Interpretation of the book of the prophet Micah

The wise Micah (Heb. Michah or in a more complete style michajahu - 2 Chronicles 13.2, 17.7 - means who is like God) in the signing of his book is called “Morasfitin” (Heb. hammoraschthi). This name is usually understood as an indication of the place of origin of the prophet - Morasphu. According to the testimony of Blessed Jerome, Moraspha was located in the south of Judea, near Eleutheropolis. The newest interpreters identify Moraspha with Moresheth-Geth mentioned in Micah in Micah 1.14. Traces of Moraspha are indicated in minor ruins located south of Beit Jibrin. A native of Judea, Micah spent his prophetic ministry in the kingdom of Judah. According to the signing of the book, the time of this service falls on the reign of Jotham, Ahaziah and Hezekiah, i.e. at the end of the 8th century. BC. In the book. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26.18–19) is told that when the people wanted to kill him for foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, some of the elders of the land said to the people's assembly: “Micaiah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and said to all the people of Judah: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Zion will be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of this house wooded hill. Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death for this?” Undoubtedly, the above words refer to Micah, the writer of the prophetic book. Since in these words Micah appears to be a prophet of the time of Hezekiah, some of the newest commentators limit all the activities of the prophet to this time, believing that those in the inscription of the book. Micah, the names of kings Jotham and Ahaz represent a later insertion. But the evidence of Jeremiah 26.18–19 only states that one well-known prophecy of Micah, namely the prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem (Micah 3.12), was pronounced during the reign of Hezekiah, and not that all the activity of the prophet was limited to this reign. True, we do not have direct and clear indications of the time of Jotham and Ahaz in the book. Micah. But this can be explained by the fact that the book of the prophet does not represent all the speeches he spoke, but only the old presentation of them and extracts from them. In addition, the content of the prophecy of Micah from the time of Hezekiah can in part be considered a reflection of the mood of the Jewish people, which developed during the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz. This includes, for example, indications of a warlike mood, which was especially strong under Jotham (Mic 4:8, 5:5, 10-11; cf. 2 Chron 27.1-7), and to magic and idolatry, which was widespread under Ahaz (Mic 5.12-14, Mic 1.5). Just as there is no reason to push back the beginning of Micah’s activity to the time of Hezekiah, there is also no evidence to continue it until the reign of Manasseh (cf. Micah 7.6). According to the contents of the book. Micah is usually divided into three parts, of which the first embraces ch. I-III, second chapter. IV-V and third chapter. VI-VII. The subject of Micah's prophetic speeches was Samaria and Jerusalem. The prophet begins his speeches by announcing the destruction that awaits Samaria. He addresses Jerusalem with the same threat, depicting the coming disaster in a number of images (Chapter I). The reason for divine wrath against Jerusalem is the wickedness of the inhabitants of Judea, especially the crimes of the Jewish nobles, priests, false prophets and judges (chap. II-III). For these crimes, the prophet proclaims, “Zion will be plowed up like a field, and Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of this House will be a wooded hill” (Micah 3.12). The prophet interrupts these threats in Micah 2.12–13 with a promise about the future unification of the remnants of Israel and Judah and their return from captivity. This is the general content of the first part of the book. Micah. Speeches ch. I-III, predicting the destruction of Samaria, were pronounced before this event, that is, before 722. As can be seen from Jeremiah 26.18, the prophet’s threats against Jerusalem were conditional. Since the people repented, they were not implemented. After the conquest of Samaria, the Assyrians ceased hostilities in Palestine, and the threat to Jerusalem was over. But the spirit of the people was restless, and so the prophet addressed the people with consoling speeches. The second part of the book. Micah, ch. IV-V, presents a detailed revelation of the comforting promise of Micah 2.12-13 and the proclamation of the messianic times. At these times, all nations will turn to the law of Jehovah, and the Kingdom of Peace will come (Micah 4.1–5). This will be preceded by the restoration of the