Micah 6:8

Context

Micah was an eighth-century BC prophet of the southern kingdom of Judah who denounced the exploitation practiced by the ruling class and its corrupt administration of justice. Chapter 6 opens with a scene in which God brings his people to trial (Micah 6:1-5). God reminds them of the grace he showed them in the Exodus, and the people ask what they should bring when they come before him. Should they offer thousands of rams, ten thousands of rivers of oil, or even their firstborn (6:6-7)? Verse 8 is the answer to that question.

Interpretation

• Three requirements: To "do justly" (Hebrew mishpat) is understood to mean rendering fair judgment and protecting the rights of the weak; "mercy" (hesed) denotes faithful love and kindness grounded in the covenant; and to "walk humbly" with God denotes a life of humbling oneself before God and walking with him.
• As a critique of sacrifice: Many interpreters hold that the prophets did not seek to abolish sacrifice itself but rather criticized sacrifice that was not accompanied by a corresponding way of life. Isaiah 1:11-17, Hosea 6:6, and Amos 5:21-24 belong to the same line of thought.
• As a summary of the Law: Some read the verse as a condensed expression of the spirit of the two tablets of the Law, love for God and love for neighbor, and connect it with the "judgment, mercy, and faith" that Jesus names in Matthew 23:23.

Debates and Issues

The verse is frequently cited in debates over so-called "individual salvation" and "social salvation." Churches and organizations that emphasize social engagement cite it as grounds for holding that doing justice is the essence of faith, while those who give priority to evangelism stress that its requirements must not be read as teaching salvation by works but as describing the way of life of a people already saved. Both sides generally agree that the verse states not a condition of salvation but a word addressed to a people who have already received grace, since in the preceding verses God first recalls his saving acts.

In the Korean Church

In Korean Protestant churches, the verse serves almost as a motto for church social service, for Sundays devoted to justice and peace, and for Christian civic movements. When personal piety is the focus, the closing phrase, "walk humbly with thy God," usually receives the emphasis.

Related Passages

• Hosea 6:6
• Amos 5:24
• Isaiah 1:17
• Matthew 23:23