And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

MICAH 5:14KJV
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Micah 5:14 (KJV)

What does Micah 5:14 mean?

Micah 5:14 says that God will remove the “groves” from among the people and destroy their cities. This means God is promising to get rid of places and things connected to idol worship and to bring judgment on the centers of unfaithfulness within the nation.

Micah, speaking God’s message to the people of Israel, is warning them that their practices of worshiping other gods—especially in “groves” or sacred trees—will be wiped out. The verse comes in a section where God lists the things He will remove to purify His people, showing that He will not tolerate divided loyalty or idolatry.

The Hebrew behind Micah 5:14

  • “Groves” (אֲשֵׁרִים, ʾăšērîm): This word refers to wooden idols or sacred trees used in worship of the goddess Asherah. Mentioning this word shows the focus is on removing specific objects and places tied to idol worship, not just generic wrongdoing.
  • “Cities” (עָרֶיךָ, ʿāreykā and עָרִים, ʿārîm): The two Hebrew words tagged here both mean “cities,” but the context suggests these are centers of power or influence that have become corrupt. The destruction is not just physical but targets the heart of the nation’s unfaithfulness.

Why Micah 5:14 matters

  • The verse clarifies that God’s concern is not just with individual actions but with the public and communal places where idolatry happens.
  • By naming “groves” and “cities,” Micah 5:14 shows that both religious practices and the broader society will be judged and cleansed.
  • This verse connects to the wider message of Micah, where God promises both judgment for unfaithfulness and hope for restoration after the people turn back to Him.

Where else these words appear

“cities” Hebrew H6145 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Samuel 28:16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
  • Psalms 9:6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
  • Isaiah 14:21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

“up” Hebrew H5428 · used in 19 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:28 And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.
  • Jeremiah 12:15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
  • Jeremiah 31:40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

“groves” Hebrew H842 · used in 40 verses

  • Exodus 34:13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
  • 1 Kings 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.
  • 2 Chronicles 15:16 And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

“destroy” Hebrew H8045 · used in 86 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • Deuteronomy 31:3 The LORD thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.
  • Esther 4:8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.