ProphetOld Testament

Prophet Micah

Also known as Micah son of Imlah · Michaias

An Old Testament prophet and companion of the Prophet Elias who boldly foretold the defeat of King Ahab and suffered for his witness.

Feast Day

January 5

Also Aug 14

Draft

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Commemorated as

The Holy Prophet Micah

Life

The Holy Prophet Micah commemorated on January 5 is, according to the Orthodox calendar and the figure described in this record, Micaiah the son of Imlah, an Old Testament prophet of the ninth century before Christ who is reckoned among the disciples of the Prophet Elias (Elijah). He confronted Ahab, king of Israel, foretelling the king's defeat and suffering imprisonment for the truth of his word.

His prophetic ministry is recorded in the books of Kings and Chronicles (1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18), where he stands almost alone against the court prophets of Ahab. Because he shares the name 'Prophet Micah' with Micah of Moresheth — the later writing prophet whose Book of Micah foretells Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah — Orthodox liturgical sources sometimes pair or conflate the two, and this saint is commemorated on both January 5 and August 14.

Timeline3 momentsReadHide

9th century BCProphesying in the reign of AhabMicaiah son of Imlah prophesied in the northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab, and tradition numbers him among the disciples of the Prophet Elias.
Before the battle of Ramoth-GileadThe confrontation with Ahab and JehoshaphatWhen King Jehoshaphat of Judah joined Ahab in proposing to attack Ramoth-Gilead, Jehoshaphat asked that the word of the Lord be sought. Some four hundred court prophets urged the kings to attack; Micaiah, reluctantly summoned because his prophecies had never favored Ahab, foretold the king's defeat.
After the prophecyImprisonment and the fulfilment of his wordAhab ordered Micaiah imprisoned until his return from battle. Ahab was killed in the fighting, struck by an arrow, and so the prophet's word was vindicated against the assurances of the four hundred.

Contributions & Legacy

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The Prophecy Against Ahab

The scriptural account (1 Kings 22:1-27; 2 Chronicles 18) relates that when brought before Ahab and Jehoshaphat, Micaiah first echoed the favorable answer of the other prophets in apparent mockery, then, pressed for the truth, described a vision of the heavenly throne room in which a spirit comes forward to be 'a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets.' Commentators regard this as one of Scripture's earliest depictions of the heavenly court. For his unwelcome word Micaiah was struck and imprisoned, yet Ahab fell in battle exactly as he had foretold.

The Two Prophets Named Micah

Orthodox tradition and modern scholarship distinguish two Old Testament figures whose names are rendered alike in English. The first is Micaiah son of Imlah, the contemporary of Ahab and Elias described above (commemorated January 5). The second is Micah of Moresheth, from Moresheth-Gath in southwest Judah, the sixth of the Twelve Minor Prophets, who prophesied in the eighth century BC alongside Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea and authored the Book of Micah with its prophecy of Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah (Micah 5:2); his feast falls on August 14.

Because the two share the name 'Prophet Micah,' Orthodox liturgical sources frequently pair or conflate them, and a single commemoration may carry both the January 5 and August 14 dates, as it does in this record.

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