Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah of Jerusalem. Both were distinguished for their prophetic fervor; but in social status and manner of life they differed widely. Isaiah was essentially a city dweller, who had his home either in or very close to Jerusalem. As already suggested, Isaiah seems to have kept in close touch with court officials and with successive Judean monarchs, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; nevertheless, all but Uzziah are also mentioned in Micah's brief book.
Micah's background seems to have been more humble; a conclusion to be drawn from the fact that his father's name is not recorded. Unlike Isaiah, Micah lived in a small country village, a community named Moresheth-Gath, lying twenty miles or so to the southwest of Jerusalem in a rolling but fertile farm area, often known as the Shephelah, which provides a natural boundary between Philistia on the Mediterranean coastline and the lofty Judean highlands. Whether or not Micah himself was a farmer is uncertain, but he seems to have been deeply interested in the pressing problems of his farmer neighbors.
Micah's name is a significant one, for by its derivation it poses this sublime question: "Who is like Yahweh (Jehovah)?" Indeed he contributed to the understanding of the nature and power of the Lord by recording what Deity had provided in the past for His people (see Mic. 6:4, 5). Moreover, he indicated the continuing protection that God would assure them if they obeyed His Word and took a determined stand against idolatry and evil.
