Scripture Helps

Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah

Micah warned the people of Judah and Israel of their coming destruction and invited them to repent. He prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and that in the latter days the Lord would have compassion on Israel. Nahum prophesied of the downfall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. He taught that God would not let wicked nations stand forever. Habakkuk asked why God would allow an evil nation like Babylon to conquer the people of Judah. The Lord taught him to have patience and live by faith. Zephaniah warned of a coming day of judgment and promised that God would forgive and bless those who turned back to Him.

Resources

• Background and Context

• Learn More

• Media

Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.

Background and Context

What is the book of Micah?

Micah was a prophet in the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah in the eighth century BC. He prophesied at around the same time as Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Jonah. While there is no record of interactions among Micah and these other prophets, several of his messages closely parallel those of Isaiah. The Savior quoted from and expanded on two of Micah’s prophecies during His ministry to the Nephites and Lamanites in the Book of Mormon.

Micah’s writings address the themes of both judgment and hope. His prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem were remembered a century later during the time of Jeremiah.

The book of Micah can be outlined as follows:

• Micah 1–3: A warning that Samaria and Jerusalem will be destroyed because of idolatry, oppression of the poor, and the corruption of religious leaders.

• Micah 4–5: A message of hope and a promise that God will restore His people in a future day, and a prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

• Micah 6–7: A reminder of God’s mercy and a command to live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord. The book ends with Micah’s testimony of Jehovah’s compassion and His willingness to forgive all who repent.

Micah 4:1–3

What is the “mountain of the house of the Lord”?

Micah 4:1–3 is nearly identical to Isaiah 2:2–4. To learn more about these verses, see “Isaiah 2:1–3. What is the ‘mountain of the Lord’s house’?” and “Isaiah 2:3. What is meant by the phrase ‘out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem’?”

Micah 4:11–13

What does it mean that the Lord will gather Judah’s enemies “as the sheaves into the floor”?

Micah prophesied of a time when Gentile nations would unite against the people of Judah and seek to conquer or destroy them. But Micah declared that these enemies would “know not the thoughts of the Lord” and that God would instead gather them like bundles of grain being brought to a threshing floor.

In ancient times, sheaves (bundles of harvested grain) were taken to a threshing floor to be beaten or crushed to separate the edible grain from the rest of the plant material. The reference in verse 13 to “hoofs [of] brass” that “beat in pieces” alludes to the hooves of oxen used to crush wheat. The Lord used this imagery to teach that although Judah’s enemies currently had power over them, the time would come when His people would triumph over their enemies as easily as an ox threshes grain.

Micah’s prophecy likely has multiple fulfillments. In the Book of Mormon, the resurrected Savior quoted this prophecy during His visit to the Nephites and Lamanites. After teaching about the gathering of Israel in the latter days, the Savior referenced Micah’s words to warn of the destruction that awaited latter-day Gentiles who rejected the gospel.

The Threshing Floor, by David Green

Micah 5:2

Who is the “ruler in Israel” that would come out of Bethlehem?

Micah 5:2 contains a prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, a small town about five miles (eight kilometers) south of Jerusalem. This is the only prophecy in the Old Testament that specifically names the birthplace of the Messiah, and it was fulfilled when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. When the Wise Men came seeking the “King of the Jews,” King Herod consulted the chief priests and scribes, who used Micah 5:2 to identify Bethlehem as the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah.

Ironically, this same prophecy was used by some later in the New Testament to incorrectly argue that Jesus was not the Messiah. These people did not know Jesus had been born in Bethlehem; they only knew He was from Galilee. Expecting the Messiah to come from Bethlehem, they questioned how Jesus could be the Christ.

Micah 5:7–15

What is the “remnant of Jacob”?

Although Micah prophesied that much of the Southern Kingdom of Judah would be destroyed and scattered due to their wickedness, he also foretold that a “remnant of Jacob” would be preserved. This is one of several references Micah made to a remnant of the house of Israel, which refers to the descendants of surviving Israelites. Micah compared this remnant to a powerful lion, symbolizing how it would eventually triumph over its enemies.

Micah 5:8–15 likely has multiple fulfillments. During His ministry to the Nephites and Lamanites, the Savior quoted Micah’s words and applied them to the last days. He taught that gathered Israel would receive power, and the Gentiles who would repent and accept His gospel would be “numbered among this the remnant of Jacob.” In contrast, those who would reject His words and oppose His work would be “cut off” from among the Lord’s covenant people.

Micah 6:8

What does it mean to “do justly,” “love mercy,” and “walk humbly with thy God”?

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught:

“Micah’s direction on turning our hearts to God and qualifying for salvation contains three interconnected elements. To do justly means acting honorably with God and with other people. We act honorably with God by walking humbly with Him. We act honorably with others by loving mercy. To do justly is therefore a practical application of the first and second great commandments, to ‘love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind … [and to] love thy neighbour as thyself’ [see Matthew 22:35–40].

