Who Is Mikhah?

Rather than being identified by his father or family, this prophet is identified by a location, “Mikhah of Morashti.” It was about 22 miles southwest of Yerushalayim in the “lowland” or Shephelah region. Unlike the calls to prophetic office of some other prophets, Mikhah’s call is not recorded. Mikhah is never explicitly referred to as “prophet,” but the source of his power is explicitly attributed to the “Spirit of the Adonai” (Mikhah 3:8; cf. 2 Kefa 1:20–21). The name “Mikhah” may be translated as a simple rhetorical question: “Who is like Adonai?” Similarly, the book concludes with the question, “Who is a God like you?” (7:18). These questions underscore Adonai’s unrivaled character and actions.

Mikhah is the fourth-largest of the minor prophets. It is quoted five times in the Brit Hadashah, once by our Adonai. The most famous quotation (Matt. 2:6) is from 5:2, the verse that predicts that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah (there was a Bethlehem up north).

Another fascinating feature of Mikhah is the prophet’s fondness for “paronomasia,” or more popularly, “punning.” Many people enjoy making puns. In English-speaking cultures, this is not generally considered a severe literary form (although Shakespeare used it often). Mikhah presents the Brit Hadassah in 1:10–15, a famous example that some have compared with Cicero’s oratory. Unfortunately, this is one of the most complex types of literature to translate, since no two languages have the same sets of double meanings.

Mikhah prophesied during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham (750–735 BC), Ahaz (735–715), and Hezekiah (715–687). The time span roughly parallels that of other eighth-century prophets like Hoshea (Hos. 1:1) and Isaiah (Isa. 1:1). However, Mikhah 1:1’s omission of the name of King Uzziah (767–739 BC) may place Mikhah somewhat later. It is difficult to assess the duration of Mikhah’s public activity with precision. At a minimum, the 16-year reign of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:2), combined with the presumed transitions at the end of Jotham’s reign and the start of Hezekiah’s reign, yields a ministry length of 20 to 25 years.

Mikhah’s holy and just God demands holiness and justice from all people. This is the “good” He requires (Mikhah 6:8). The people had grown content with going through the religious motions while practicing very little genuine spiritual devotion. Even the religious leaders chose to preach popular messages to support their standard of living. Mikhah preached that true religion comes from a heart tuned to God, resulting in godly living. As such, religion and ethics are inseparable. People who refuse to repent will face His judgment, but the faithful will find His salvation and be led by God’s King (Yeshua), who will usher in His peace and prosperity.

Preface

1 ¹ This is the word of Adonai that came to Mikhah the Morashti during the days of Yotam, Achaz, and Y’chizkiyah, kings of Y’hudah, which he saw concerning Shomron and Yerushalayim:

Shomron and Yerushalayim, the capitals of the northern and southern kingdoms, represent the entire nations of Isra’el and Y’hudah, respectively.

First Discourse

Judgment Against Isra’el

² Listen, peoples, all of you! Pay attention, earth, and everything in it! Adonai Elohim will witness against you, Adonai, from his holy temple. ³ For – look! – Adonai is coming out of his place, coming down to tread on the high places of the land. ⁴ Beneath him, the mountains will melt, the valleys split open like wax before fire, like water poured down a steep slope. ⁵ All this is because of the crime of Ya‘akov and the sins of the house of Isra’el. What is the crime of Ya‘akov? Isn’t it Shomron? And what are the high places of Y’hudah? Aren’t they Yerushalayim?

The Adonai was coming out to judge the wickedness of Isra’el and Y’hudah. Sins are literally deviations from a target (Judges 20:16; Proverbs 19:2), God’s holiness in this case. Samaria’s idolatry and immorality were so deep that God marked her for destruction (Mikhah 1:6–7). Mikhah compared worship in Yerushalayim with pagan worship in the north. Hezekiah repented in response to Mikhah’s preaching (Jer 26:19) and removed every high place, stone altar, and pagan Asherah pole (2 Ki 18:1–6).

⁶ “So I will make Shomron a heap in the country, a place for planting vineyards; I will pour her stones down into the valley, laying bare her foundations. ⁷ All her carved images will be smashed to pieces, all she earned consumed by fire; and I will reduce her idols to rubble. She amassed them from a whore’s wages, and as a whore’s wages they will be spent again.” ^[1]

Assyria captured Samaria in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:3–6). Isra’el’s apostasy included participating in pagan cultic prostitution, which involved paying wages to prostitutes; Assyrian troops would pillage Shamron, steal these wages, and use the money yet again on prostitutes. Isra’el’s sins were so bad that even the pagan armies that conquered her would do with her monies nothing worse than she herself had done.

In Mikhah 1:1-7, the passage highlights the consequences of turning away from God’s commandments. If you find your home filled with discord or unresolved conflict, consider taking a moment to pray together as a family. Begin a week in which each member shares a daily devotion focused on seeking God’s wisdom in relationships. This can help foster open communication and draw you closer to biblical principles that restore peace and unity. My wife and I have found this practice works for us.

In our next post, we will continue to learn more about the Prophecy of Mikhah (Micah).

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^[1] Mikhah 1:1-7.