Micah 6:1

Translations

Modern

Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

Traditional

Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

Literal

Hear now what YHWH is saying: “Arise, dispute with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

Latin

Audite quæ Dominus loquitur: Surge, contende judicio adversum montes, et audiant colles vocem tuam.

Original

Hebrew

English

Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

Notes

Micah 6:1–2

mountains … hills: All creation is called as a witness (see Joshua 24:27). In other ancient Near Eastern treaties, they called the gods of the countries as witnesses.

Micah 6:1–16

The Lord presented, argued, and decided a case against his rebellious people, Israel. This section is written as a formal legal court case. Other prophets use the same pattern (compare Isaiah 1:2–4; Jeremiah 2:4–9; Hosea 4).

Using the image of a courtroom, the Lord challenged his people to state their case against him. At the same time, he stated his case against them (Micah 6:1–5). The people had not obeyed what the Lord required of them (Micah 6:6–8), so they were found guilty (6:9–12).

After the guilty verdict, the passage describes Israel’s punishment. This final section announces the sentence that follows the judgment (Micah 6:13–16).

Events

Prophecies of Micahc. 754 BC

Related verses

Jeremiah 22:29
O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
Deuteronomy 32:1
Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Micah 1:2
Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth, and everyone in it! May the Lord GOD bear witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.
Ezekiel 36:1
“And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.
Psalm 50:4
He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:
Deuteronomy 4:26
I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
Isaiah 1:2
Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
Ezekiel 36:8
But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and bear fruit for My people Israel, for they will soon come home.
Psalm 50:1
A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from where the sun rises to where it sets.
Luke 19:40
“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.”
Micah 1:4
The mountains will melt beneath Him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.
Ezekiel 37:4
And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!

Glossary

Book of Micah Courts and Trials

Topics

Condescension of God: Expostulates with Backsliding Israel Sin: The Israelites

Micah 6:1

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