“To do justly and walk humbly with God is to intentionally withdraw our hand from iniquity, walk in His statutes, and remain authentically faithful. A just person turns away from sin and toward God, makes covenants with Him, and keeps those covenants. A just person chooses to obey the commandments of God, repents when falling short, and keeps on trying. …

“God delights in mercy and does not begrudge its use. In Micah’s words to Jehovah, ‘Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, … will have compassion upon us,’ and will ‘cast all … sins into the depths of the sea’ [Micah 7:18–19]. To love mercy as God does is inseparably connected to dealing justly with others and not mistreating them. …

“… Loving mercy means that we do not just love the mercy God extends to us; we delight that God extends the same mercy to others. …

“To be Christlike, a person chooses God, walks humbly with Him, seeks to please Him, and keeps covenants with Him. Individuals who walk humbly with God remember what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have done for them.”

What is the book of Nahum?

Nahum was a prophet who prophesied against Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. In 722 BC, the Assyrians had conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and eventually exiled many of its inhabitants. Nahum’s prophecies likely date to the period just before Nineveh’s fall in 612 BC.

The people of Nineveh in Nahum’s day were not the same people who had repented of their sins after Jonah preached in Nineveh more than a century earlier. By Nahum’s time, the people of Nineveh had returned to their wickedness. The prophet used Nineveh as a symbol of sinful, oppressive, worldly powers that the Lord will ultimately bring down.

The Palaces of Nimroud Restored, by Austen Henry Layard

Nahum 1:2

What does it mean that “God is jealous”?

See “Exodus 20:4–5; 34:14. Why does the Lord refer to Himself as a ‘jealous God’?”

What is the book of Habakkuk?

Little is known about Habakkuk other than that he was a prophet who lived in the Kingdom of Judah, likely during the reigns of Josiah or Jehoiakim in the late 600s and early 500s BC. The book of Habakkuk records an exchange between Habakkuk and the Lord. In this exchange, the Lord revealed that the Kingdom of Judah would be conquered by the wicked Chaldeans (Babylonians). Distressed, Habakkuk asked the Lord bold and heartfelt questions that reflected his concern for his people and for the Lord’s plans for them. In response, the Lord counseled Habakkuk to live by faith and reassured him that justice would eventually come upon the wicked. The book closes with Habakkuk’s prayer and psalm of praise to God.

Destruction of Jerusalem, by Gary L. Kapp

Habakkuk 2:4

What does it mean for the just to “live by his faith”?

In Habakkuk 1, the prophet asked how the Lord could use Babylon, a nation known for its wickedness, to conquer the people of Jerusalem. The Lord responded by assuring Habakkuk that Babylon’s dominance would be temporary and that the proud and violent would ultimately face judgment.

In Habakkuk 2:4, the Lord contrasted the proud Babylonians, whose souls were “lifted up” and “not upright,” with the righteous, who “shall live by [their] faith.” The Hebrew word translated as “faith” can also mean “firmness,” “steadfastness,” or “faithfulness.” The Lord’s words were a call for the people of Judah to trust Him and remain faithful while waiting for His promises to be fulfilled. The Apostle Paul quoted these words of the Lord multiple times in the New Testament to emphasize the eternal importance of faith.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf described what it means to live by faith: “When we say ‘the just shall live by faith,’ we mean we are guided and directed by our faith. We act in a manner that is consistent with our faith—not out of a sense of thoughtless obedience but out of a confident and sincere love for our God and for the priceless wisdom He has revealed to His children.”

What is the book of Zephaniah?

Zephaniah was a prophet in the Kingdom of Judah during the reign of King Josiah in the mid-to-late 600s BC. He prophesied of the “day of the Lord,” a time of impending judgment upon Judah and other nations. Zephaniah pleaded with his people to seek the Lord so they would be spared from the Lord’s judgments. He prophesied that the day would come when God’s people would be gathered and “not see evil any more.”

Like many ancient prophecies, the words of Zephaniah can apply to both his day and the future. The destruction described by Zephaniah can be compared to the destruction of the wicked that will occur before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. And the blessings the Lord promised to the righteous in Jerusalem can foreshadow the blessings the righteous will receive at the Second Coming.

Zephaniah 1:5

What does it mean that the people of Judah were worshipping “the host of heaven”?

One of the many accusations Zephaniah made against the people of Judah in chapter 1 was that they “worship the host of heaven.” This referred to the idolatrous practice of worshipping false gods associated with planets and stars. In the same verse, Zephaniah also condemned the people for honoring “Malcham.” Many scholars believe this is a reference to Milcom, an Ammonite deity, or Molech, a deity associated with child sacrifice.

