placed in a wooden, metal or glass case that is affixed in a slanting position on the right-hand doorpost of orthodox Jewish dwellings, the upper part pointing inward and the lower part outward. The Hebrew word Shad·dayʹ (meaning “Almighty”) is written on the back of this parchment and is frequently visible through a glass-covered opening in the container. Sometimes the mezuzah case is artistically decorated. When pious orthodox Jews enter or leave a house they touch the mezuzah with the hand and recite the prayer, “May God keep my going out and my coming in from now on and ever more.”—Compare Psalm 121:8.

The use of the mezuzah is based on a literal interpretation of the command at Deuteronomy 6:9 and 11:20.

MIBHAR

(Mibʹhar) [perhaps, choice].

Son of Hagri and one of the mighty men of David’s military forces. (1 Chron. 11:26, 38) Some have suggested that there is a discrepancy in the text at 1 Chronicles 11:38 because Bani the Gadite, not Mibhar, is mentioned in a parallel list at 2 Samuel 23:36. They hold that Mibhar is an alteration of the Hebrew for “from Zobah” and that the final words of 1 Chronicles 11:38 resulted because of reading ben hag·riʹ (Mibhar the son of Hagri) for ba·niʹ hag·ga·dhiʹ (Bani the Gadite). This remains conjectural.

MIBSAM

(Mibʹsam) [perhaps, perfumed].

1. One of the sons of Ishmael and founder of a family.—Gen. 25:13; 1 Chron. 1:29.

2. A descendant of Simeon.—1 Chron. 4:24, 25.

MIBZAR

(Mibʹzar) [fortification].

One of the shieks of Edom or Esau. The name “Mibzar” perhaps also came to apply both to his descendants and the place they settled.—Gen. 36:40, 42; 1 Chron. 1:53.

MICA

(Miʹca) [probably an abbreviated form of “Micaiah,” meaning “who is like Jah (Jehovah)?”].

The English names “Mica” and “Micah” have resulted from a minor difference in the Hebrew spelling.

1. Son of Mephibosheth (Merib-baal) and grandson of King Saul’s son Jonathan. Mica (also called Micah) was the father of Pithon, Melech, Tarea (Tahrea) and Ahaz.—2 Sam. 9:12; 1 Chron. 8:33-35; 9:39-41.

2. One of the Levites (or the forefather of one) attesting by seal the “trustworthy arrangement” of Nehemiah’s time.—Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 9, 11.

3. A Levite descendant of Asaph and the son of Zichri (also identified as Zabdi and Zaccur). Mica was the father of Mattaniah and is also called Micah and Micaiah.—1 Chron. 9:14, 15; Neh. 11:17, 22; 12:35.

MICAH

(Miʹcah) [abbreviated form of “Micaiah,” meaning “who is like Jah (Jehovah)?”].

1. A man of Ephraim. In violation of the eighth of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:15), Micah took 1,100 silver pieces from his mother. When he confessed and returned them, she said: “I must without fail sanctify the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son, so as to make a carved image and a molten statue; and now I shall give it back to you.” She then took two hundred silver pieces to a silversmith, who made a “carved image and a molten statue” that afterward came to be in Micah’s house. Micah, who had a “house of gods,” made an ephod and teraphim and empowered one of his sons to act as priest for him. Although this arrangement was ostensibly to honor Jehovah, it was grossly improper, for it violated the commandment forbidding idolatry (Ex. 20:4-6) and bypassed Jehovah’s tabernacle and his priesthood. (Judg. 17:1-6; Deut. 12:1-14) Later, Micah took Moses’ grandson Jonathan into his home, hiring this young Levite as his priest. (Judg. 18:4, 30) Mistakenly feeling satisfied with this, Micah said: “Now I do know that Jehovah will do me good.” (Judg. 17:7-13) But Jonathan was not of Aaron’s lineage and thus was not even qualified for priestly service, which only added to Micah’s error.—Num. 3:10.

In those days, the Danites, searching for territory in which to dwell, sent out five spies, who eventually came to Ephraim “as far as the house of Micah and got to spend the night there.” While near Micah’s house, they recognized Jonathan’s voice, found out what he was doing there, and had him inquire of God so that they might know whether their venture would be successful. The priest told them: “Go in peace. It is before Jehovah that your way is in which you go.” (Judg. 18:1-6) They subsequently spied out Laish and returned, telling their brothers about it, whereupon the five spies and six hundred Danite men girded for warfare headed for that city. En route, as they passed Micah’s house, the spies told their brothers about his religious articles and suggested their acquisition. The Danites took these and also convinced the Levite that it would be better for him to be a priest to a tribe and family in Israel than just for one man. They then took him, the ephod, the teraphim and the carved image and went their way.—Judg. 18:7-21.

Shortly thereafter, Micah and a company of men pursued the Danites. Upon catching up with them and being asked what was the matter, Micah said: “My gods that I made you have taken, the priest too, and you go your way, and what do I have any more?” At that, the sons of Dan warned of possible assault if Micah continued following them and voicing protest. Seeing that the Danites were much stronger than his band, Micah returned home. (Judg. 18:22-26) The Danites thereafter struck down and burned Laish, building the city of Dan on its site. Jonathan and his sons became priests to the Danites, who “kept the carved image of Micah, which he had made, set up for themselves all the days that the house of the true God [the tabernacle] continued in Shiloh.”—Judg. 18:27-31.

2. A Levite of the Kohathite family of Uzziel, of which he was head and his brother Isshiah the second when the Levitical service assignments were distributed by David.—1 Chron. 23:6, 12, 20; 24:24, 25.

3. Descendant of King Saul and son of Jonathan’s son Merib-baal (Mephibosheth). He Is also called Mica.—1 Chron. 8:33-35; 9:39-41; 2 Sam. 9:12.

4. A Reubenite who was the son of Shimei and father of Reaiah. His descendant Beerah was a chieftain of the tribe of Reuben and was taken into exile by Assyrian King Tilgath-pilneser (Tiglath-pileser III).—1 Chron. 5:1, 3-6; 2 Ki. 15:29.

5. Father of Abdon (Achbor). He is also called Micaiah, which is the longer form of his name.—2 Chron. 34:20; 2 Ki. 22:12.

6. A Levite and descendant of Asaph. (Neh. 11:15, 17) He is also called Mica and Micaiah.—1 Chron. 9:15; Neh. 11:22; 12:35.

7. Writer of the Bible book bearing his name and a prophet of Jehovah during the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah (777-716 B.C.E.). Micah was a contemporary of the prophets Hosea and Isaiah. The exact duration of his prophetic activity is uncertain. His prophesying apparently closed by the end of Hezekiah’s reign, when the composition of the prophet’s book was completed.—Mic. 1:1; Hos. 1:1; Isa. 1:1.

Micah was a native of the village of Moresheth, SW of Jerusalem. (Jer. 26:18) As a resident of the fertile Shephelah, the prophet was well acquainted with rural living, from which he was inspired to draw meaningful illustrations. (Mic. 2:12; 4:12, 13; 7:1, 4, 14) Micah prophesied during very turbulent times when false worship and moral corruption flourished in Israel and Judah, also when King Hezekiah instituted religious reforms. (2 Ki. 15:32–20:21; 2 Chron. chaps. 27-32) With good reason, “the word of Jehovah that occurred to Micah” warned that God would make Samaria “a heap of ruins of the field” and it was prophesied that “Zion will be plowed up