The word of Yahweh which came to Micah of Moresheth: Micah 1:1-2

Micah 1:1–2 (LSB)

Context and Authorship (v. 1)

• “The word of Yahweh which came to Micah of Moresheth” The book opens with the classic prophetic superscription formula (“the word of Yahweh that came to…”), emphasizing that Micah’s message is not human opinion but direct divine revelation.

  • Micah (Heb. מִיכָה, Mîkāh = “Who is like Yahweh?”) is from Moresheth (probably Moresheth-gath, a town southwest of Jerusalem in the Shephelah, near the Philistine border; cf. Mic 1:14). His rural, non-elite origin contrasts with Isaiah’s likely urban/aristocratic background, giving Micah a distinctive “countryside” perspective on Judah’s sins (especially exploitation of the poor by landowners).

• “in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” Approximate dates: ca. 750–686 BC (overlaps with the fall of Samaria in 722 BC).

  • Jotham (750–735 BC): relatively faithful but idolatry persisted.

  • Ahaz (735–715 BC): notoriously wicked; introduced Baal worship and even child sacrifice (2 Kgs 16:3).

  • Hezekiah (715–686 BC): major reformer, yet the judgment pronounced in Micah’s day was not ultimately averted until after the Assyrian crisis. Micah thus prophesies during the same general period as Isaiah (Isa 1:1), but with a stronger focus on social justice and rural oppression.

• “which he beheld concerning Samaria and Jerusalem”

  • “Beheld” (חָזָה, ḥāzâ) = technical term for prophetic visionary experience (used also in Isa 1:1; Amos 1:1).

  • The oracle concerns both the Northern Kingdom (Samaria = capital and symbol of Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Jerusalem). The pairing is deliberate: the same covenant God will judge both for the same covenant violations.

The Courtroom Summons (v. 2) This verse functions as a dramatic covenant lawsuit (רִיב, rîb) introduction, a common prophetic genre (cf. Hos 4:1; Isa 1:2; Deut 32). Yahweh is both plaintiff and judge.

• “Hear, O peoples, all of you” (שִׁמְעוּ עַמִּים כֻּלָּם)

  • “Peoples” (plural) broadens the audience beyond Israel/Judah to all nations, making the coming judgment a public spectacle (cf. Mic 1:13–16 where Philistine cities are mentioned; the whole world will witness Yahweh’s justice).

  • Echoes Deut 32:1 and Isa 1:2 (“Hear, O heavens…”) but expands to “peoples” and “earth,” universalizing the covenant lawsuit.

• “Give heed, O earth, as well as its fullness”

  • Heaven and earth were covenant witnesses at Sinai (Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; Isa 1:2). Micah calls the entire created order to attention because the covenant is about to be enforced with cosmic consequences.

• “And let Lord Yahweh be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple”

  • Double divine name: “Lord Yahweh” (אֲדֹנָי יְהוָה, ʾAdonay YHWH) – emphatic, solemn, and somewhat rare in Micah (also 4:4; 5:4). Heightens the majesty and authority of the speaker.

  • “Be a witness against you” – Yahweh is not a neutral observer but the prosecuting witness in the lawsuit.

  • “From His holy temple” – almost certainly the heavenly temple (not the Jerusalem temple, which is about to be judged). Cf. Ps 11:4; Hab 2:20; Isa 6. Yahweh is enthroned in heaven, looking down in judgment (theophany follows immediately in vv. 3–4).

Theological and Rhetorical Thrust of vv. 1–2

1. Divine origin and authority of the message (v. 1).

2. Universal scope: judgment on both kingdoms will be seen by the whole world (v. 2).

3. Covenant lawsuit framework: Yahweh is coming out of His heavenly palace as Judge to testify against His own covenant people.

4. Dramatic irony: the “holy temple” from which the Lord speaks in judgment is the very place Israel/Judah assumed gave them security (cf. Jer 7:4).

These two verses set the tone for the entire book: a sovereign, holy God who holds both Israel and Judah accountable to the covenant, whose judgment begins with His own people (cf. 1 Pet 4:17), and whose actions will ultimately be vindicated before all nations. The theophany in vv. 3–4 (“For behold, Yahweh is coming forth from His place…”) is the immediate and terrifying answer to v. 2’s summons.

Here are five short-answer questions on Micah 1:1–2 (LSB), each with exactly seven lines for the answer (ideal for classroom or small-group use).

1. According to Micah 1:1, what are the three kings of Judah during whose reigns Micah received the word of Yahweh, and why is the order significant?

2. Explain the meaning and importance of the phrase “which he beheld” in Micah 1:1 and how it characterizes Micah’s prophetic ministry.

3. In Micah 1:2, why does the prophet call “all peoples” and “the earth and its fullness” to listen rather than addressing only Israel and Judah?

4. What Old Testament legal form (genre) is introduced in Micah 1:2, and how does the summons to “hear” signal that form?

5. What is the significance of the double divine title “Lord Yahweh” and the phrase “from His holy temple” in Micah 1:2?

Devotional: When the Lord Takes the Stand

Micah 1:1–2

Read Micah 1:1–2 (LSB)

Reflect The book opens like a courtroom. Before any charge is read, the Judge Himself steps forward as the star witness. “Let Lord Yahweh be a witness against you… from His holy temple.” That should stop us cold. We often picture God’s temple as a place of refuge. Micah reminds us it is first His throne-room, from which He sees everything. Nothing in Samaria’s palaces or Jerusalem’s streets escaped His gaze then—and nothing in our lives escapes it now.

Micah’s audience thought distance protected them: distance from the poor they robbed, distance from the idols they hid, distance from the covenant they broke. Yet the One who dwells in the high and holy place was coming down the mountain (v. 3) to testify in person. Where in my life am I banking on distance—spiritual, moral, or emotional—to keep God from noticing?

Repent Lord Yahweh, You are the witness I cannot silence. You see the thoughts I excuse, the words I whisper, the corners of my heart I keep locked. I have treated Your patience as permission and Your temple as a hiding place instead of a place of truth. Forgive me for pretending distance equals safety. Come close, holy Judge, and speak what I need to hear, not what I want to hear.

Rest The same voice that summons the nations to hear the verdict will one day summon them again—this time to see the Savior born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). The God who steps out of His temple to judge is the God who stepped out of heaven to save. Because Jesus stood trial in my place, the witness against me has become the advocate for me. The courtroom is real, but the gavel has already fallen—on Him.

Respond Today, live as one who has been seen perfectly and loved anyway. Let the fear of being fully known drive you into the arms of the One who was condemned so you could go free.

Pray Father, from Your holy temple look on me—not to condemn, but through the blood of the Lamb from Bethlehem. Make me brave enough to live in the light of Your gaze. Amen.