Learn More

“Do justly,” “love mercy,” and “walk humbly”

• Dale G. Renlund, “Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 109–11

“The just shall live by his faith”

• Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Just Shall Live by Faith,” Ensign, Apr. 2017, 4–5

• Quentin L. Cook, “Live by Faith and Not by Fear,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 70–73

Media

Music

• “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” Hymns, no. 208

Images

Micah, by Ted Henninger

The Prophet Micah Walking Through City Market, by H. Willard Ortlip

When the Wise Men came to Herod seeking the King of the Jews, the scribes quoted Micah’s prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

The Flight of the Prisoners, by James J. Tissot

The Second Coming, by Harry Anderson

Notes

1. See Micah 1:1; Chronology of the Old Testament, Gospel Library.

2. See “Hosea–Malachi. Who were the ‘minor prophets’?” See also Blair G. Van Dyke and D. Kelly Ogden, “Amos through Malachi: Major Teachings of the Twelve Prophets,” Religious Educator, vol. 4, no. 3 (2003), 68.

3. Compare Micah 2:12 with Isaiah 10:20–22; Micah 3:9–12 with Isaiah 1:23; and Micah 4:1–3 with Isaiah 2:2–4. It is unclear whether Micah was quoting from Isaiah, Isaiah was quoting from Micah, or both were quoting from a different source (see Earl D. Radmacher and others, eds., NKJV Study Bible, 3rd ed. (2018), 1322).

4. Compare Micah 4:12–13; 5:8–15 with 3 Nephi 16:14–15; 20:16–19; 21:12–18, 21. See also Dana M. Pike, “Passages from the Book of Micah in the Book of Mormon,” in They Shall Grow Together: The Bible in the Book of Mormon, ed. Charles Swift and Nicholas J. Frederick (2022), 397.

5. See Bible Dictionary, “Micah.”

6. Compare Micah 3:12 and Jeremiah 26:18.

7. See Micah 4:11.

8. Micah 4:12.

9. See “The Threshing Floor,” Ensign, Sept. 2017, 70–71; Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament: An Illustrated Reference for Latter-day Saints (2009), 187. See also “Ruth 3:1–2. What was a threshing floor?”

10. See Pike, “Passages from the Book of Micah in the Book of Mormon,” 405–6.

11. See D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner, Verse by Verse: The Old Testament (2013), 2:163–64.

12. See 3 Nephi 20:17–21.

13. See Guide to the Scriptures, “Bethlehem,” Gospel Library. Ephratah was a family name within the tribe of Judah and was the name of the region in which Bethlehem was located (see Kenneth L. Barker and others, eds., NIV Study Bible: Fully Revised Edition [2020], 1555, note on Micah 5:2). Bethlehem was also where King David lived in his youth (see Bible Dictionary, “David”).

14. See Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:1–20.

15. See Matthew 2:2–6.

16. See John 7:40–43. See also Joshua M. Matson, “The Fourth Gospel and Expectations of the Jewish Messiah,” in Thou Art the Christ, the Son of the Living God: The Person and Work of Jesus in the New Testament, ed. Eric D. Huntsman and others (2018), 186.

17. See Micah 1–3. See also Micah 6:13–16.

18. See Micah 5:7–8.

19. See Micah 2:12; 4:7; 5:3, 7–8; 7:18. See also Pike, “Passages from the Book of Micah in the Book of Mormon,” 401–2. The remnant of the house of Israel is spoken of frequently throughout the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon (see Joseph M. Spencer, “The Prophets’ Remnant Theology: A Latter-day Saint Perspective,” in Prophets and Prophecies of the Old Testament, ed. Aaron P. Schade and others [2017], 205–30).

20. See Pike, “Passages from the Book of Micah in the Book of Mormon,” 399–401.

21. Compare 3 Nephi 21:12–21 with Micah 5:8–15. Micah 5:8 is also quoted in 3 Nephi 16:14–15, and Micah 5:8–9 is quoted in 3 Nephi 20:16–17.

22. 3 Nephi 21:22.

23. See 3 Nephi 21:11–20.

24. Dale G. Renlund, “Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 109–11.

25. Guide to the Scriptures, “Nahum,” Gospel Library.

26. See Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 290–91.

27. See Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 315.

28. See Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd ed. (2014), 1207.

29. See Bible Dictionary,“Habakkuk.”

30. See Habakkuk 1:2–4, 12–13.

31. See Habakkuk 2:4–20.

32. See Habakkuk 1:12–13.

33. See Habakkuk 2:2–8.

34. The New King James Version of the Bible renders the first part of this verse as “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him” (see Radmacher and others, NKJV Study Bible, 1343). See also the note on Habakkuk 2:4.

35. See Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss, eds., The Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (2023), “Faith, Faithful, Faithfulness,” 281–82; see also page 936, entry 530. The same word is used in Exodus 17:12, when Moses’s hands are supported and made “steady” by Aaron and Hur in prayer.

36. See Barker and others, NIV Study Bible, 1570, note on Habakkuk 2:4.

37. See Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38.

38. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Just Shall Live by Faith,” Ensign, Apr. 2017, 4.

39. See Bible Dictionary, “Zephaniah.”

40. Zephaniah 3:15.

41. See Van Dyke and Ogden, “Amos through Malachi,” 72.

42. See Harold W. Attridge and others, eds., The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Including the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books (2006), 1260, note on Zechariah 1:4–6. See also 1 Kings 11:33.

43. See Berlin and Brettler, The Jewish Study Bible, 1224, note on Zephaniah 1:5.