Micah 6:9–16

6:9 The new oracle begins as the previous one did, with an appeal to listen as the voice of Yahweh calls out to the “city,” probably referring to Jerusalem and its inhabitants, who represent Judah as a whole. Wisdom terminology is used here, focusing on practical success as a result of fearing Yahweh and listening to correction, even if it comes with the rod. Micah is suggesting that some of the judgment the people have experienced is the rod of Yahweh (Isa. 10:5; cf. Prov. 13:24; 22:15; 23:13–14), who seeks to bring about correction in the lives of the people. Isaiah makes similar remarks but is much more explicit (Isa. 1:5–6).

6:10 The current Hebrew text reads, “Are there still in the house of the wicked treasures of wickedness?” A slight change in the vowels of the Hebrew leads to the ESV translation, “Can I forget . . .” The result is the same: a rhetorical question pointing out the obvious, that the wicked city includes many households hoarding unjustly acquired wealth. Another rhetorical question continues, literally, “Is not the scant [lean] ephah accursed?” An ephah represented about one bushel in dry measure and was often used to measure wheat. Merchants in Israel were forbidden to have unjust measures, although unscrupulous merchants would often have a small bushel to dispense products (giving the buyer less than what they paid for) and a large measure to receive payment (taking more than what the buyer owed).

6:11 The critique of such dishonesty is continued with a two-part rhetorical question bringing the sequence to a climax: “Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights?” The answer is clearly no; to the Lord, such measures are unjust and an outright abomination (Deut. 25:13–16). The prophet Amos referred to this practice in the northern kingdom a few years before Micah, quoting similarly unjust merchants:

When will the new moon be over,

that we may sell grain?

And the Sabbath,

that we may offer wheat for sale,

that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great

and deal deceitfully with false balances? (Amos 8:5)

Yahweh will not exonerate those guilty of using false measures—how could he do so and still be a God of justice?

6:12 Yahweh continues his indictment by switching from rhetorical questions to direct confrontation, demonstrating that the injustice in the marketplace is a reflection of the culture. The rich are full of violence, i.e., their wealth has been gained by cheating and hurting people. As for the residents of the city, they speak lies because their tongues—the very organs of speech—are deceitful!

6:13 The image of the rod of correction appears again as Yahweh promises to smite his people with a sharp blow. While this text is envisioning a future judgment, the signs of judgment may have already begun in the form of initial forays of the Assyrian army into the land of Judah.

6:14 This verse introduces the particular sentence of punishment rendered by Yahweh; verse 15 will continue it. The people are seeking to acquire wealth by unjust means but will not succeed in their goal. Thus the following judgments are often called “futility curses.” The first curse deals with food: hunger will never be satisfied, nor will food stored away provide any relief, as it will finally be given to the sword. Siege conditions are likely in view here. What kind of satisfaction can there be when the city is surrounded by a foreign army?

6:15 The source of the food now comes into view. Wheat, oil from olive trees, and grapes will not be enjoyed because most of these would have been planted outside the walls of the city, where the besieged would have had no access. Even though they planted them, they would not reap them.

6:16 Both sentence and judgment are summarized with different words than in verses 9–15. The people have not walked with Yahweh and in his statutes; instead they have kept the statutes of Omri and the work of Ahab. These two kings, father and son, were notorious in the northern kingdom for apostasy and injustice. Although they were successful politically, they were disasters morally, introducing Baal worship into Israel through the marriage of Ahab to Jezebel, a Phoenician princess who brought with her a religious entourage of prophets of Baal and his consort, Astarte. This resulted in great persecution of Yahweh’s prophets, as exemplified in some of the Elijah narratives (1 Kings 17–18); and in horrific injustice, as illustrated in the story of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21). Consequently, the people will be given over to desolation (cf. Mic. 6:10) and to the derision of the nations. (Instead of “You shall bear the scorn of my people,” a slight change in the Hebrew leads to “You shall bear the scorn of peoples,” which perhaps makes better sense in the context.¹)