Geographical Puns in Micah

Geographical Puns in Micah

 With skillfully written wordplays on the names of Judah’s cities, Micah prophesied of the coming destruction of Judah (1:3–16). He turned around the meaning of a number of town names as a way of describing the world being turned upside down. Shaphir, meaning “Beautiful,” would be shamed (1:11); and Jerusalem, a name suggesting “Peace,” would be disrupted (1:12). Lachish, a name sounding like the Hebrew word for swift steeds, would flee on its horses. All this agitation was caused by God’s judgment on Judah for worshiping other gods on the high places. In fact, idolatry was so rampant that Micah describes Jerusalem and Samaria, the capital cities of Judah and Israel, as high places themselves (1:5).