The name Mica (a variant spelling of Micha or Micah, meaning “Who is like Jehovah?”) appears across the ancestral and administrative registries of Scripture. It identifies a young prince of the royal house of Saul, a prominent Levite who signed the post-exilic covenant, and an ancestor of a trusted scribe during the late Judean monarchy.
The scriptural ledger documents every distinct individual recorded under this specific spelling.
1. Mica, Son of Mephibosheth (The Royal Seed)
The most prominent individual bearing this spelling is a prince of the house of Saul, born during the early years of the United Kingdom. He was the son of Mephibosheth (also called Merib-baal), making him the great-grandson of King Saul and the grandson of Jonathan.
When King David sought to show the “kindness of God” unto any remaining of the house of Saul for Jonathan’s sake, he brought the crippled Mephibosheth into the royal palace to eat continually at the king’s table. The historical record introduces Mephibosheth’s young son during this transition:
“And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.” (2 Samuel 9:12).
Through Mica, the lineage of Jonathan was preserved from extinction. The genealogical registers of the Chronicles record his name under the variant spelling Micah, tracing his descendants across multiple generations of valiant men and archers who multiplied exceedingly within the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:34–35, 9:40–41).
2. Mica, Son of Zabdi (The Levitical Covenant Sealer)
The second distinct individual bearing this name is a prominent Levite who returned from the Babylonian captivity to assist in the spiritual and structural restoration of Jerusalem under Nehemiah.
He was the son of Zabdi (also called Zichri), a descendant of Asaph the praise leader. Mica’s name is explicitly signed to the binding, written covenant to walk in God’s law, separate from pagan influences, and maintain the sanctuary:
“And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,” (Nehemiah 10:9–11).
The Prayer Leader Legacy
His son, Mattaniah, carried on the generational legacy of service, being appointed as the chief leader to begin the thanksgiving in prayer during the daily temple services (Nehemiah 11:17, 12:35). In these post-exilic records, Mica is identified as the root ancestor of several key musicians and gatekeepers who kept watch over the thresholds of the gates.
3. Mica, Father of Achbor (The Royal Official)
A third occurrence of the name identifies a high-ranking official or patriarch who lived during the late monarchy under the reign of King Josiah. He is preserved in the narrative as the father of Achbor (also called Abdon), a trusted member of the royal court.
When Hilkiah the high priest rediscovered the lost Book of the Law inside the temple, King Josiah rent his clothes in terror upon hearing the impending judgments written against the nation. The monarch immediately sent a high-level delegation to inquire of the Lord through Huldah the prophetess, naming Mica’s son among the primary envoys:
“And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Mica, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying, Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found:” (2 Kings 22:12–13).
(Note: In the parallel historical record found in 2 Chronicles 34:20, this exact same father is recorded under the variant name spelling Micah, confirming that both accounts point to the same historical individual within the royal administration.)