Micah 1 13

Micah 1:13 kjv

O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

Micah 1:13 nkjv

O inhabitant of Lachish, Harness the chariot to the swift steeds (She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion), For the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

Micah 1:13 niv

You who live in Lachish, harness fast horses to the chariot. You are where the sin of Daughter Zion began, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.

Micah 1:13 esv

Harness the steeds to the chariots, inhabitants of Lachish; it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for in you were found the transgressions of Israel.

Micah 1:13 nlt

Harness your chariot horses and flee,
you people of Lachish.
You were the first city in Judah
to follow Israel in her rebellion,
and you led Jerusalem into sin.

Micah 1 verses

Micah 1 13 Meaning

Micah 1:13 declares a judgment upon Lachish, a prominent fortified city in Judah. It poetically commands its inhabitants to prepare chariots with swift steeds, implying an urgent need for flight or futile resistance in the face of impending destruction. The verse directly accuses Lachish of being "the beginning of sin" for Jerusalem, metaphorically referred to as "the daughter of Zion." This suggests that Lachish played a crucial role in introducing or enabling idolatry and transgression within Judah, acting as a conduit or hotbed from which widespread disobedience spread, ultimately infecting the heart of the kingdom in Jerusalem. The phrase "for the transgressions of Israel were found in you" further indicts Lachish as a place where the pervasive sins of the wider Israelite nation were particularly evident and perpetuated.

Micah 1 13 Context

Micah chapter 1 begins with a vision concerning Samaria and Jerusalem, proclaiming God's judgment on Israel and Judah for their widespread idolatry and sin. The chapter vividly describes God descending from heaven to punish His people, comparing His coming to devastating natural phenomena that break down the land and its structures. Specific cities in Judah are then named (e.g., Gath, Beth-le-aphrah, Shaphir, Zaanan, Beth-ezel), each facing a unique pronouncement of judgment often involving wordplays on their names, indicating their demise or affliction by the Assyrian invaders. Micah 1:13 continues this series of woes, focusing on Lachish. Historically, Lachish was a major fortified city in Judah's lowlands, guarding the strategic route from the coastal plain to the Judean hill country and Jerusalem. It was a military stronghold and administrative center, second only to Jerusalem. Its fall to Sennacherib of Assyria (as recorded in 2 Kings 18:14 and Isa 36:1-2) was a significant event, vividly depicted on Assyrian palace reliefs, symbolizing the relentless advance of the judgment from the border into the heartland of Judah. The phrase "daughter of Zion" refers to Jerusalem, the capital, symbolizing the spiritual and national center of Judah. The verse implies that Lachish, possibly through its extensive trade networks with other nations, or through internal spiritual corruption, served as an entry point or significant contributor to the spiritual defilement that ultimately reached and corrupted Jerusalem, leading to the collective punishment.

