The Meaning of Micah 6:6 Explained

Micah 6:6

KJV: Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?

YLT: With what do I come before Jehovah? Do I bow to God Most High? Do I come before Him with burnt-offerings? With calves -- sons of a year?

Darby: Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old?

ASV: Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherewith shall I come before  the LORD,  [and] bow  myself before the high  God?  shall I come before  him with burnt offerings,  with calves  of a year  old? 

What does Micah 6:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The prophet, for His people, asked himself what offering He should bring to the exalted Lord in heaven that would be appropriate in view of Yahweh"s mercies to the Israelites throughout their history. Would burnt offerings of year-old calves be suitable, since they were the very best offerings and expressed the worshipper"s total personal dedication to Yahweh (cf. Leviticus 9:2-3; Leviticus 22:27)?

Context Summary

Micah 6:1-16 - "what Doth The Lord Require Of Thee?"
In Micah 6:1-4 the prophet returns from his vision of the future to the actual condition of his people, which was utterly desperate. The mountains, as the most enduring monuments of nature, are summoned as witnesses in the great trial between Jehovah and His people. Like Israel, we have been delivered from the house of bondage with infinite love, but how wayward and willful we have been! Micah 6:5-8 prove the impotence of a religion which is only external.
Few have known more sublime truth than Baalim, Micah 6:5, but he loved the wages of unrighteousness; and this eclipsed the divine radiance that became overcast and finally overwhelmed. Micah 6:9-11 reveal the fruitlessness of a life of sin. Sooner or later nature herself becomes unresponsive-sowing, but no harvest; the treading of the press, but no juice. The only path to real satisfaction and peace is in the love and faithful service of God. Why are we so slow to tread it? [source]

Chapter Summary: Micah 6

1  God's punishment for ingratitude;
6  for ignorance,
10  for injustice;
16  and for idolatry

What do the individual words in Micah 6:6 mean?

With what shall I come before Yahweh [And] bow myself before the God High shall I come before Him with burnt offerings with calves old a year
בַּמָּה֙ אֲקַדֵּ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה אִכַּ֖ף ؟ לֵאלֹהֵ֣י מָר֑וֹם הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ בְעוֹל֔וֹת בַּעֲגָלִ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י ؟ שָׁנָֽה

בַּמָּה֙  With  what 
Parse: Preposition-b, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
אֲקַדֵּ֣ם  shall  I  come  before 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: קָדַם  
Sense: to meet, come or be in front, confront, go before.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אִכַּ֖ף  [And]  bow  myself 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּפַף  
Sense: to bend, bend down, bow down, be bent, be bowed.
؟ לֵאלֹהֵ֣י  before  the  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מָר֑וֹם  High 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרֹום  
Sense: height.
הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ  shall  I  come  before  Him 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: קָדַם  
Sense: to meet, come or be in front, confront, go before.
בְעוֹל֔וֹת  with  burnt  offerings 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
בַּעֲגָלִ֖ים  with  calves 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֵגֶל  
Sense: calf, bull-calf.
בְּנֵ֥י  old 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
؟ שָׁנָֽה  a  year 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.