MI'CAH (Heb. abbreviation of mika grill, in terpreted as, 'Who is like Yahweh?'). One of the minor prophets, a contemporary of Isaiah. his book is sixth in the ordinary arrangement of the minor prophecies. but third according to the Jewish canon, and this order is followed in the Septuagint. All that we know of his life is that he was a native of Moresheth, a small town dependent upon Oath (Micah i. I ; Jer. xxvi. IS) ; and that his activity falls in the reigns of Ahaz and Hezekiah, but hardly in the days of Jotham, roughly speaking, therefore, between B.C. 734 and 700. The Book of Micah, in its present form, may be divided into three sections, each beginning with "ilea• ye." ( I) Chapters i. and ii., dressed to all the people, describe the coining of Yahweh in judgment on the transgressions of Israel and Judah. and the doom of Samaria; de nounce luxury and covetousness as the sources of transgression, and condemn the false prophets for leading the people astray; foretell the banish ment of the people into captivity, and promise their return under the guidance of Yahweh. (2) Chapters addressed to the heads and primes of the people. eondemn their oppressive rapacity, and declare that as they had been deaf to the cry of the poor in their wrongs, they, too, shall call on Yahweh. but will not be heard. The false prophets also who had deceived others shall themselves be made ashamed. This second threatening of judgment is followed by a second and fuller promise of Messianic times. (3) In chapters vi. and vii., Yahweh, calling on the people to hear, and on the mountains to be wit nesses of the controversy, appeals to all His past government over Israel as approving His right eousness. The people, answering, complain that the burden of the sacrifices required is too great to be borne, and Yahweh, in reply. says that He asks of them only to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Cod. That they had failed to comply with these demands is shown by the treasures of wickedness found in their houses, by the scant measures used, the false balances, the deceitful weights. For these crimes punishments will be inflicted ; the wheat. the oil, and wine shall be cut off. The prophet mourns the justice of the sentence, and acknowledges the guilt of all classes of the people. Yet he waits for the salvation of Yahweh. triumphing in Ilis pardon
ing mercy, which will certainly be manifested, and in His faithfulness, which will perform all that Ile had solemnly sworn to Abraham in the days of old.
These three divisions, however, do not corre spond either to the original order or character of the discourses embodied in the book. The first three chapters (with the exception of ii. 12-13) depict conditions prevalent prior to the destruction of Samaria, and may be attributed to the prophet Micah, though with editorial addi tions and adjustment to the rest of the hook. Chapters iv. and v., however, with their glimpse into Messianic times, embody the views and as pirations of the struggling post-exilic religious community, weighted by the sense of guilt,regard ing its own sufferings as a punishment for trans gressions in the past, and looking forward to a redemption and restoration of national glory, which can only come from Yahweh Himself. There are reasons for supposing that chapters i.-v. once formed the entire Book of Micah, the first three being by the prophet himself, and forming the text as it were to the last two chapters, jus tifying the sufferings in post-exilic (lays. By way of consolation, the prophecy of the Messiah and Messianic times was composed and added. In the same spirit, as a comment upon the real Micah, chapters vi. and vii. were written, which again present the same two sides—Yahweh's jus tification in bringing such sufferings upon This people and the consolatory promises for the fu ture. Chapters iv.-vii., according to this view, belong to the Persian period and probably to the later half. The text of the Book of it should be added, is not well preserved, and this enhances the difficulties of a satisfactory inter pretation. Consult, besides the general commen taries on the Minor Prophets and the Old Testa ment introductions, Caspa•i, Ueber Mieha den. Morasthiten and seine prophetische Schrift ( Christiania, 1 S51-52 ) ; Roord a , COM mentarius Vaticiniam ,Itichn- ( Leyden, 1569) : Cheyne, "The Book of Mica in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge, 1552) ; Ryssel, Cuter suchuagcn fiber die Textgestalt and die Echtheit des Bitches Micha (Leipzig. ISS7) : Taylor, The ilassorelie Text and the Ancient of the Book of Micah (London, 1501).