Micah 1 13 Word analysis

• O inhabitant of Lachish (לָכִישׁ - Lāḵîš): Lachish was a strategically vital and heavily fortified city in the Shephelah (lowlands) of Judah. Addressed directly, indicating its specific culpability. Its destruction by Sennacherib's army in 701 BCE, following this prophecy, was a historical reality. It was a symbol of Judah's defense, and its fall underscored the overwhelming nature of divine judgment enacted through the Assyrians.
• yoke (רְתֹם - reṯōm): Hebrew verb meaning "to bind," "to tie," or "to yoke." This is an urgent imperative, a command to prepare, implying immediate action, whether for flight or for a doomed battle. It suggests a desperate, last-minute effort in the face of inevitable destruction.
• the chariots (מֶרְכָּבָה - merḵāvâ): War vehicles, often signifying military strength and worldly reliance. Lachish was on a major trade route, potentially enabling it to amass such resources. Trusting in chariots often contrasts with trusting in the Lord in prophetic literature (Psa 20:7, Isa 31:1). The command to yoke them highlights their futility.
• to the swift steeds (רֶכֶשׁ - reḵeš): Swift horses or dromedaries, emphasizing speed. The use of swift steeds for chariots further implies an attempt to escape or engage quickly in battle, yet it's all in vain against God's judgment.
• She was the beginning of sin (רֵאשִׁית חַטָּאת - rēʾšîṯ ḥaṭāʾt): A crucial and debated phrase. Rēʾšîṯ means "beginning," "first," or "foremost." Ḥaṭāʾt means "sin," "offering for sin," "guilt." Lachish is here identified as the "first" or "source" of sin for Jerusalem. This doesn't mean it was chronologically the first place sin occurred in Judah, but rather that it was a significant and early center or conduit through which apostasy spread. Perhaps due to its strong trade links with other nations, Lachish may have been particularly exposed to and readily adopted foreign idolatrous practices, which then infiltrated Judah, reaching the capital Jerusalem. It signifies its leading role in moral corruption.
• to the daughter of Zion (בַּת צִיּוֹן - bat Tsiyôn): A common poetic reference to Jerusalem, often personified as a woman. Zion is the holy mountain on which Jerusalem stands, symbolizing God's dwelling place. Its designation as "daughter" implies vulnerability but also endearment, contrasting with the sin that now defiles her.
• for the transgressions (פִּשְׁעֵי - piš‘ê): From peshaʿ, meaning rebellion, revolt, or willful transgression against an authority. It denotes deliberate violation of God's covenant and law. This is a severe indictment, implying active, conscious rejection of divine instruction.
• of Israel were found in you (בָּךְ נִמְצְאוּ - bāḵ nimṣeʾû): The sins common to the entire northern kingdom (Israel) and later perpetuated by the southern kingdom (Judah) were concretely present and flourished in Lachish. Lachish served as a reservoir or visible manifestation of the pervasive national rebellion. It underscores Lachish's complicity in the overall spiritual decline of God's people.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "O inhabitant of Lachish, yoke the chariots to the swift steeds!": This phrase serves as a grim command to prepare for flight or desperate, futile resistance. It highlights Lachish's impending doom and the immediate urgency of the Assyrian threat. The reliance on chariots symbolizes worldly strength which is impotent against divine judgment.
• "She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion": This powerful indictment reveals Lachish's pivotal, negative spiritual influence. It portrays Lachish as a primary source or catalyst for the moral and spiritual corruption that permeated Jerusalem. This could be through trade, cultural exchange, or direct example of adopting foreign deities or practices.
• "for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.": This clause provides the reason for Lachish's status as "the beginning of sin." It means that the characteristic sins of rebellion (idolatry, injustice, moral decay) common throughout the whole nation of Israel were not only present in Lachish but were rampant and clearly identifiable there, validating its condemnation. It suggests Lachish became a significant hub or exemplar of national apostasy.

Micah 1 13 Bonus section

The archaeological discoveries at Lachish, particularly the "Lachish Reliefs" found in Sennacherib's palace at Nineveh, visually corroborate the severity and historical reality of the Assyrian siege implied in Micah's prophecy. These reliefs depict the Assyrian army's might and the brutal subjugation of the city, underscoring the completeness of the judgment announced by Micah. The idea of Lachish as the "beginning of sin" can be interpreted not only geographically (spreading from the lowlands to Jerusalem) but also thematically, representing how allowing foreign influences or adopting unholy practices, even incrementally, can ultimately corrupt the very core of a nation's faith and leadership. It serves as a stark warning about the corrupting power of syncretism and disobedience spreading throughout a community.

Micah 1 13 Commentary

Micah 1:13 vividly condemns Lachish, not merely as a military target, but as a spiritual culprit in Judah's apostasy. The command to ready chariots speaks to the imminence of judgment, emphasizing that military might is futile when God is the one delivering punishment. The core accusation is that Lachish functioned as a primary conduit or exemplar of sin, propagating wickedness into the very heart of Judah—Jerusalem, the daughter of Zion. This suggests Lachish, perhaps due to its economic and strategic position on international trade routes, embraced foreign cults or moral decay that then spread eastward. Thus, Lachish's fall serves as a precursor and symbol of Jerusalem's eventual spiritual downfall and future vulnerability. It is a sharp reminder that external forces become instruments of divine justice when a people persist in rejecting God's ways through widespread transgression.