Cloud of Witnesses
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ProphetOld Testament

Prophet Micah

8th century BC

Also known as Micah of Moresheth · Micaiah

One of the Twelve Minor Prophets, from Moresheth in Judah, who preached repentance and foretold Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah.

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Commemorated as

The Holy Prophet Micah of Moresheth

Life

Micah was one of the Twelve Minor Prophets, a native of Moresheth (Moresheth-Gath), a small town in southwestern Judah. His name, a shortened form of Micaiah, carries the meaning "Who is like Yah(weh)?" He is distinguished from the earlier Micah, son of Imlah, with whom he is sometimes confused.

Active in the late eighth century BC, he prophesied during the reigns of the Judean kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah and was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos. He witnessed the fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC and addressed the corruption and injustice of his day, while foretelling that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

In his own wordsReadHide
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Micah, 6:8 · King James Version (PD)
Troparion & Kontakion2 hymnsReadHide
TroparionTone 2

We celebrate the memory
of Your prophet Micah, O Lord;
through him we entreat You,
save our souls.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

KontakionTone 4

(Podoben: “Today You have shown forth...”) Enlightened by the Spirit, your pure heart became the dwelling place of most splendid prophecy;
for you saw things far off as if they were near.
Therefore, we honor you, blessed and glorious Prophet Micah.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline3 momentsReadHide
  1. Late 8th century BCNative of MoreshethMicah was born in the village of Moresheth-Gath in southwestern Judah. His writing suggests an educated background, possibly from a family of landowners.
  2. c. 740–698 BCProphetic ministryHe prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, contemporary with Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos, traveling throughout the Kingdom of Judah for several decades.
  3. 722 BCFall of the Kingdom of IsraelMicah witnessed the destruction of the northern Kingdom of Israel and warned that judgment would likewise come upon Samaria and Jerusalem.

Contributions & Legacy

2 contributionsReadHide

Message and Prophecy

Micah denounced dishonesty in the marketplace and corruption among rulers, calling the people to repentance and to renew the covenant they had broken. His teaching is often summarized in the charge to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

He is best remembered for foretelling that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), a prophecy understood in the Christian tradition as pointing to the birthplace of Christ. He is also noted as among the first to predict the downfall of Jerusalem, while promising a future restoration.

Relics & Shrines

By tradition Micah was buried in his home town of Moresheth. His relics were reported discovered in the late fourth century AD, during the reign of the Roman emperor Theodosius the Great, through a revelation received by the bishop of Eleutheropolis.

Member ofReadHide
Synaxis of the Holy Forefathers and Foremothers
Synaxis
Companions1 figureShowHide
Micaiah son of Imlah, the earlier prophet with whom he shares his name.
Prophet Micah
Related Saints3 saintsShowHide

Saints connected to his life, mission, and place in Orthodox tradition.

His contemporary — the great prophet of Judah, active in the same late-eighth-century reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
Prophet Isaiah
His contemporary — one of the Twelve Minor Prophets, preaching in the same generation that witnessed the fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel.
Prophet Hosea
His contemporary — a herdsman-prophet of the same eighth century BC, among the Twelve Minor Prophets whose oracles parallel Micah's call to justice.
Prophet Amos

Browse similar saints by calling and place.

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints