets) "There are, then, of the Old Testament, twenty-two books in number; … then the Prophets, the twelve being reckoned as one book…." Athanasius Easter Letter 39 ch.4 p.552.
Cyril of Jerusalem (c.349-386 A.D.) mentions the books of the Prophets, both of the Twelve and of the others. Micah 3:8 as in Micah, Joel 2:28 as in Joel, Haggai 2:4 as in Haggai, Zechariah 1:6 as in Zechariah. Catechetical Lectures Lecture 16.29 p.122
Didymus the blind (398 A.D.) quotes Micah 7:1-3 as by Micah the prophet. Commentary on Zechariah 12 p.294
John Chrysostom (-407 A.D.) refers to Micah 6:1 as by Micah Commentary on Romans Homily 5 p.366
Augustine of Hippo (338-430 A.D.) mentions Micah in The City of God book 17 ch.30 p.376
Among heretics and spurious books
Theodore of Mopsuestia (392-423/429 A.D.) wrote an entire commentary on Micah, which we still have today.
After Nicea there are other writers too.
 

Q: In Mic, what are some of the translation differences between the Hebrew and Greek Septuagint?
A: Here are a few of the translation differences from Micah 1:1-10, the first being in Hebrew and the second being from the Greek Septuagint translation unless otherwise noted.
Mic 1:1 "of Moresheth" vs. "son of Moresheth"
Mic 1:2 "Let the peoples here" vs. "hear [these] words, you peoples"
Mic 1:2 "witness against you" vs. "among you for a testimony"
Mic 1:4 "mountains shall melt" vs. "mountains shall be shaken"
Mic 1:4 "valleys shall cleave themselves" vs. "valleys shall melt"
Mic 1:6 "ruins of the field" vs. "store-house of the fruits of the field"
Mic 1:7 "graven/carved images shall be beaten to pieces" vs. "they shall cut in pieces all the graven/carved images"
Mic 1:7 "all her gifts [or harlotry] shall be burned with fire." vs. "all that she has hired they shall burn with fire"
Mic 1:7 "they shall return to the reward of a harlot." vs. "the hires of fornication has she amassed [wealth]"
Mic 1:8 "I will wail and howl; I will go stripped and naked; I will make a wailing like the jackals" vs. "she shall lament and wail, she shall go barefooted, and [being] naked she shall make lamentation as that of serpents"
Mic 1:8 "daughters of ostriches" vs. "daughters of sirens"
Mic 1:9 "her wounds are incurable" vs. "her plague has become grievous"
Mic 1:10 "Do not declare [it] in Gath; do not sorely weep in the house of Leaphrah wallow [in] dust. vs. "You (plural) that are in Geth, exalt not yourselves, and you Enakim, do not rebuild from [the ruins of] the house in derision: sprinkle dust [in the place of] your laughter."
Mic 2:6 "They shall not return insult for insult" (Masoretic) vs. "He shall not remove the reproaches" (Septuagint) vs. "He shall not take shame" (Vulgate)
Mic 6:16 "shame/scorn of/due my people" (Masoretic, Targum, Vulgate) vs. "shame/scorn of/due the nations" (Septuagint)
Bibliography for this question: the Hebrew translation is from Jay P. Green’s Literal Translation and the Septuagint rendering is from Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton’s translation of The Septuagint : Greek and English. The Expositor's Bible Commentary and the footnotes in the NASB, NIV, NKJV, and NRSV Bibles also were used.