Michah 1-2

Michah prophesied to Israel and Judah in the second half of the eighth century BCE. He is the last of the “four prophets who prophesied at the same time” and we can see a similarity between his prophecies and those of Yeshayahu, who came slightly before him. Michah is called “the Morashtite” from the name of his village, Moreshet, which was in the area of Beit Guvrin. Michah rebukes Judah for the social injustice which has spread among them, and the ruling classes of Judah and Israel for the oppression of the lower classes and for taking their inheritance. In addition, he foresees the destruction of Samaria by Assyria and the Assyrian domination of Judah in the time of Chizkiyahu.

Sefer Michah begins with a prophecy of the destruction of Samaria and the calamity which will befall Judah (2-9). At the beginning of the prophecy there is a description of the revelation of God as a witness and a judge (2-4), afterward the sins which are grounds for the case are listed (5) and in the end the verdict is described (6-7).

Perek 2: The bulk of the chapter deals with the prophet’s struggle with the wealthy landowners in Judah. It opens with a rebuke to those who steal the fields and inheritances of those weaker than them (1-5). It then shows the argument between the prophet and the wealthy oppressors who demand that he stops prophesying (6-11). The perek ends with a prophecy of consolation which envisions the return of the exiles of Israel (12-13).