Micah 1 6

Micah 1:6 kjv

Therefore I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof.

Micah 1:6 nkjv

"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the field, Places for planting a vineyard; I will pour down her stones into the valley, And I will uncover her foundations.

Micah 1:6 niv

"Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations.

Micah 1:6 esv

Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the open country, a place for planting vineyards, and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations.

Micah 1:6 nlt

"So I, the LORD, will make the city of Samaria
a heap of ruins.
Her streets will be plowed up
for planting vineyards.
I will roll the stones of her walls into the valley below,
exposing her foundations.

Micah 1 verses

Micah 1 6 Meaning

Micah 1:6 proclaims the Lord's absolute and devastating judgment upon Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel. Through the prophet, God declares He will utterly dismantle Samaria, transforming its very urban fabric into desolate ruins fit only for agricultural use, specifically vineyards. This vivid imagery implies the complete removal of its proud structures, with its building materials cast down into the valleys below and its deepest foundations uncovered, symbolizing total humiliation, annihilation, and permanent loss of its status as a fortified city.

Micah 1 6 Context

Micah chapter 1 serves as the opening declaration of God's judgment against Samaria (Northern Kingdom of Israel) and Judah (Southern Kingdom). The prophet Micah, active during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (late 8th century BC), prophesies during a period of grave spiritual decline marked by widespread idolatry, social injustice, and corruption. Verse 6 directly addresses Samaria, which, as the capital of the Northern Kingdom, epitomized Israel's deviation from God's covenant. The preceding verses (v. 2-5) establish the terrifying backdrop of the Lord's personal descent from His holy dwelling to execute judgment due to the transgression of Jacob and the sins of the house of Israel, directly leading to the declaration in verse 6 concerning Samaria's inevitable and impending doom.

Micah 1 6 Word analysis

• "Therefore" (לָכֵן - lakhēn): This Hebrew particle establishes a direct consequence, linking Samaria's fate to the preceding indictment of Israel's sins and God's righteous coming to judge them. It signifies an assured divine decree.
• "I will make" (וְשַׂמְתִּי - vĕsam'ti): This active verb, literally "and I will set" or "place," underscores God's personal agency and determined purpose in orchestrating Samaria's destruction, not merely predicting it.
• "Samaria" (שֹׁמְרוֹן - Shomron): The fortified capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, built by Omri. Its strategic location and prominent status made it a symbol of Israel's power and, tragically, its deep-seated idolatry and apostasy, particularly centered on the worship of Baal and Asherah, against God's Law. Its fall represents the complete dismantling of the nation.
• "a heap of ruins" (לְגַל עִיִּי - lĕgal ʿiyyî): Gal refers to a heap or mound, typically of stones or debris, and ʿî signifies a ruined city. This phrase vividly depicts total demolition, where the once majestic city is reduced to mere rubble piles. It reflects common archaeological tells formed by successive layers of destruction and rebuilding.
• "in the open country" (בַּשָּׂדֶה - baśśadeh): Śadeh refers to an agricultural field or open ground. This signifies the profound transformation of Samaria from a bustling urban center into an uninhabited, desolate expanse indistinguishable from the surrounding farmland, exposed and shorn of its former dignity and purpose.
• "a place for planting vineyards" (מַטְּעֵי כָרֶם - maṭṭə‘ê kārem): Maṭṭāʿ means a planting or cultivated field, and kerem is a vineyard. This phrase is laden with bitter irony. It doesn't promise future prosperity but emphasizes the extent of Samaria's demolition; its stones will be cleared away, making room for simple agricultural use. It marks a profound degradation, as a once mighty capital becomes barren land repurposed for basic cultivation, highlighting the absolute cessation of its urban life and power.
• "and I will pour down" (וְהִגְרַפְתִּי - vĕhigrap'tî): The verb garap conveys a strong, forceful action, like sweeping or drawing off. It visualizes the debris of the city being violently expelled.
• "her stones" (אֲבָנֶיהָ - ʾavaneha): The physical building blocks of the city. This refers to the structures, walls, and defenses that will be forcefully dislodged and swept away.
• "into the valley" (לַגַּיְא - lagay’): Samaria was built atop a high hill. The image of stones being "poured down into the valley" below depicts a cascading deluge of demolition debris, emphasizing the force of its collapse from its elevated position into the surrounding ravines.
• "and uncover" (וַאֲגַלֶּה - va’ăgal'leh): The verb galah means to uncover, reveal, or make bare. Here, it implies complete exposure and shame, stripping away all former protection and dignity.
• "her foundations" (מוֹסְדוֹתֶיהָ - môsədôtehā): These are the deepest, most secure, and usually unseen parts of a city's construction. Uncovering them signifies the absolute totality of destruction, where nothing is left standing or concealed, demonstrating irreversible obliteration.

Words-group analysis:

• "I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the open country": This cluster of words portrays a total reversal of Samaria's identity from a thriving metropolis to an uninhabited, desolate mound indistinguishable from raw land. It's an image of complete urban collapse and shame.
• "a place for planting vineyards": This phrase highlights the radical transformation of the city's purpose and physical state. Its destruction will be so thorough that its remnants can be cleared for agriculture, underscoring its utter unsuitability for habitation and governance.
• "and I will pour down her stones into the valley and uncover her foundations": This final set of powerful verbs illustrates the violence and extent of divine judgment. Not just superficial damage, but a systematic, thorough demolition that tears down every structure, scatters its components, and even exposes the most concealed and essential parts, signifying absolute and permanent devastation.

Micah 1 6 Bonus section

The destruction of Samaria, prophesied by Micah, found historical fulfillment through the Assyrian Empire under Sargon II in 722 BC, which led to the exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The imagery of "heap of ruins" and "foundations uncovered" is consistent with archaeological findings at Tel Shomron (ancient Samaria), where layers of destruction are evident. This particular imagery is sometimes seen as a polemic against the pagan belief in city-gods, showing that even the god of Samaria could not protect it from the God of Israel. The detailed nature of the prophecy emphasizes the precise control God has over historical events and the physical world. The transformation into a "place for planting vineyards" not only denotes desolation but could also imply the land's re-purposing by its conquerors for their benefit, further stripping away Israel's ownership and heritage.

Micah 1 6 Commentary

Micah 1:6 is a potent declaration of God's active, devastating judgment against Samaria, symbolizing the consequences of prolonged sin and rebellion against His covenant. The verse utilizes vivid, tangible imagery to convey the completeness of this divine wrath: Samaria, once a proud capital on a hill, will be reduced to mere rubble in the surrounding fields, stripped of its urban identity and fit only for simple agricultural re-purposing. The scattering of its stones into the valley and the uncovering of its very foundations demonstrate an unsparing and total obliteration, leaving no hope of swift reconstruction or restoration to its former glory. This serves as a stark warning, particularly to Judah, illustrating that no city, regardless of its strength or prominence, is immune to the righteous judgment of a holy God when it persistently defies His laws through idolatry and injustice. The fulfilled prophecy underscores the certainty and power of God's word.