“Hear!
You people!
All of you!
Listen!
O earth!
All that is in it!
Let Yahweh God
Be a witness
Against you!
Yahweh comes
From his holy temple!
Behold!
Yahweh is coming
Out of his place!
He will come down!
He will tread
Upon the high places
Of the earth.
Then the mountains
Will melt under him.
The valleys
Will burst open
Like wax near the fire,
Like waters poured down
A steep place.”
This text is a very colorful opening to the Book of Micah. Yahweh would make a grand appearance. As usual for prophets, Micah asked the people to listen. However, the earth itself was also asked to listen to the prophet Micah. Yahweh was going to be a witness against the people and the land itself. Yahweh was going to come out of his holy Temple. He was going to come down to the high places on earth. The mountains would melt under him, while the valleys would open up wider. Then in very descriptive terms, the presence of Yahweh would be like wax near a fire or water pouring down a steep incline. The powerful heavenly Yahweh was about to make an appearance on earth.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 