The Meaning of Micah 6:1 Explained

Micah 6:1

KJV: Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

YLT: Hear, I pray you, that which Jehovah is saying: 'Rise -- strive thou with the mountains, And cause thou the hills to hear thy voice.'

Darby: Hear ye now what Jehovah saith: Arise, contend before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

ASV: Hear ye now what Jehovah saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hear  ye now what the LORD  saith;  Arise,  contend  thou before the mountains,  and let the hills  hear  thy voice. 

What does Micah 6:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Micah 6:1-16 - "what Doth The Lord Require Of Thee?"
In Micah 6:1-4 the prophet returns from his vision of the future to the actual condition of his people, which was utterly desperate. The mountains, as the most enduring monuments of nature, are summoned as witnesses in the great trial between Jehovah and His people. Like Israel, we have been delivered from the house of bondage with infinite love, but how wayward and willful we have been! Micah 6:5-8 prove the impotence of a religion which is only external.
Few have known more sublime truth than Baalim, Micah 6:5, but he loved the wages of unrighteousness; and this eclipsed the divine radiance that became overcast and finally overwhelmed. Micah 6:9-11 reveal the fruitlessness of a life of sin. Sooner or later nature herself becomes unresponsive-sowing, but no harvest; the treading of the press, but no juice. The only path to real satisfaction and peace is in the love and faithful service of God. Why are we so slow to tread it? [source]

Chapter Summary: Micah 6

1  God's punishment for ingratitude;
6  for ignorance,
10  for injustice;
16  and for idolatry

What do the individual words in Micah 6:1 mean?

Hear now - what Yahweh says Arise plead your case before the mountains and let hear the hills your voice
שִׁמְעוּ־ נָ֕א אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־ יְהוָ֖ה אֹמֵ֑ר ק֚וּם רִ֣יב אֶת־ הֶהָרִ֔ים וְתִשְׁמַ֥עְנָה הַגְּבָע֖וֹת קוֹלֶֽךָ

שִׁמְעוּ־  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
נָ֕א  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אֵ֥ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֹמֵ֑ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ק֚וּם  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
רִ֣יב  plead  your  case 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רִיב  
Sense: to strive, contend.
אֶת־  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
הֶהָרִ֔ים  the  mountains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וְתִשְׁמַ֥עְנָה  and  let  hear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הַגְּבָע֖וֹת  the  hills 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.
קוֹלֶֽךָ  your  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.