Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Micah isn't just asking why they're crying; he's pointing out that their despair suggests a fundamental misunderstanding: they're acting as if God, their true King and Counselor, has vanished. Their pain is real, but it's amplified by forgetting that even in exile, God's reign and wisdom are present.
Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Micah shifts from visions of future peace to address the present distress of Judah, particularly Jerusalem. He questions their loud cries and despair, implying they've lost faith in God's presence and leadership, even as their earthly king and counselors are gone. This verse foreshadows the coming Babylonian exile, where pain will seize them like a woman in labor, leading to their departure from the city and their journey to Babylon.
The prophet asks a stinging question: is there truly no king, no counselor left? It sounds like total abandonment, but Micah is pointing to something deeper.
Micah's audience is in despair, crying out as if all hope is gone. He challenges their perception by asking if their king and counselors have perished. This isn't just about losing human leaders; it's about forgetting that God Himself is their King and Counselor, even when earthly structures crumble.
Human vs. Divine Authority
The prophet uses a powerful, visceral image: pain like a woman in labor. What does this intense suffering signify, and what is its ultimate outcome?
The comparison of their distress to a woman in labor is striking. This imagery signifies:
The Intensity of Calamity
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The Promise of New Life
Understand the original words
yo'ets · Hebrew Noun
A person with divine or human wisdom who provides guidance, strategy, or counsel to leaders, often associated with the governance of Israel.
chiyll · Hebrew Noun
A state of physical or spiritual agony, often compared to the intense, inevitable pains of childbirth, used to describe the trauma of judgment or distress.
Micah's powerful imagery of a woman in labor vividly captures the agony and devastation of Jerusalem's final destruction and the ensuing Babylonian exile, emphasizing the loss of leadership and the profound pain of that historical moment.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Micah prophesied during a period of significant threat from the Assyrian Empire, which had already conquered many surrounding nations. Jerusalem itself faced a terrifying siege under King Hezekiah, though it was miraculously spared.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and deported some of the royal family and skilled citizens, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of Judah's vassalage.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deported King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This deepened the crisis and sense of loss.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar's army finally breached Jerusalem's walls, destroyed the city and the Temple, and deported the remaining population to Babylon. This was the catastrophic event Micah addresses as a period of agonizing 'pangs'.
c. 539 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return from Exile
The Persian king Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and issued a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple. This marked the end of the Babylonian exile.
This passage describes a similar outpouring of grief and pain, questioning the absence of healing and deliverance, mirroring Micah's rhetorical questions about the people's distress and lost leadership.
Lamentations 1:1-5These verses vividly portray Jerusalem's suffering and desolation with language akin to labor pains, emphasizing the loss of leadership and the resulting despair that Micah is addressing.
Isaiah 9:6-7This prophecy directly addresses the concept of a 'Wonderful Counselor' and a king from David's line, offering a stark contrast and a hidden hope to Micah's question about a perished counselor and absent king.
Hosea 13:10This passage echoes Micah's inquiry about the king, directly asking where the king is that might save them, highlighting the desperation that arises from perceived leadership vacuum.
John 16:20-22Jesus uses the analogy of a woman in labor whose pain turns to joy to describe the disciples' sorrow and future gladness, offering a New Testament parallel to the redemptive purpose behind severe pain and distress.
cambridgeMicah 4:9: "Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counseller perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail."
9 . Now why dost thou cry out aloud? ] The prophet from his watch-tower beholds the capture of Jerusalem, and hears the lamentation of its inhabitants (comp. Isaiah 10:30 ). Absorbed in high visions of the future, he deprecates this unmanly despair. True, all is lost, for the present; but they may carry with them into exile a consoling promise of d…
clarkeMicah 4:9: "Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counseller perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail."
Is there no King in thee? - None. And why? Because thou hast rejected Jehovah thy king. Is thy counsellor perished? - No: but thou hast rejected the words and advices of the prophets. Pangs have taken thee - He is speaking of the desolations that should take place when the Chaldeans should come against the city; and hence he says, "Thou shalt go to…
Micah isn't just asking why they're crying; he's pointing out that their despair suggests a fundamental misunderstanding: they're acting as if God, their true King and Counselor, has vanished. Their pain is real, but it's amplified by forgetting that even in exile, God's reign and wisdom are present.
The prophet Micah shifts from visions of future peace to address the present distress of Judah, particularly Jerusalem. He questions their loud cries and despair, implying they've lost faith in God's presence and leadership, even as their earthly king and counselors are gone. This verse foreshadows the coming Babylonian exile, where pain will seize them like a woman in labor, leading to their departure from the city and their journey to Babylon.
The prophet Micah shifts from visions of future peace to address the present distress of Judah, particularly Jerusalem. He questions their loud cries and despair, implying they've lost faith in God's presence and leadership, even as their earthly king and counselors are gone. This verse foreshadows the coming Babylonian exile, where pain will seize them like a woman in labor, leading to their departure from the city and their journey to Babylon.
"Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor?" — Micah isn't just asking why they're crying; he's pointing out that their despair suggests a fundamental misunderstanding: they're acting as if God, their true King and Counselor, has vanished. Their…
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Last reviewed October 2026