Micah 4
Big idea: From the plowed mountain of 3:12, Micah lifts his eyes to the latter days, when the mountain of Yahweh's temple will be the highest of all, and the nations will stream up to it to be taught his ways — beating swords into plowshares and learning war no more (vv. 1–5). There Yahweh will reign over a regathered remnant, making the lame into a strong nation (vv. 6–8). The chapter closes realistically: before the glory comes the pain — Zion must labor like a woman in childbirth and go to Babylon, but there she will be rescued, rising at last to thresh the very nations gathered against her (vv. 9–13).
The vision of a coming reign (4:7 — 'Yahweh will reign on Mount Zion') raises the question of the king, which chapter 5 answers: the ruler from Bethlehem (5:2). And the labor-pains image of 4:9–10 is picked up in 5:3 ('until she who is in labor gives birth'). Chapters 4–5 are one movement, from the exalted mountain to the shepherd who rules it.
4:1–5 — The mountain of Yahweh exalted
Micah's most famous vision (shared almost word-for-word with Isa. 2:2–4). In the latter days Yahweh's temple mountain is established as the highest, and the peoples stream to it — not driven, but drawn. They come to be taught his ways, and the by-product of that teaching is peace: he judges their disputes, and the nations themselves hammer their weapons into farm tools and abandon the school of war. Each person sits secure under vine and fig tree. The section closes with Micah's own resolve: whatever the nations do, 'we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever.'
1 But in the latter days, it will happen that the mountain of Yahweh’s temple will be established on the top of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills; and peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will go and say, “Come! Let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law will go out of Zion, and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem; 3 and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war any more. 4 But every man will sit under his vine and under his fig tree. No one will make them afraid, for the mouth of Yahweh of Armies has spoken. 5 Indeed all the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever and ever.
4:6–8 — The remnant reigned over
Yahweh's own voice: 'in that day' he will assemble the lame, gather the driven-away, the very ones he had afflicted — and make of that limping, cast-off crowd a remnant and a strong nation, reigning over them on Mount Zion forever. The section ends by addressing Zion directly as the 'tower of the flock': to you the former dominion will return, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
6 “In that day,” says Yahweh, “I will assemble that which is lame, and I will gather that which is driven away, and that which I have afflicted; 7 and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Yahweh will reign over them on Mount Zion from then on, even forever.” 8 You, tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come. Yes, the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
4:9–13 — From labor pains to threshing victory
Micah turns to the hard road between now and that glory. Zion cries out as if in labor — has she no king, no counselor? She must writhe and give birth, leave the city, and go all the way to Babylon. But there — precisely there — Yahweh will redeem her from her enemies' hand. Meanwhile the many nations gathered to gloat over Zion have miscalculated: they don't know that Yahweh has gathered them like sheaves to a threshing floor. So the command comes to Zion: arise and thresh — horn of iron, hoofs of bronze — and devote the plunder to the Lord of all the earth.
9 Now why do you cry out aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pains have taken hold of you as of a woman in travail? 10 Be in pain, and labor to give birth, daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now you will go out of the city, and will dwell in the field, and will come even to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There Yahweh will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. 11 Now many nations have assembled against you, that say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye gloat over Zion.” 12 But they don’t know the thoughts of Yahweh, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor. 13 Arise and thresh, daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs bronze. You will beat in pieces many peoples. I will devote their gain to Yahweh, and their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).