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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Micah


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Micah Micah, Mica Mica

The name Mica(h) is the accepted abbreviated form of the name Michaiah (like what Rick is to Richard). The different spellings (either with the heh or with the aleph) argues the weakness or softness of both letters, especially when they are used for the notation of a vowel. In that case these letters become almost freely interchangeable without substantially altering the name (like our John, Jon, Joan, Jean, Jan, Janna, Jane).

However, the Hebrew language is far too majestic and potent to allow any kind of change without a very good reason or some extra magic. Even though both names derive of Michaiah, which means Who Is Like YHWH, there is additional meaning to the abbreviation, which turns the name into a little poem.

The Mica's (Mica) mentioned in the Bible are Mephiboseth's young son (2 Sam 9:12), the Mica who is among the signers of Ezra's covenant (Neh 10:11), who may or may not be the same Mica as the father of a certain overseer (Neh 11:22).
The Micah's (Micah) that are mentioned are a descendant of Asaph (1 Chr 9:15), a descendant of Kohath (1 Chr 23:20), the father of one of king Josiah's adjutants who is also known as Michaiah (2 Chr 34:20 & 2 Ki 22:12) and lastly the prophet who wrote the book of Micah.

The name Mica(h) consists of two parts. The first bit is mi (mi 1189), the common inquisitive particle that seeks after identity: who?
Then, for Mica, the second part is ka, which doesn't exists in the Bible, but which can be easily constructed from the verb kaa (ka'a 941), be disheartened or frightened. Which makes the name Micah like a rhetorical response to the name Michaiah: Who Is Like YHWH? (and as a show of trust in Him:) Who Is Afraid?

For Micah the second part of the name is koh, which is equal to the word koh (koh 955), the demonstrative adverb of manner, place or time: thus, here, making Micah to mean Who's There? But, more attractively, koh may also be seen as to come from kaha (kaha 957), be dim, faint, weak. That way the name Micah is like Mica, and asks Who's A Whimp?



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