◄ Micah 4:10 ►
Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!
Study Bible
Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor.
This phrase uses the metaphor of childbirth to describe the intense suffering and distress that Jerusalem (Daughter of Zion) will experience. The imagery of labor is often used in the Bible to depict a period of pain that ultimately leads to a new beginning or deliverance (Isaiah 26:17-18, John 16:21). The Daughter of Zion represents the people of Jerusalem, emphasizing their vulnerability and the impending judgment due to their sins.

For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields.
This indicates a forced exile from Jerusalem, suggesting a temporary and vulnerable state as the people are displaced from their homes. Historically, this reflects the Babylonian captivity when the Israelites were taken from their land. The open fields symbolize exposure and lack of protection, contrasting with the security of the city walls.

You will go to Babylon;
This prophecy specifically names Babylon as the place of exile, which was fulfilled when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 586 BC. Babylon was a dominant empire known for its grandeur and idolatry, representing a place of both physical and spiritual captivity for the Israelites. This exile was a consequence of the nation's disobedience and idolatry.

there you will be rescued;
Despite the dire circumstances, this phrase offers hope and assurance of deliverance. It foreshadows the eventual return of the Jewish people from Babylonian captivity, which occurred under the decree of Cyrus the Great (Ezra 1:1-4). This deliverance is a testament to God's faithfulness and mercy, even in judgment.

there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!
The promise of redemption highlights God's sovereignty and His role as the ultimate deliverer. Redemption here implies a buying back or liberation from bondage, which is a recurring theme in Scripture (Exodus 6:6, Isaiah 43:1). This act of redemption prefigures the ultimate redemption through Jesus Christ, who delivers humanity from the bondage of sin (Galatians 3:13, Titus 2:14). The phrase underscores the assurance that God will not abandon His people but will act decisively to restore them.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Daughter of Zion
This term refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, often used to personify the city itself as a woman. It highlights the intimate relationship between God and His people.

2. Babylon
A significant city and empire in biblical history, known for its conquest of Judah and the subsequent Babylonian exile of the Jewish people.

3. The LORD
Refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, who promises redemption and deliverance for His people.

4. Exile
The event where the people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon, a pivotal moment in Jewish history that shaped their identity and faith.

5. Redemption
The act of God delivering His people from captivity, symbolizing spiritual salvation and restoration.
Teaching Points
The Pain of Discipline
Just as labor pains precede birth, God's discipline, though painful, leads to new life and restoration. We should trust in God's purpose during difficult times.

Hope in Exile
Even in the midst of judgment and exile, God promises redemption. This teaches us that no situation is beyond God's power to redeem and restore.

God's Sovereignty
The prophecy of going to Babylon and being redeemed there underscores God's control over history. We can find comfort in knowing that God orchestrates events for His purposes.

The Promise of Redemption
The assurance of rescue from Babylon points to the greater redemption through Christ. Believers can hold onto the hope of ultimate deliverance from sin and death.

Faithful Endurance
The call to "writhe in agony" like a woman in labor encourages perseverance through trials, knowing that God is faithful to His promises.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of a woman in labor help us understand the nature of God's discipline and deliverance?

2. In what ways can the experience of the Babylonian exile be seen as a metaphor for spiritual exile and redemption in our own lives?

3. How does the promise of redemption in Micah 4:10 foreshadow the ultimate redemption through Jesus Christ?

4. What can we learn about God's character and His relationship with His people from His promise to redeem them from Babylon?

5. How can we apply the lessons of hope and endurance from this passage to current challenges or "exiles" we face in our lives?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 66:7-9
This passage also uses the imagery of a woman in labor to describe the sudden and miraculous birth of a nation, paralleling the themes of pain followed by deliverance.

Jeremiah 29:10-14
Jeremiah prophesies about the return from Babylonian exile, emphasizing God's plans for restoration and hope for His people.

Psalm 137
Reflects the sorrow and longing of the Israelites during their Babylonian captivity, providing emotional context to the exile experience.

Revelation 18
Describes the fall of Babylon as a symbol of God's ultimate judgment against oppressive powers, connecting the historical Babylon to eschatological themes.
Sermons
Discipline and DeliveranceE.S. Prout Micah 4:9, 10
The Moral Regeneration of the WorldHomilistMicah 4:9-13
The Moral Regeneration of the WorldD. Thomas Micah 4:9-13
People
Eder, Jacob, Micah
Places
Babylon, Jerusalem, Mount Zion, Zion
Topics
Agony, Babylon, Birth, Bring, Camp, Childbirth, Daughter, Delivered, Dwell, Dwelt, Enemies, Field, Forth, Free, Goest, Grief, Groan, Hands, Hast, Haters, Labor, Labour, Leave, O, Open, Pain, Pained, Redeem, Rescued, Salvation, Sounds, Town, Travail, Travailing, Writhe, Zion
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Micah 4:10

     1265   hand of God
     1315   God, as redeemer
     5663   childbirth
     5782   agony

Library
As God, So Worshipper
'... All the peoples will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.'--MICAH iv. 5 (R.V.). This is a statement of a general truth which holds good of all sorts of religion. 'To walk' is equivalent to carrying on a course of practical activity. 'The name' of a god is his manifested character. So the expression 'Walk in the name' means, to live and act according to, and with reference to, and in reliance on, the character of the worshipper's …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"And we Will --"
The prophet Micah was struck with the energy and devotion of the heathen to their gods. He saw the grip these idols had of their votaries, how no expense was spared, no sacrifice withheld, for the sake of a filthy lie embodied in a stone or golden image. While he listened to the songs of the heathen, his heart warmed as he thought of the greatness of Jehovah, and so he cried out--"All people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

