Jeremiah 26:18
Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
Original Language Analysis
הַמּ֣וֹרַשְׁתִּ֔י
the Morasthite
H4183
הַמּ֣וֹרַשְׁתִּ֔י
the Morasthite
Strong's:
H4183
Word #:
2 of 28
a morashtite or inhabitant of moresheth-gath
הָיָ֣ה
H1961
הָיָ֣ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
3 of 28
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
נִבָּ֔א
prophesied
H5012
נִבָּ֔א
prophesied
Strong's:
H5012
Word #:
4 of 28
to prophesy, i.e., speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
בִּימֵ֖י
in the days
H3117
בִּימֵ֖י
in the days
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
5 of 28
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ
of Hezekiah
H2396
חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ
of Hezekiah
Strong's:
H2396
Word #:
6 of 28
chizkijah, a king of judah, also the name of two other israelites
יְהוּדָ֨ה
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֨ה
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
8 of 28
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
11 of 28
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עַם֩
to all the people
H5971
עַם֩
to all the people
Strong's:
H5971
Word #:
12 of 28
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
יְהוּדָ֨ה
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֨ה
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
13 of 28
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
כֹּֽה
H3541
כֹּֽה
Strong's:
H3541
Word #:
15 of 28
properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
יְהוָ֣ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֣ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
17 of 28
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
צְבָא֗וֹת
of hosts
H6635
צְבָא֗וֹת
of hosts
Strong's:
H6635
Word #:
18 of 28
a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (speci
צִיּ֞וֹן
Zion
H6726
צִיּ֞וֹן
Zion
Strong's:
H6726
Word #:
19 of 28
tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of jerusalem
תֵֽחָרֵשׁ֙
shall be plowed
H2790
תֵֽחָרֵשׁ֙
shall be plowed
Strong's:
H2790
Word #:
21 of 28
to scratch, i.e., (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad
וִירוּשָׁלַ֙יִם֙
and Jerusalem
H3389
וִירוּשָׁלַ֙יִם֙
and Jerusalem
Strong's:
H3389
Word #:
22 of 28
jerushalaim or jerushalem, the capital city of palestine
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה
H1961
תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
24 of 28
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
וְהַ֥ר
and the mountain
H2022
וְהַ֥ר
and the mountain
Strong's:
H2022
Word #:
25 of 28
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
הַבַּ֖יִת
of the house
H1004
הַבַּ֖יִת
of the house
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
26 of 28
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
Cross References
Nehemiah 4:2And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?Zechariah 8:3Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.Micah 1:1The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.Jeremiah 17:3O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.Psalms 79:1O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.Jeremiah 9:11And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.
Historical Context
Micah 3:12's fulfillment demonstrates prophetic accuracy. Though Hezekiah's repentance delayed judgment (v. 19), the prophecy ultimately came true in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. The temple mount wasn't literally plowed, but the temple was demolished, the city razed, and the population exiled—fulfilling the prophecy's essential meaning. The elders' citation of Micah proved decisive: if Micah prophesied Jerusalem's destruction without being executed, and if that prophecy was validated by subsequent events, then Jeremiah deserved similar hearing. This argument from precedent saved Jeremiah's life and established that authentic prophetic criticism of Jerusalem didn't constitute treason.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Micah's precedent demonstrate that God's true prophets often deliver messages that challenge religious and political establishments?
- What does the preservation and citation of Micah 3:12 teach about the importance of maintaining and studying prophetic tradition?
- In what ways does the eventual fulfillment of both Micah's and Jeremiah's prophecies vindicate God's faithfulness to His word?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah—The elders cite Micah (מִיכָה הַמּוֹרַשְׁתִּי, Mikah HaMorashti) as historical precedent. Micah, from Moresheth-gath in Judah's lowlands, ministered during Hezekiah's reign (715-686 BC), approximately 100 years before Jeremiah's trial. The appeal to respected prophetic tradition demonstrates that Jeremiah's message wasn't unprecedented innovation but stood in continuity with Israel's prophetic heritage.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps—The elders quote Micah 3:12 exactly, proving the prophecy was preserved in communal memory. The imagery is devastating: Zion (צִיּוֹן, Tsiyon), the sacred temple mount, reduced to agricultural field; Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, Yerushalayim), the holy city, reduced to ruins (עִיִּים, iyim, 'heaps'). This prophecy was even harsher than Jeremiah's Shiloh analogy. Yet Micah wasn't executed, establishing legal precedent that prophesying Jerusalem's judgment wasn't capital treason.
And the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest—The 'mountain of the house' (הַר הַבַּיִת, har habayit) is the temple mount. Comparing it to 'high places of a forest' (בָּמוֹת יָעַר, bamot ya'ar) suggests desolation, overgrowth, and abandonment—the sacred site reverting to wilderness. This prophecy's preservation proves the community valued true prophecy even when painful.