Micah

Etymology

A shortened form of 'Mikayahu' (מִיכָיְהוּ), from 'mi' (who), 'ka' (like), and 'Yah' (God). The name is a rhetorical question — 'Who is like God?' — that expects the answer: no one.

Who they were

Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, but where Isaiah moved in royal circles, Micah spoke from the margins. He was from Moresheth, a rural town, and his prophecy burns with anger at the corruption of urban elites who 'tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones.' He predicted the destruction of both Samaria and Jerusalem — a prediction so shocking that it was remembered a century later when Jeremiah's life was at stake (Jeremiah 26:18). But Micah also delivered some of the Bible's most beloved words. He prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem — 'But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel' — a verse Matthew quotes at the birth of Jesus. And Micah 6:8 is one of the most quoted verses in the entire Old Testament: 'He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.' Three requirements. Justice, mercy, humility. The entire prophetic tradition condensed to a single sentence. Micah's name — 'Who is like God?' — is itself a sermon: the answer is no one, and the proof is that God cares about the poor, the cheated, and the powerless.

Character qualities

• Courage to confront the powerful
• Clarity of moral vision
• Ability to distil complex truths
• Solidarity with the poor

Key verse

Micah 6:8

Where they appear

Themes

Variants & related forms

Mica · Mikah · Micha

Related names