Original Word: מִיכָיְהוּ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Miykayhuw
Pronunciation: mee-kah-yeh-hoo
Phonetic Spelling: (me-kaw-yeh-hoo')
KJV: Micah, Micaiah, Michaiah
NASB: Micaiah, Micah
Word Origin: [abbrev. for H4322 (מִיכָּיָהוּ - Micaiah)]

1. Mikajah, the name of three Israelites

Micah, Micaiah, Michaiah

Or Mikayhuw (Jeremiah 36:11) {me-kaw-yeh-hoo'}; abbrev. For Miykayahuw; Mikajah, the name of three Israelites -- Micah, Micaiah, Michaiah.

see HEBREW Miykayahuw

Word Origin
from mi, a preposition prefix and Yah
Definition
"Who is like Yah?" three Isr.
NASB Translation
Micah (2), Micaiah (19).

מִיכָֽיְהוּ proper name, masculine (so on an Israel scarab, Ganneau^{JAS 1883, 156, No. 42}) —

1 an Ephraimite, Judges 17:1,4 (in Judges 17:5ff., Judges 18:2ff called מִיכָה).

2 a prophet, the son of Imlah (ᵐ5 Μειχαίας), 1 Kings 22:8-26 (9 t.), "" 2 Chronicles 18:7-25 (7 t.) + 2 Chronicles 18:8 Qr (Kt מיכהו).

3 a contemporary of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 36:11 (מִכָֽיְהוּ), Jeremiah 36:13.

Name and Significance

Micaiah (Hebrew: מִיכָיְהוּ, Mikayahu) carries the testimony “Who is like Yahweh?” The name itself proclaims the incomparability of the covenant God and frames the ministries of the men who bore it.

Principal Bearers of the Name

1. Micaiah son of Imlah

• Northern-kingdom prophet active during the joint reign of Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah (circa 860 BC).
• Appears in the narrative of the Ramoth-gilead campaign (1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18).
• Distinguished as the lone dissenting voice among four hundred court prophets who promised victory.
• Suffered imprisonment for proclaiming the word of the LORD yet was vindicated when his prophecy came true.

2. Micaiah son of Gemariah

• Judahite official in the court of King Jehoiakim (circa 605 BC).
• Present when Baruch read Jeremiah’s scroll in the chamber of Gemariah his father (Jeremiah 36:11–13).
• Acted as a messenger to the royal council, triggering the sequence that brought the scroll before the king.

Historical Setting

• The Divided Monarchy (1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18)

The alliance of Ahab and Jehoshaphat created political pressure for prophetic endorsement. Micaiah son of Imlah stood in the breach, exposing false unanimity and revealing a heavenly scene in which the LORD permitted a lying spirit to entice Ahab to destruction. His ministry highlights the tension between political power and prophetic truth in the northern kingdom’s final decades.

• The Last Years of Judah (Jeremiah 36)

Micaiah son of Gemariah operated in an atmosphere of impending Babylonian judgment. His prompt report of Jeremiah’s words illustrates the continuing presence of God-fearing remnants within an apostate administration, even as national collapse loomed.

Key Texts

• “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.” (1 Kings 22:14)
• “Then Micaiah said, ‘If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me!’” (1 Kings 22:28)
• “When Micaiah son of Gemariah… heard all the words of the LORD, he went down to the king’s house… and reported all the words he had heard.” (Jeremiah 36:11–13, condensed)

Ministry Themes

• Prophetic Integrity – Micaiah son of Imlah embodies unwavering fidelity to divine revelation. His readiness to contradict the majority echoes the mandate that a true prophet must fear God rather than men.
• Suffering for Truth – Imprisoned and fed “bread of affliction” (1 Kings 22:27), he prefigures the pattern seen later in Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and the apostles.
• Divine Sovereignty Over Nations – His vision of the heavenly council (1 Kings 22:19–23) discloses that earthly events unfold under God’s meticulous direction, even when mediated through human and spiritual agents.
• Faithful Witness Within Hostile Systems – Micaiah son of Gemariah demonstrates that godly testimony can persist inside corrupt political structures, preparing the way for later court servants such as Daniel and Nehemiah.

Theological Significance

1. Consistency of Revelation – The agreement between Micaiah’s prophecy and its fulfillment reinforces the Scriptural principle that genuine prophecy is validated by historical outcome (Deuteronomy 18:21–22).
2. Moral Accountability of Rulers – Ahab’s doom illustrates that kings are not autonomous but answerable to the prophetic word.
3. Reality of Spiritual Conflict – The lying spirit episode reminds readers of unseen warfare and the necessity of discernment grounded in God’s word.
4. Preservation of the Remnant – In Jeremiah 36, the transmission of the prophetic scroll through Micaiah and other officials shows God safeguarding His message even when kings attempt to destroy it (Jeremiah 36:23–32).

Lessons for Today

• Stand upon revealed truth even when isolated.
• Expect opposition, yet trust in God’s vindication.
• Recognize that divine sovereignty governs both spiritual and political realms.
• Serve faithfully within secular structures, bearing witness to God’s word.

Related References

1 Kings 22:8–28; 2 Chronicles 18:7–27; Jeremiah 36:11–13, 14–26; compare Deuteronomy 18:15–22; 2 Timothy 3:12; Revelation 2:10.

Summary

The eighteen occurrences of מִיכָיְהוּ trace two men whose fidelity illumines dark periods in Israel’s history. Their steadfast confession—“Who is like Yahweh?”—challenges every generation to uphold the authority of Scripture, proclaim truth against popular error, and trust the sovereign God who rules both heaven and earth.

לְמִיכָ֗יְהוּ למיכיהו מִיכָ֑יְהוּ מִיכָ֔יְהוּ מִיכָ֖יְהוּ מִיכָ֗יְהוּ מִיכָ֙יְהוּ֙ מִיכָ֣יְהוּ מִיכָ֥יְהוּ מִכָ֔יְהוּ מִכָ֨יְהוּ מיכיהו מכיהו lə·mî·ḵā·yə·hū lemiChayehu ləmîḵāyəhū mi·ḵā·yə·hū mî·ḵā·yə·hū miChayehu miḵāyəhū mîḵāyəhūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts