Micah 1 9

Micah 1:9 kjv

For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem.

Micah 1:9 nkjv

For her wounds are incurable. For it has come to Judah; It has come to the gate of My people? To Jerusalem.

Micah 1:9 niv

For Samaria's plague is incurable; it has spread to Judah. It has reached the very gate of my people, even to Jerusalem itself.

Micah 1:9 esv

For her wound is incurable, and it has come to Judah; it has reached to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem.

Micah 1:9 nlt

For my people's wound
is too deep to heal.
It has reached into Judah,
even to the gates of Jerusalem.

Micah 1 verses

Micah 1 9 Meaning

Micah 1:9 profoundly declares that the consequences of Israel's spiritual corruption, termed as "wounds," are beyond human remedy, indicating a divine judgment that is both severe and irreversible at this stage. This impending judgment, which has already been exemplified in the downfall of Samaria, is now certainly advancing towards the southern kingdom of Judah, having reached the very gates of its capital, Jerusalem. This signifies the imminent and inescapable capture and desolation of God's people due to their pervasive unfaithfulness and rebellion against Him.

Micah 1 9 Context

Micah 1 begins with a sweeping divine judgment upon Israel and Judah, personified as a roaring Lion descending from heaven. This specific verse (v. 9) serves as a somber culmination of the preceding verses' pronouncements. The prophet has already depicted Samaria (the Northern Kingdom's capital) as the primary focus of judgment due to its idolatry (v. 5-7), describing its future devastation. Micah 1:8 shifts to a profound lament by the prophet himself, expressing deep anguish over the impending disaster. Verse 9 then transitions from the past fall of Samaria to the present and future threat against Judah and its capital, Jerusalem. Historically, this prophecy arises during the period of intense Assyrian military expansion (8th century BCE), under kings like Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, and Sargon II, who successively invaded and ultimately conquered the Northern Kingdom (Samaria in 722 BCE). The verse explicitly warns that the destructive tide, previously experienced by Israel, is now an "incurable wound" directly reaching Judah's threshold, signifying Jerusalem's imminent siege and downfall by the same or a similar foreign power (eventually Babylon after the Assyrians). This context highlights the interconnectedness of their sins and shared destiny under God's righteous judgment.

Micah 1 9 Word analysis

• For her wounds: Original Hebrew "חַמָּכֹתֶיהָ" (ḥammākhōthehā), meaning "her blows," "her strokes," or "her wounds." It denotes severe injuries inflicted by an external force, in this case, God's judgment manifested through an enemy. It emphasizes the extent of devastation or the profound sickness of sin within the nation.
• are incurable: Original Hebrew "אַנֻשָׁה" (ǎnūšāh), meaning "desperately sick," "fatal," or "incurable." This word signifies a condition beyond human ability to heal or reverse. It is used in Scripture for both physical diseases and deep spiritual corruption that cannot be remedied by ordinary means. Here, it underlines the severity and finality of the judgment against their sin.
• for it is come: Original Hebrew "כִּֽי־בָאָ֥ה" (kî-ḇāʾāh), simply "for it came" or "for it has come." This phrase expresses the certainty and imminent reality of the judgment's arrival. The subject "it" refers to the "wound" (the calamity, judgment, or destruction) from Samaria, implicitly carried by the invading Assyrian army, directly from the Lord.
• unto Judah: Original Hebrew "עַד־יְהוּדָ֑ה" (ad-Yəhūḏāh). This signifies the geographical and political target. After the fall of Israel/Samaria, Judah, the Southern Kingdom, is next in line for the judgment that had already been executed in the north. This is a direct warning to Jerusalem's inhabitants.
• he is come: Original Hebrew "יִגַּ֤ע" (yiggaʿ), meaning "he has touched," "he has reached," or "it has struck." The nuance here is one of contact and direct impact, signifying the invading force or the judgment itself has made tangible contact, not merely threatened from afar. It conveys immediacy and closeness of the destructive event.
• unto the gate: Original Hebrew "לְשַׁ֣עַר" (ləšāʿar). The gate of a city in ancient times was a critical defensive point, the place where legal and commercial affairs were conducted, and the main point of entry and vulnerability. An enemy reaching the gate meant the city's defenses were about to be breached, signifying the imminence of full conquest, not just distant threat.
• of my people: Original Hebrew "עַמִּֽי" (`ammî). The possessive pronoun "my" likely refers to the prophet Micah identifying deeply with his nation and their suffering. However, it can also reflect God's continued acknowledgment of Israel as "My people," even in judgment, highlighting His divine sovereignty and their covenant relationship.
• even to Jerusalem: Original Hebrew "עַד־יְרוּשָׁלָֽם" (`ad-Yərūšālāim). The capital city of Judah, Jerusalem, was regarded as the chosen city, where the Temple stood and where God's presence was manifested. Its inclusion in this prophecy signifies that even this holy city, due to its profound apostasy and spiritual rebellion, would not be exempt from divine wrath, making the judgment all the more impactful.

Word-groups by word-groups analysis

• For her wounds are incurable: This phrase establishes the extreme and dire nature of the impending judgment. "Her" refers to the corporate nation (Israel/Samaria first, then Judah). The term "wounds" speaks to the pervasive moral and spiritual decay, which has festered to the point where human effort or self-reformation cannot prevent the decreed consequences. It implies a divinely appointed end-state of consequence for long-standing sin.
• for it is come unto Judah: This signifies the relentless progress and expansion of divine judgment. The calamity, previously directed at the Northern Kingdom (Samaria), now definitively targets Judah. There is no escaping or redirecting this divinely ordained course of events.
• he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem: This illustrates the frightening proximity and ultimate destination of the judgment. The "gate" is a vivid metaphor for imminent assault, where the last line of defense is being assailed. The inclusion of "my people" indicates the prophet's profound sorrow and solidarity, while "Jerusalem" underscores the gravity that even the most sacred and significant city is not spared the reach of God's holy wrath, directly linking sin to the defilement of even "holy" ground.

Micah 1 9 Bonus section

• The progression from Samaria's wounds (implicitly from verses 6-7) to them being "incurable" and extending to Judah and Jerusalem underscores a prophetic principle: sin's consequences often start externally or with others but eventually come home. The Northern Kingdom served as a chilling precursor and warning to the Southern.
• The "incurable" nature of the wounds is not necessarily that God couldn't heal them, but that the people's hardened hearts and persistent unfaithfulness rendered them incapable or unwilling to receive the necessary spiritual healing that could avert the physical judgment.
• The phrase "unto the gate" evokes ancient military strategy, where the ultimate objective was to breach the city gates, allowing for total conquest. It symbolizes the last line of defense being breached, signaling the inevitable fall.
• This verse can be understood as a direct application of covenant curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28, specifically the threat of foreign invaders besieging and conquering cities due to disobedience.

Micah 1 9 Commentary

Micah 1:9 encapsulates the terrifying reality of unaddressed national sin leading to unavoidable divine judgment. The "incurable wounds" denote the extent of Israel and Judah's rebellion and the finality of God's decision to act. No political maneuver, spiritual balm, or prophetic intercession could prevent the unfolding of the consequences at this stage. The passage describes a spreading contagion of destruction, beginning with the Northern Kingdom and inexorably reaching Judah. The enemy, implicitly Assyria, at "the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem," is a chilling image of a besieged city, conveying not merely a threat, but the physical presence of judgment at the heart of the nation. It highlights that God's justice knows no partiality, and privilege—even as His covenant people—does not insulate from deserved punishment for rampant idolatry and injustice. The verse serves as a powerful testament to the principle that unrepentant sin inevitably leads to destruction.