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Ruth 1:20
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

waited carefully.

1 Samuel 4:13
And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and toldit, all the city cried out.

Job 30:26
When I looked for good, then evil cameunto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

Isaiah 59:9-11
Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness,but we walk in darkness…

but.

Micah 1:9
For her woundis incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people,even to Jerusalem.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all thesethings.

Amos 3:6
Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not doneit?

but calamity came down from the LORD
The calamity mentioned here is understood as divine judgment. In the context of Micah's prophecy, this refers to the impending Assyrian invasion, which was a tool of God's judgment against the sins of Israel and Judah. The phrase emphasizes the sovereignty of God in using nations to execute His judgment, a theme also found in other prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah. This calamity serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's commandments and the importance of repentance.

even to the gate of Jerusalem
The mention of Jerusalem's gate signifies the extent of the calamity, reaching even the capital city of Judah. Jerusalem, often seen as the spiritual and political center of the nation, was considered a place of refuge and divine protection. However, the prophecy indicates that even Jerusalem would not be spared from the consequences of the nation's sins. This foreshadows the eventual siege and fall of Jerusalem, which is detailed in2 Kings 25. The reference to the gate highlights the vulnerability of the city and serves as a warning to its inhabitants to heed the prophetic message.

Maroth was a small town in Judah, likely near Jerusalem, whose name sounds like the Hebrew word for “bitterness.” That wordplay matters in Micah’s prophecy.

• The people were Judahites—part of the covenant community (cf.Joshua 15:20, 59).

• Their bitterness is prophetic irony: a town whose name hints at “bitterness” will taste bitter judgment.

• God’s warnings often start with local examples to alert the whole nation (seeAmos 3:2).

“They pined for good” pictures a community straining for relief and security yet finding none.

• Similar yearning surfaces when Israel groans in Egypt (Exodus 2:23) and when Judah waits for peace under siege (Jeremiah 8:15).

• Their hope for “good” implies they recognized looming danger and wanted God’s favor, but they were slow to repent (Isaiah 30:15).

• Longing without obedience brings frustration;James 1:7–8 warns that a double-minded person “should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.”

Micah states plainly that the disaster was divine, not accidental.

• God is sovereign over both blessing and judgment (Deuteronomy 32:39;Isaiah 45:7).

• The calamity fulfills covenant warnings inLeviticus 26:14–17 andDeuteronomy 28:15–20.

• The phrase “came down” echoes previous verses where the LORD Himself “comes down” to tread on the heights of the earth (Micah 1:3); the army of Assyria is His instrument (2 Kings 18:13).

• This reminder protects us from blaming mere politics or chance; sin brings real consequences orchestrated by a holy God (Romans 1:18).

Judgment would not stop at the outskirts; it would press right up to the capital’s threshold.

• Gates symbolize security and civic life (Nehemiah 3:1–3). If the gate falls, all feels lost.

• The prophecy came true when Sennacherib’s forces surrounded Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:17).

• Yet the city was spared then, underscoring both the severity of judgment and the possibility of mercy when people humble themselves (2 Kings 19:32–34).

• The approach to the gate foreshadows the later Babylonian siege that would breach it (2 Chronicles 36:17–19), proving God’s word never fails.

Micah 1:12 shows townsfolk in Maroth longing for blessing yet receiving bitterness, because the Lord Himself sent judgment that advanced all the way to Jerusalem’s gate. The verse teaches that:

• God’s warnings reach every community, big or small.

• Hopes for “good” are futile without repentance.

• Calamity is not random; it is a holy God confronting sin.

• Judgment can come alarmingly close, urging us to seek the Lord while mercy is still offered.