He prophesied “in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”  His prophetic activity began, therefore, soon after that of Isaiah, and he was contemporary with him, as well as with Hosea and Amos.  His prophecies related to Samaria, the capital city of the kingdom of Israel, and to Jerusalem (1:1).  We find accordingly denunciations against Samaria intermingled with his prophecies concerning Judah and Jerusalem.  The people, moreover, are spoken of under the name of Jacob and Israel where, sometimes at least, as in chap. 3:9, Judah must be included.  It is generally thought that the book of Micah contains only a summary of his prophecies, prepared perhaps in the days of Hezekiah.  But this is not certain; for the reference in Jeremiah 26:18 obviously relates only to the particular prophecy quoted there.

13.  The book is commonly distributed into three sections:  chaps. 1 and 2; chaps. 3, 4, and 5; and chaps. 6 and 7.  Each of these opens with a summons to hear God’s message, and then proceeds with expostulations and threatenings, which are succeeded by glorious promises.  The second of these sections, which is the largest and contains the most extended promises, is addressed more particularly to the rulers of the people.  The style of Micah is bold, vehement, and abrupt.  His sudden transitions sometimes make his writings difficult of interpretation.  He abounds in striking images, taken to a great extent, like those of Amos, from pastoral and rural life.  Micah has one remarkable prophecy common to him with Isaiah.  Chap. 4:1-3 compared with Isaiah 2:2-4.  From the connection of the context the passage in Micah is generally thought to be the original.  Besides this there is a general agreement between the two prophets in their representations; and especially in the manner in which they perpetually mingle stern rebukes and threatenings with glorious promises relating to the Messiah and his kingdom.  The remarkable prophecy concerning the Messiah’s birth (chap. 5:2) is quoted with some variations in Matt. 2:5, 6, and referred to in John 7:42.  The Saviour’s words, as recorded in Matt. 10:35, 36; Mark 13:12; Luke 12:53 contain an obvious reference to Micah 7:6.

VII.  NAHUM.

14.  Nahum is called “the Elkoshite,” probably from Elkosh, a village of Galilee, which Jerome (Introduction to Nahum) mentions as pointed out to him by his guide.  The tradition which assigns for the place of his birth and residence the modern Alkush, an Assyrian village on the east side of the Tigris, a few miles above the site of the ancient Nineveh, rests on no good foundation.  The prophecy of Nahum is directed against Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire.  When the prophet wrote, this city was still in the height of its power (chap. 1:12; 2:8); oppressing the nations and purposing the conquest of Judah (chap. 1:9, 11; 3:1, 4).  From chap. 1:12, 13 it appears that the Assyrians had already afflicted Judah, and laid their yoke upon her.  All these particulars point to the reign of Hezekiah as the probable date of the book.