Micah 6:6 kjv
Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
Micah 6:6 nkjv
With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?
Micah 6:6 niv
With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Micah 6:6 esv
"With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Micah 6:6 nlt
What can we bring to the LORD?
Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
with offerings of yearling calves?
Micah 6 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Micah 6:8 | He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. | Primary Text |
| Genesis 1:27 | So God created human beings in his own image... | Image of God |
| Deuteronomy 10:12 | And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, | Similar Statement of Requirement |
| 1 Samuel 15:22 | But Samuel replied, "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed the word of the LORD than the fat of rams. | Obedience over Sacrifice |
| Psalm 40:6 | Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but you have given me opened ears— Burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. | Fulfillment of God's Desire |
| Psalm 51:17 | My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. | Contrite Heart |
| Isaiah 1:11 | "The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls, of lambs and of goats. | Rejection of Empty Rituals |
| Isaiah 58:6 | "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear up every heavy load? | True Fasting |
| Jeremiah 7:23 | But this is what I commanded them: 'Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.' | Command to Obey |
| Jeremiah 22:3 | This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who is being robbed, and do not mistreat or do violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place. | Call for Justice |
| Amos 5:21 | "I despise your religious festivals, your assemblies I cannot bear. | Disdain for Hollow Worship |
| Amos 5:24 | Rather, let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! | Like a River of Justice |
| Hosea 6:6 | For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. | Mercy over Sacrifice |
| Matthew 9:13 | But off you go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” | Jesus Quotes Hosea |
| Matthew 12:7 | If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. | Jesus Quotes Hosea |
| Matthew 23:23 | "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. | Neglecting What Matters Most |
| Luke 11:42 | "But woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint and of your rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former." | Same as Matthew |
| Philippians 2:3 | Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, | Humility |
| James 1:27 | Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. | True Religion |
| 1 Peter 3:15 | But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, | Respect for God |
| 1 John 2:6 | Whoever claims to love God must walk as Jesus did. | Walking as Jesus Did |
Micah 6 verses
Micah 6 6 Meaning
This verse from Micah asks a fundamental question about what God requires of us. It is not about bringing immense offerings to God but about engaging in righteous actions. The verse suggests that genuine worship and a right relationship with God are demonstrated through moral and ethical behavior, not merely through ritualistic sacrifices.
Micah 6 6 Context
Micah 6:6-7 poses a rhetorical question. The people of Israel, having committed various sins, are questioning what God requires from them. They are perhaps thinking that massive sacrifices might appease God. Micah, speaking for God, reveals that God is not looking for mere external rituals but for internal transformation and ethical conduct. This comes within the broader context of Micah's prophetic ministry, where he denounces the injustices, corruption, and idolatry prevalent in both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. He warns of impending judgment but also offers hope for restoration.
Micah 6 6 Word Analysis
מַה־ (mah-): "What" – An interrogative pronoun, introducing a question about the quantity or nature of something. Here, it probes the essence of divine requirement.
בְּע֣וֹ (bə‘ū-): "do you ask" or "require" – Derived from the verb בָּעַר (bā‘ar), meaning to ask, to require, to demand, to wish for. It implies a deep desire or necessity from God's perspective.
שָׁל֔וֹ (šālō): "peace" or "well-being" – This word signifies not just the absence of conflict but holistic well-being, prosperity, and completeness. In a covenantal relationship with God, His requirement leads to peace. It carries connotations of wholeness and completeness.
בְּנ֣וֹ (bəō-): "your son" – This term, singular, is part of the phrasing "your only son." Its significance lies in the depth of offering.
עֹלַת֙ (‘ōlāṯ): "burnt offering" – From the root עָלָה (‘ālah), meaning "to go up." This was a sacrifice consumed entirely by fire, symbolizing complete devotion and atonement. It was a fundamental part of Israel's sacrificial system.
אִּשָּׁה֙ (‘issāh): "woman" or "person" (literally, a fire offering) – Used here as a qualifier for the offering, it's a common term in sacrificial contexts. The singular "woman" likely refers to a single, prominent, or choice offering, perhaps a prize calf or, in its most extreme interpretation, a firstborn child as understood in some surrounding ancient Near Eastern fertility cults, against which Israel was warned.
קִיּוּמָֽהּ (qiyyūmāh): "its year" or "its completeness" – This phrase indicates the offering of a yearling or a mature, fully developed animal, suggesting an offering of the best or prime quality. The grammatical structure implies "of its year" referring to the animal's age, emphasizing the "perfect" or "complete" state of the sacrifice. The masculine possessive suffix implies the offspring is of its parent, possibly referring to a heifer.
Words-group analysis:
- "what shall I bring": The phrase establishes a posture of inquiry from the person to God, ready to meet divine requirements.
- "What does the LORD require of you?": This is the core question that God, through Micah, answers not with offerings, but with actions. The use of the plural "you" suggests the collective responsibility of the nation.
- "to bring the firstborn for my transgression": This highlights the highest level of sacrifice or penalty one might contemplate in a patriarchal society, emphasizing the gravitas of sin and the desperation to atone.
Micah 6 6 Bonus Section
The emphasis on "burnt offerings" and "firstborn for transgression" reflects the people's focus on propitiation through sacrifice, a valid aspect of Israelite worship, but they had skewed its purpose. They likely believed that the sheer magnitude or value of the offering could cover their sins and transgressions. Micah 6:8, which follows immediately, corrects this misunderstanding by defining what truly pleases God: ethical and relational righteousness. This teaching finds echoes throughout the Old Testament prophets who consistently critiqued a religion of ritualism divorced from morality. The New Testament, particularly through Jesus' teachings and the epistles, reiterates this principle, emphasizing that true worship involves a transformed life and love for neighbor.
Micah 6 6 Commentary
Micah 6:6 captures the heart of Israel's dilemma and God's ultimate expectation. The question implies the people are wondering how to appease God, perhaps due to their awareness of their sin. They are thinking of the most valuable sacrifices. God's response, though given fully in verse 8, is prefaced by this direct inquiry. The people might have been considering offerings like their firstborn, a concept associated with some pagan rituals, which was an abomination to the LORD (Deut 18:10). God clarifies that He does not need such extreme, nor empty, ritualistic acts. His primary concern is justice, mercy, and humility – a righteous life lived in relationship with Him and in love for others. This verse serves as a critical reminder that outward religious acts without inward transformation and ethical behavior are hollow and unacceptable to God.