Micah 6:1–8

6:1 Micah is told to plead his case against the people of God, while the most enduring elements of reality, the ancient mountains and hills, are enlisted as witnesses. Micah is in the role of a prosecutor, and God is the Judge. There has been much talk of courts and corruption in Micah (3:1–4, 9–11), but here finally is the “supreme court.”

6:2 Micah now calls the mountains and the everlasting foundations of the earth to the witness stand. This stress on the mountains, which are the heights of creation, along with the everlasting foundations, which are its depths, suggests that all of inanimate creation is being called to hear Yahweh’s case against his people. The Hebrew word for “contend” was last used when the nations would meet Yahweh in the temple in the last days, leading to their transformation (“shall decide”; 4:3). It is a word with a legal background, suggesting debate in court, accusation, and conviction (cf. “lodging a charge against”; 6:2, NIV).

6:3 The vocative “O my people,” positioned at the front of the sentence, shows the emotion of Yahweh for his people, as well as his love for them. It points to exasperation, which the rest of the sentence intensifies. Yahweh is presented not so much as being angry with his people but rather as being confused. He wants to know what he has done to make them feel so weary with him. Somehow, his liberating them from Egypt (cf. v. 4) has become a heavy burden for them to bear. The command “Answer me!” is an eruption of frustration.

6:4 This sentence explicitly contradicts the people’s view; the Hebrew verbal expression “I brought you up” (heʻelitika) sounds like “I wearied you” (helʼetika) but has a totally different meaning. God did not weary them (v. 3)—he liberated them (v. 4)! Moreover, he provided guidance for them in the wilderness through the political leadership of Moses, the priestly authority of Aaron, and the prophetic direction of Miriam.

6:5 The vocative “O my people” again stresses Yahweh’s emotional intensity. He commands them to remember his final actions for them, which included deliverance from the occult specialist Balaam, hired by Balak, the Moabite king, to curse them when they were on the verge of entering the Promised Land (Numbers 22–24). “Shittim” represents the last place where Israel settled outside the Promised Land (Num. 25:1; Josh. 2:1), and “Gilgal” the point of entry into the Promised Land (Josh. 4:19). The names together are thus a “summary of sacred history, lead[ing] from Exodus to conquest, from promise to fulfillment.”¹ Thus God has brought about the exodus, guided and delivered them in the wilderness, and led them victoriously in the conquest of the land, all done so that Israel might know the “righteous acts of the LORD.”

6:6–7 A series of questions indicates Yahweh’s expectations for his people in light of his righteous acts on their behalf. The first pair of questions asks about the proper approach to Yahweh (v. 6a). They raise the perennial question of how to worship him properly. The term “bow myself” is a rare word, used mainly for individuals’ groveling on the ground as a result of unfortunate circumstances (Pss. 57:6; 145:14; 146:8). But here it means proper deference before the Creator. He is described as “God on high,” which occurs only here in the Bible and stresses God’s transcendence.

The next three pairs of questions are rhetorical. They escalate in intensity and are presented as answers to the question concerning the proper approach to Yahweh (Mic. 6:6b–7). The first pair of questions addresses burnt offerings (v. 6b), which were the most costly offering, since the entire animal was consumed in the fire and the worshiper received no portion. Year-old calves were the most valuable burnt offering, since their meat was the most tender. The answer to this pair of questions is obviously negative.

The next pair mentions “thousands of rams” (v. 7a), which is clearly hyperbole, being far more than anyone but a king could afford (cf. 1 Kings 3:4; 8:63). “Ten thousands of rivers of oil” is further hyperbole, as oil was never used as an offering on its own. It functioned as a component of offerings; e.g., it was used in grain offerings, mixed with the flour or grain (Lev. 2:1–3, 15–16), and also for anointing rites (1 Sam. 10:1; Ps. 45:7). But such vast quantities suggested here were impossible to bring. Again the answer to this set of questions is negative.

Finally, the most valuable gift possible is envisioned in the last, climactic pair of questions (Mic. 6:7b). “Firstborn” represents the special child that breaks open the womb and is the first sign of his father’s strength. It therefore had a special status in ancient Israel, and the firstborn male child held a double portion of the inheritance (Deut. 21:17). He represented the future of the worshiper. The idea of atonement for sin is introduced here, for the assumption is that no one can approach God without a sacrifice for sin. But the answer to this last set of questions is also clearly negative—as the Lord made clear on numerous occasions by condemning the sacrifice of children (Lev. 18:21; Jer. 7:31; Ezek. 16:20–21). Moreover, as Micah now makes clear, even if the religious rites were approved by the law, they could never accomplish atonement if they were not accompanied by a heart seeking to be faithful to the Lord’s commands.

6:8 In response to the three sets of expected negative answers, Micah now gives three positive answers, each also in escalating intensity. Yahweh requires the worshiper first to “do justice.“ The same expression occurs in Proverbs 21:15: “When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” A similar phrase is found in Proverbs 21:7: “The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just.” To do justice is often to help someone in need, i.e., to be an advocate for one whose rights are being violated. Thus God is the ultimate just one, as he champions the cause of the widow and orphan and all who are oppressed (Deut. 10:18; Ps. 146:7). Solomon practiced justice by vindicating the rights of a prostitute, returning her stolen child (1 Kings 3:27–28). Thus justice is something that one primarily does. The word “justice” often occurs together with the word “righteousness,” and together they point to the practice of justice in society (Gen. 18:19; Ps. 33:5; Prov. 21:3).² One must be committed to helping those in need.

Second, one is to “love kindness.” This combination of verb and noun is unique in the OT, as the pious are usually described as having or doing kindness.³ The Hebrew word translated “kindness” is difficult to translate, as it connotes a range of ideas, such as “loyalty,” “mercy,” “fidelity,” “steadfast love,” or “loving kindness.” It usually signifies help provided by a stronger to a weaker partner in a covenant relationship (the covenant relationship not always being necessary). To “love kindness” thus implies that helping someone in need should occupy a central place in one’s heart and affections. Practicing justice is something that one does, but a lover of kindness is something that one is, and being the latter will surely result in doing the former. One does not help others primarily out of a sense of duty but because of a genuine desire to help.

Third, the greatest requirement is to walk humbly with God. This indicates genuine fellowship, as seen in the lives of others who walked with God, such as Noah (Gen. 6:9) and Abraham (Gen. 17:1). To walk with God is to accept his vision and values for life, to fellowship with him. Thus one does this humbly, recognizing one’s place before God on high.

There is clearly an inextricable link between these three requirements.⁴ As one walks humbly with God, one begins to love kindness and then to practice justice.