With which 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?
Wherewith.
2 Samuel 21:3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
bow.
Psalm 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psalm 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Ephesians 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the high.
Genesis 14:18-22 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God…
Daniel 3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
Daniel 4:9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
with.
Leviticus 1:3-17 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD…
Numbers 23:1-4,14,15,29,30 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams…
Hebrews 10:4-10 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins…
of a year old.
Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
when I bow before the God on high?
Bowing signifies an act of worship and submission, acknowledging God's sovereignty and majesty. The phrase "God on high" underscores His exalted position above all creation. This reflects the biblical understanding of God's transcendence, as seen in Isaiah 57:15, where God is described as dwelling in a high and holy place. The act of bowing also connects to the cultural practices of showing reverence to a king or deity.
Should I come to Him with burnt offerings,
Burnt offerings were a central part of Israelite worship, symbolizing atonement and dedication to God. Leviticus 1 details the procedures for these offerings, which were to be completely consumed by fire, representing total surrender to God. The question here suggests a reflection on whether external rituals alone are sufficient to please God, a theme also explored in 1 Samuel 15:22, where obedience is valued over sacrifice.
with year-old calves?
Year-old calves were considered prime offerings due to their value and purity, as specified in Leviticus 9:3. Offering such a valuable sacrifice indicates a desire to give God the best. However, the rhetorical nature of the question suggests a deeper inquiry into the nature of true worship. This anticipates the prophetic emphasis on justice, mercy, and humility over mere ritual, as later highlighted in Micah 6:8. The mention of calves also foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who fulfills and transcends the sacrificial system.
“ ‘With what shall I come before the LORD…’ ” (Micah 6:6a)
- The question springs from a heart that recognizes God’s holiness (Isaiah 6:5).
- It assumes personal responsibility: worship is not delegated; each believer must “come” (Hebrews 4:16).
- Scripture consistently presents coming before God as a covenant privilege (Psalm 100:2-4).
“…‘when I bow before the God on high?’ ” (Micah 6:6a)
- Bowing pictures humble surrender (Psalm 95:6).
- God is “on high,” reminding us He is enthroned above creation (Isaiah 57:15).
- True worship joins humility with awe (James 4:10).
“ ‘Should I come to Him with burnt offerings…’ ” (Micah 6:6b)
- Burnt offerings symbolized total devotion (Leviticus 1:9).
- Yet God often rejected sacrifices offered without obedience (1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6).
- The question reveals that ritual alone cannot secure favor; heart alignment is essential (Psalm 51:17).
“…‘with year-old calves?’ ” (Micah 6:6b)
- A year-old calf was prime and costly (Leviticus 9:3).
- Even the best earthly gift cannot purchase forgiveness (Psalm 49:7-8).
- Micah prepares the reader for verse 8, where God desires justice, mercy, and humble walking with Him (Matthew 23:23 echoes this priority).
Micah 6:6 exposes the insufficiency of mere ritual. Approaching the exalted LORD demands humble hearts, not just costly sacrifices. While offerings once pictured devotion, God ultimately seeks obedience, justice, and mercy rooted in genuine relationship with Him.
(6) Wherewith shall I come . . .?--This has been taken by some commentators as Balak's question to Balaam, who gives his reply in Micah 6:8. Dean Stanley writes, after his picturesque manner, of "the short dialogue preserved, not by the Mosaic historian, but by the Prophet Micah, which at once exhibits the agony of the king and the lofty conceptions of the great Seer" (Jewish Church, Lect. 8). But it is rather in harmony with the context to understand it as the alarmed and conscience-stricken reply of the Jewish people impersonated in some earnest speaker to the pleading brought before them by the prophet in the Lord's name.Verses 6-8. - § 2. The people, awakened to its ingratitude and need of atonement, asks how to please God, and is referred for answer to the moral requirements of the Law. Verse 6. - It is greatly doubted who is the speaker here. Bishop Butler, in his sermon "Upon the Character of Balaam," adopts the view that Balak is the speaker of vers. 6 and 7, and Balaam answers in ver. 8. Knabenbauer considers Micah himself as the interlocutor, speaking in the character of the people; which makes the apparent change of persons in ver. 8 very awkward. Most commentators, ancient and modern, take the questions in vers. 6 and 7 to be asked by the people personified, though they are not agreed as to the spirit from which they proceed, some thinking that they are uttered in self-righteousness, as if the speakers had done all that and more than could be required of them; others regarding the inquiries as representing a certain acknowledgment of sin and a desire for means of propitiation, though there is exhibited a want of appreciation of the nature of God and of the service which alone is acceptable to him. The latter view is most reasonable, and in accordance with Micah's manner. Wherewith; i.e. with what offering? The prophet represents the congregation as asking him to tell them how to propitiate the offended Lord, and obtain his favour. Come before; go to meet, appear in the presence of the Lord. Septuagint, καταλάβω, "attain to." Bow myself before the high God; literally, God of the height, who has his throne on high (Isaiah 33:5; Isaiah 57:15); Vulgate, curvabo genu Deo excelso; Septuagint, ἀντιλήψομαι Θεοῦ μου ὑψίστου, "shall I lay hold of my God most high." Calves of a year old. Such were deemed the choicest victims (comp. Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 9:2, 3).