It is remarkable that the prophecies commence with the last words recorded of the prophet's namesake, Mi- caiah the son of Imlah, '• Hearken, O people, every one of you" (1 Kings xxii, 28). From this, Bleek (^Einlcd- ttiiif/, p. 539) concludes that the author of the history, like the ecclesiastical historians, confounded Jlicah the Morasthite with Micaiah; while Hcngstenberg (C/«?-ts- tol(i;/>/, i, 409, Eng. tr.) infers that the coincidence was intentional on the part of the later prophet, and that " by this very circumstance he gives intimation of what may be expected from him, and shows that his activity is to be considered as a continuation of that of his prede- cessor, who was so jealous for God, and that he had more in common with him than the mere name." Either conclusion rests on the extremely slight foundation of the occurrence of a formula which was at once the most simple and most natural commencement of a prophetic discourse.
III. Contents. — But, at whatever time the several prophecies were first delivered, they appear iji their present form as an organic whole, marked by a certain regularity of development. Three sections, omitting the superscription, are introduced by the same phrase, •1"P":3, "Hear ye," and represent three natural divisions of the prophecy — i-ii, iii-v, vi-vii — each commencing with rebukes and threatenings, and closing with a prom- ise. 1. The first section opens with a magnificent de- scription of the coming of Jehovah to judgment for the sins and idolatries of Israel and Judah (i, 2-4), and the sentence pronounced upon Samaria (ver. 5-9) by the Judge himself. The prophet, whose sympathies are strong with Judah, and especially with the lowlands which gave him birth, sees the danger that threatens his country, and traces in imagination the devastating march of the Assyrian conquerors from Samaria onward to Jerusalem and the south (i, 8-1(5). The impending- punishment suggests its cause, and the prophet de- nounces a woe upon the people generally for the corrup- tion and violence which were rife among them, and upon the false prophets who led them astray by pan- dering to their appetites and luxury (ii, 1-11). The sentence of captivity is passed upon them (ver. 10), but is followed instantly by a promise of restoration and tri- umphant return (ii, 12, 13). 2. The second section is addressed especially to the princes and heads of the people ; their avarice and rapacity are rebuked in strong terms ; and as they have been deaf to the cry of the sup- pliants for justice, they too "shall cry unto Jehovah, but he will not hear them" (iii, 1-4). The false proph- ets who had deceived others should themselves be de- ceived; " the suu shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them" (iii, 6). For this per- version of justice and right, and the covetousness of the heads of the people who judged for reward, of the priests who taught for hire, and of the prophets who di- vined for money, Zion should " be ploughed as a field," and the mountain of the temple become like the uncul- tivated woodland heights (iii, 9-12). But the threat- ening is again succeeded by a promise of restoration, and in the glories of the Messianic kingdom the prophet loses sight of the desolation which should befall his TOuntry. Instead of the temple mountain covered with the wild growth of the forest, he sees the mountain of
the house of Jehovah established on the top of the mountains, and nations tiowing hke rivers unto it. The reign of peace is inaugurated by the recall from captivity, and Jehovah sits as king in Zion, having destroyed the nations who had rejoiced in her over- throw. The predictions at the close of this section form the climax of the book, and Ewald arranges them in four strophes, consisting of seven or eight verses each (iv, 1-8 ; iv, 9-v, 2 ; v, 3-9 ; v, 10-15), with the ex- ception of the last, which is shorter, and in which the prophet reverts to the point whence he started : all ob- jects of politic and idolatrous confidence must be re- moved before the grand consummation. 3. In the last section (vi, vii) Jehovah, by a bold poetical figure, is represented as holding a controversy with his people, pleading with them in justification of his conduct to- wards them and the reasonableness of his requirements. The dialogue form in which chap, vi is cast renders the picture very dramatic and striking. In vi, 3-5 Jeho- vah speaks ; the inquiry of the people follows in ver. 6, indicating their entire ignorance of what was required of them ; their inquiry is met by the almost impatient rejoinder, " WiU Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of torrents of oil ?" The still great- er sacrifice suggested by the people, "Shall I give my first-born for my transgressions ?" calls forth the defini- tion of their true duty, " to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with their God." How far they had fallen short of this requirement is shown in what fol- lows (ver. 9-12), and judgment is pronounced upon them (ver. 13-16), The prophet acknowledges and bewails the justice of the sentence (vii, 1-6), the people in repent- ance patiently look to God, confident that their prayer will be heard (ver. 7-10), and are reassured by the prom- ise of deliverance announced as following their punish- ment (ver. 11-13) by the prophet, who in his turn pre- sents his petition to Jehovah for the restoration of his people (ver. 14, 15). The whole concludes with a tri- umphal song of joy at the great deliverance, like that from Egypt, which Jehovah wiU achieve, and a full ac- knowledgment of his mercy and faithfulness to his promises (ver, 16-20). The last verse is reproduced in the song of Zacharias (Luke i, 72, 73).