Book of Micah

For more information, see the Skeptic's Annotated Bible article:

Micah

For more information, see the Wikipedia article:

Book of Micah

Books of the Bible

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• Apocrypha

The book of Micah is the 33rd book of the Old Testament in the King James Version of the Bible.

The authorship of Micah is a subject of debate - most scholars and critics agree that the chapters 1 through 3 are written by a different author than chapters 4 through 7, and some argue that chapters 6 and 7 are written by yet another author.

In this book, the authors are writing against dishonest trade practices and the illegal acquisition of land by wealthy (likely foreign) landowners, who forced eviction of local farmers, and the judges and priests who allow and endorse it. He foretells the divine punishment of Samaria for the influence their practices have on Judah, which, in his view, had resulted in the corruption of their political and judicial systems.

Notable passages

Micah 4:5

Micah 4:1-7  borrows themes from the book of Isaiah of a post-apocalyptic time where the kingdom of God has been established and humanity enjoys universal justice, peace, and security. Yet verse 5 states that, though Micah and his people will worship Yahweh at this time, other people will continue to worship their own gods:

For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Though Micah foretells the punishment of Samaria and the destruction of their religious icons, in context, Micah is speaking out against the injustice resulting from the dilution of their law and culture. He blames the influence of Samaria for the greed and corruption of their own political and legal system. This verse exposes the fact that Micah's call for restoration is not concerned with the dilution of his people's worship itself, but rather the influence on politics, justice, and trade. His vision of the future of peace and justice involves other people being free to practice their own religions.