Micah 4:8–5:1

4:8 “Tower of the flock” and “hill of the daughter of Zion” point to Jerusalem, and both phrases perhaps evoke memories of David when he first captured and ruled the city. “Daughter of Zion” is a clear reference to Jerusalem elsewhere (e.g., Isa. 10:32), and “hill”—sometimes translated by the ESV as “Ophel”—refers to the hill between the original Davidic city (that is, Jerusalem when it was first conquered by David) and the temple built later (2 Chron. 27:3; 33:14). “Tower of the flock” is parallel to this, perhaps referring to a tower on (or very near to) that hill. Since towers could be defensive structures (Judg. 9:51), and “flock” is easily associated with David (the shepherd-king), this may be another allusion to David and hence a reminder of the promise of an eternal Davidic King. It is no surprise, then, that the end of the verse makes clear reference to Jerusalem’s being restored to a place from which kingship will be exercised. In short, these allusions to David in the past suggest hope for the future, as the former Davidic kingdom will reemerge in Zion. The little flock will be led by a new Davidic Shepherd-King.

4:9 If the first oracle predicts future Davidic leadership, the second oracle indicates absence of leadership in the present time. This is the force of the rhetorical questions, which are an implicit criticism of King Hezekiah and the Davidic dynasty. The nation has probably been decimated by the Assyrians in 701 BC, and Jerusalem is the last holdout. The acute pain the people of the city feel is compared to birth pangs seizing a pregnant woman.

4:10 This verse continues the image of a woman in painful labor in order to describe the pain of conquest, capture, and exile to Babylon. (The actual exile to Babylon did not occur until about a hundred years later, in 586 BC, suggesting this is a long-range prophecy for Micah.) But these pangs will give birth to new life, as the exiles will be rescued and redeemed from their enemies by the Lord, their redeemer.

4:11 The present crisis in which Jerusalem is surrounded shows the armies’ desire to destroy Zion. The phrase “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion” is well explained by Elizabeth Achtemeier: “The humiliation and defeat of Israel is often pictured in the terms of a woman stripped naked before her lovers or captors (cf. esp. Nah. 3:5, but also Isa. 47:3; Lam. 1:8; Ezek. 16:37 . . . ).”¹ It is humiliating and shameful defeat that these nations want to accomplish.

4:12 But the nations—a metaphorical description of the Assyrian army and its many mercenaries—do not know that Yahweh has planned to thwart their intentions. He has actually gathered them as grain for the threshing floor. The tables will be turned!

4:13 The prophet provides a long description of this dramatic reversal. The threshing image is continued with intensity here, as the daughter of Zion is compared to an ox with horns of iron and hooves of bronze. In antiquity—and even today—such animals would help separate the wheat from the chaff by trampling the sheaves of grain on the threshing floor. Here Zion is an ox “on steroids,” and the grain is the Assyrian army. At the end of this battle, the wealth of the nations will be “devoted” to the Lord. To devote the wealth of an enemy to God was often the last action in holy war (cf. Josh. 6:17). This crushing defeat of the enemy and the salvation of Zion may refer to the withdrawal of Sennacherib and his army from Jerusalem in 701 BC. Whatever the exact battle, it is clear that ultimate power for victory comes from the fact that Zion is protected by the “Lord of the whole earth,” the ultimate King and Savior.

5:1 The command to muster troops to Judah must have seemed like a joke, with the Assyrian armies encamped just outside the gates of Jerusalem. In fact, the Assyrian emissary outside the walls of Zion taunted the people with a boast that he would give two thousand horses to Hezekiah if he could find the men to ride them (2 Kings 18:23). The humiliation of bypassing the king and his officials and going directly to the people of Jerusalem with an appeal to surrender must also have been a great disgrace—a slap on the face—to Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:26–27). Indeed, we read here in Micah 5:1 that the “judge” (shopet) of the city is struck on the face with a “rod” (shebet). The leader in view is likely Hezekiah, who is not even given the respect of the title “king.” Moreover, to strike someone on the face was an act of extreme degradation (Job 16:10; Lam. 3:30). And while this passage is speaking of a metaphorical indignity (as opposed to Hezekiah’s being literally struck), it is strong way of saying that the king is being treated by the enemy with great disrespect.