people (Mic 4.6–8) and its triumph over the enemies who plot against Zion (Mic 4.9–13). The culprit of this glorious future will be the Lord of Israel, who was born in Bethlehem, “whose origin is from the days of eternity.” His dominion will give Israel power over enemies like Assyria, and will make it the true people of God, among whom it will no longer be the subject of false worship (Chapter V). The third part of the book. Micah (chap. VI-VII) contains in the first half the prophet's accusatory speech to Israel. Calling on the mountains and hills as witnesses of the Lord’s judgment with Israel, recalling the good deeds of God (Micah 6.1–5), the prophet confronts the people with the appearance of their untruths - deceit, deception, lack of mercy, in general “the customs of Omri and the deeds of the house of Ahab” (Micah 6.16). The people must bear punishment for their sins, and the prophet on behalf of the Lord says: “I will strike you with desolation for your sins without healing” (Micah 6.13–15). But at the same time, the prophet again expresses confidence that the Lord will have mercy on the remnant of his inheritance, will blot out the iniquity of the people, will reveal his wondrous deeds, as in the days of the exodus from Egypt, will restore the theocracy and expand its borders (Micah 7.11–20). It is not entirely clear which kingdom the prophet is talking about in ch. VI-VII. Most commentators understand the speeches of Ch. VI-VII, as a prophecy about Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah, about the captivity of the Jewish people and about the restoration of the kingdom after the captivity (Mic 7.11). But some expressions of the chapters under consideration give grounds for other commentators to relate these chapters not to Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah, but to Samaria and the kingdom of Israel. Goonaker rightly points out that in Ch. VI-VII is not called either Judea, or Jerusalem, or Zion, or Babylon. Further, in the prayer of the prophet for the restoration of the people (Micah 7.14 et c.), we do not find any of those predictions of a glorious future that are common in describing the greatness of Zion. The words of the prayer: let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old (Mic. VII.14) are more understandable in relation to the kingdom of Israel than in relation to the Kingdom of Judah. The general picture of the wickedness of the people, outlined in ch. VI-VII, fully corresponds to the one we see in the prophet Hosea (cf. Hos 4.1–2, 9.7–8). Such an expression as Micah 6.16 is again more naturally understood in relation to Samaria than in relation to Jerusalem. Noted features of Ch. VI-VII and give reason to see in them a speech about Samaria, and precisely a retrospective review of the events that took place in Samaria, the division of the justice of divine punishment that befell the ten-tribe kingdom and the announcement of hope for a bright future to the remnant of this kingdom. Ch. VI-VII are thus an echo of those fraternal feelings that were caused by the fall of the ten-tribe kingdom in the souls of the best representatives of the Jewish people. The speeches of the prophet Micah are distinguished by the depth and liveliness of feeling. Particularly strong are the denunciations with which the prophet addresses the nobles of the people and the false prophets. The liveliness of the feeling that animates the prophet is reflected in his speeches by rapid transitions from one thought to another (from denunciation to threat, from threat to promises (Micah 2.8–12, 3.12, 4.1), frequent use of similes and wordplay (Micah I.10–15, 2.4, 6.5), and an abundance of images. Moreover, as a native of the village, Micah, like Amos, he most often borrows his images and comparisons from shepherd life (cf. Micah 2.12, 4.6–7, 5.3–4, 7.14). Recent criticism rejects the authenticity of most of the book. Micah, arguing that the original book of the prophet was revised and completed in the post-exilic period. But this view is based, firstly, on the unfair application of the requirements of a modern literary work to a book, and secondly, on a special understanding of Old Testament prophetism, which reduces the latter only to vague expectations of the future and does not allow definite predictions of this future. Text of the book. Micah presents many difficulties, since the original and translations convey it differently. Literature: Prof. R. A. Yungerov, The Book of the Prophet Micah. Kazan, 1890. Arch. Anthony. Interpretation of the book of St. Prophet Micah. St. Petersburg, 1891. Roorda Commentanus in Vatic Michae, 1869. Ryssel, Die Textgestalt und die Echthert d Buches Micha, 1887. Cheyne, Micah with notes and Introduction 1895. See also comments by Novak, Marti and Goonaker. You might be interested in: