Micah 1 3

Micah 1:3 kjv

For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

Micah 1:3 nkjv

For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down And tread on the high places of the earth.

Micah 1:3 niv

Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth.

Micah 1:3 esv

For behold, the LORD is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.

Micah 1:3 nlt

Look! The LORD is coming!
He leaves his throne in heaven
and tramples the heights of the earth.

Micah 1 verses

Micah 1 3 Meaning

Micah 1:3 declares the imminent, visible coming of the Lord (YHWH) from His divine dwelling. This arrival signifies an act of divine judgment and conquest, as He descends and actively tramples upon the "high places of the earth," symbolic of human pride, idolatry, and rebellion against His sovereignty. The verse emphasizes God's personal, direct, and authoritative intervention to bring about justice and accountability.

Micah 1 3 Context

Micah chapter 1 opens with a dramatic declaration of a divine summons for judgment against both Samaria (the capital of Israel) and Jerusalem (the capital of Judah). Verse 2 calls upon all peoples and the earth to listen, setting a courtroom scene where the Lord Himself serves as the prosecutor and judge. Micah 1:3 then immediately presents the powerful image of the Lord's visible descent from His dwelling, not to save, but to actively execute this judgment. This impending action by God serves as the theological foundation for the subsequent prophetic pronouncements of impending doom and devastation on the two kingdoms due to their sin, particularly idolatry associated with "high places." Historically, Micah prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, periods marked by rampant idolatry, social injustice, and the looming Assyrian threat, which God would use as an instrument of His wrath.

Micah 1 3 Word analysis

• כִּי־הִנֵּה֙ (kî-hinnēh): For behold!
  • "For" (kî): Connective particle, often indicating cause or reason, linking to the prior summons in Micah 1:2.
  • "behold" (hinnēh): An interjection demanding immediate attention; emphasizes the sudden, emphatic, and visual nature of the impending event. It heightens the sense of dramatic anticipation.
• יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH): The LORD
  • This is the covenant name of God, often translated as "LORD" (in all caps) in English Bibles. It underscores God's personal, sovereign, and covenant-keeping nature. It is not a generic deity but the God of Israel who is acting.
• יֹצֵא֙ (yōtsēʼ): coming out / going forth
  • This is a present participle, suggesting an action already set in motion or immediately imminent. It conveys a dynamic movement, implying a departure from a former state or place to undertake a new action. It denotes God’s active engagement.
• מִמְּקֹמוֹ֙ (mimməqōmōw): from his place
  • Refers to God's heavenly dwelling, His holy sanctuary, or His abode. It implies God leaving His usual, static position of glory to intervene directly in human affairs, demonstrating His immanence and commitment to justice.
• וְיָרַ֖ד (wəyārad): and He will come down / descend
  • "He will come down" denotes a downward movement from a higher to a lower position, emphasizing His physical descent into the earthly realm. This signifies a condescension for the purpose of active intervention, judgment, and confrontation. It portrays a direct, unmistakable manifestation of God.
• וְדָרַ֣ךְ (wədhārakh): and He will tread / step / march
  • "He will tread" implies a deliberate, forceful, and dominant action. It suggests authority, conquest, and the crushing of opposition, similar to treading grapes in a winepress (Isa 63:3) or treading upon enemies in victory. It’s an act of powerful occupation and subjugation.
• עַל־בָּמ֖וֹת (ʿal-bāmōt): upon the high places
  • "high places" (bāmōt): These were literal elevated sites (hills, mounds) across Israel and Judah used for religious worship. Originally, some may have been legitimate altars, but they predominantly became associated with illicit, syncretistic, and idolatrous pagan practices (worship of Baal, Asherah, Molech), even influencing Israelite Yahwism. They symbolize rebellion against YHWH, centers of corruption, and places where divine authority was openly defied. By treading on them, God asserts His supremacy over all false gods and rebellious human systems.
• אָֽרֶץ׃ (ʾārets): of the earth.
  • "of the earth" indicates the comprehensive scope of God's action. It’s not just a localized judgment but affects all inhabitants and systems rooted in earthly rebellion. It emphasizes that no "high place" or center of human power, idolatry, or sin on earth can stand before Him.

Micah 1 3 Bonus section

The "coming out of his place" in Micah 1:3 signifies not a change in God's omnipresence, but a change in the manifestation of His presence, specifically from hidden transcendence to visible immanent action. This dramatic, almost physical, portrayal emphasizes the gravity and inescapability of the divine encounter. It directly counters any human misconception of God as detached or indifferent to the idolatry and corruption that plagued Judah and Israel. The description also carries a subtle polemic against the nature gods of the surrounding nations, who were believed to reside locally within specific geographical features or temples. YHWH, by contrast, is universal; He descends from His transcendent "place" to impose judgment on any earthly "high place." The forceful verb "tread" also conjures images of divine warfare and triumph over enemies, fitting Micah's "covenant lawsuit" (rîb) context where God brings charges against His unfaithful people and renders His verdict.

Micah 1 3 Commentary

Micah 1:3 paints a vivid and fearsome picture of God’s approach for judgment. It is a striking theophany, where the Lord, YHWH, personally leaves His heavenly abode to physically descend onto the earthly stage. The imagery is not passive; God is depicted in dynamic motion, "coming out" and "coming down." This signifies His personal investment and unavoidable confrontation with sin.

The climactic act of this descent is God "treading on the high places of the earth." The "high places" (bāmōt) are critically symbolic. They represent the epicenter of Israel's and Judah's spiritual and moral decay: their idolatrous altars, their places of pagan worship, and ultimately, their collective rebellion against the covenant God. By "treading" upon them, God asserts His absolute dominion, symbolically crushing not just the physical structures but also the very systems of worship and defiance that corrupted His people. This divine action proclaims that no human edifice, no matter how elevated or deeply rooted in false religion, can withstand the judgment of the Almighty. It highlights that God is not a distant, unconcerned deity, but an active, righteous judge who will not tolerate unfaithfulness and injustice. This divine visitation promises the dismantling of everything built outside of His will.

• Example: When facing deep-seated societal injustices or spiritual compromises, remember Micah 1:3 points to God's active resolve to address and dismantle them.
• Example: For believers tempted to rely on worldly power structures or compromise with ungodly cultural norms, this verse warns that God will inevitably tread upon all "high places" of rebellion, ensuring only His sovereignty endures.