The Battle of Armageddon.
The Battle of Armageddon! What extravagant speculations have been indulged concerning it! What unscriptural theories have been entertained respecting it! To begin with; this appears from the term employed. Nowhere in the Bible do we read of "The Battle of Armageddon." The Scriptural expression is "The Battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14). This Battle of the great day of God Almighty will bring the Tribulation period to a close and will witness the return of Christ to the earth to …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

"Is the Spirit of the Lord Straitened?"
THERE MAY BE SOME who think they can convert the world by philosophy; that they can renew the heart by eloquence; or that, by some witchcraft of ceremonies, they can regenerate the soul; but we depend wholly and simply and alone on the Spirit of God. He alone worketh all our works in us; and in going forth to our holy service we take with us no strength, and we rely upon no power, except that of the Spirit of the Most High. When Asher's foot was dipped in oil, no wonder he left a foot-mark wherever …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

A vision of the Latter-Day Glories
We shall not, to-day, look through all the dim vista of Zion's tribulations. We will leave the avenue of troubles and of trials through which the church has passed and is to pass, and we will come, by faith, to the last days; and may God help us while we indulge in a glorious vision of that which is to be ere long, when "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." The prophet saw two …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

Place of Jesus in the History of the World.
The great event of the History of the world is the revolution by which the noblest portions of humanity have passed from the ancient religions, comprised under the vague name of Paganism, to a religion founded on the Divine Unity, the Trinity, and the Incarnation of the Son of God. It has taken nearly a thousand years to accomplish this conversion. The new religion had itself taken at least three hundred years in its formation. But the origin of the revolution in question with which we have to do …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Redeemer's Return is Necessitated by the Declarations of Old Testament Prophecy.
It is very apparent to any one who has read thoughtfully through the Old Testament that the First Advent of our Lord did not exhaust the burden and scope of the numerous predictions which had been made concerning Him. Many of the things foretold of Israel's Messiah were not accomplished during the days when He tabernacled among men. Many of the promises found in God's Word connected with the Person of Christ, still await their ratification. While it is true that the First Advent of the Lord Jesus …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Cæsar and under the Pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas - a Voice in the Wilderness
THERE is something grand, even awful, in the almost absolute silence which lies upon the thirty years between the Birth and the first Messianic Manifestation of Jesus. In a narrative like that of the Gospels, this must have been designed; and, if so, affords presumptive evidence of the authenticity of what follows, and is intended to teach, that what had preceded concerned only the inner History of Jesus, and the preparation of the Christ. At last that solemn silence was broken by an appearance, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

John Bunyan on the Terms of Communion and Fellowship of Christians at the Table of the Lord;
COMPRISING I. HIS CONFESSION OF FAITH, AND REASON OF HIS PRACTICE; II. DIFFERENCES ABOUT WATER BAPTISM NO BAR TO COMMUNION; AND III. PEACEABLE PRINCIPLES AND TRUE[1] ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Reader, these are extraordinary productions that will well repay an attentive perusal. It is the confession of faith of a Christian who had suffered nearly twelve years' imprisonment, under persecution for conscience sake. Shut up with his Bible, you have here the result of a prayerful study of those holy …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

A Clearing-Up Storm in the Realm
(Revelation, Chapters vi.-viii.) "God Almighty! King of nations! earth Thy footstool, heaven Thy throne! Thine the greatness, power, and glory, Thine the kingdom, Lord, alone! Life and death are in Thy keeping, and Thy will ordaineth all: From the armies of Thy heavens to an unseen insect's fall. "Reigning, guiding, all-commanding, ruling myriad worlds of light; Now exalting, now abasing, none can stay Thy hand of might! Working all things by Thy power, by the counsel of Thy will. Thou art God! …
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

Conclusion
"Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev. 19:6). In our Foreword to the Second Edition we acknowledge the need for preserving the balance of Truth. Two things are beyond dispute: God is Sovereign, man is responsible. In this book we have sought to expound the former; in our other works we have frequently pressed the latter. That there is real danger of over-emphasising the one and ignoring the other, we readily admit; yea, history furnishes numerous examples of cases of each. To emphasise …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

The Plan for the Coming of Jesus.
God's Darling, Psalms 8:5-8.--the plan for the new man--the Hebrew picture by itself--difference between God's plan and actual events--one purpose through breaking plans--the original plan--a starting point--getting inside. Fastening a Tether inside: the longest way around--the pedigree--the start. First Touches on the Canvas: the first touch, Genesis 3:15.--three groups of prediction--first group: to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3; to Isaac, Genesis 26:1-5; to Jacob, Genesis 28:10-15; through Jacob, …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Interpretation of Prophecy.
1. The scriptural idea of prophecy is widely removed from that of human foresight and presentiment. It is that of a revelation made by the Holy Spirit respecting the future, always in the interest of God's kingdom. It is no part of the plan of prophecy to gratify vain curiosity respecting "the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1:7. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God"--this is its key-note. In its form it is carefully adapted to this great end. …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 26-38. ^c 26 Now in the sixth month [this is the passage from which we learn that John was six months older than Jesus] the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth [Luke alone tells us where Mary lived before the birth of Jesus. That Nazareth was an unimportant town is shown by the fact that it is mentioned nowhere in the Old Testament, nor in the Talmud, nor in Josephus, who mentions two hundred four towns and cities of Galilee. The …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Micah
Micah must have been a very striking personality. Like Amos, he was a native of the country--somewhere in the neighbourhood of Gath; and he denounces with fiery earnestness the sins of the capital cities, Samaria in the northern kingdom, and Jerusalem in the southern. To him these cities seem to incarnate the sins of their respective kingdoms, i. 5; and for both ruin and desolation are predicted, i. 6, iii. 12. Micah expresses with peculiar distinctness the sense of his inspiration and the object …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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