Book of Micah

The Book of Micah is the sixth of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible.[1][a] Ostensibly, it records the sayings of Micah, whose name is Mikayahu (Hebrew: מִיכָיָ֫הוּ), meaning "Who is like Yahweh?",[3] an 8th-century BCE prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah (Hebrew name from the opening verse: מיכה המרשתי).[4]

The book has three major divisions, chapters 1–2, 3–5 and 6–7, each introduced by the word "Hear", with a pattern of alternating announcements of doom and expressions of hope within each division.[5] Micah reproaches unjust leaders, defends the rights of the poor against the rich and powerful;[6] while looking forward to a world at peace centered on Zion under the leadership of a new Davidic monarch.[7]

While the book is relatively short, it includes lament (1:8–16; 7:8–10), theophany (1.3–4), a hymnic prayer of petition and confidence (7:14–20),[8] and the "covenant lawsuit" (6:1–8), a distinct genre in which Yahweh (God) sues Israel for breach of contract of the Mosaic covenant.[9]

The formation of the Book of Micah is debated, with a consensus that its final stage occurred during the Persian period or Hellenistic period, but uncertainty remains about whether it was formed at the time or merely finalized.[10]

  1. ^ Ben Zvi (2000), p. 4
  2. ^ Shepherd, Michael (2018). A Commentary on the Book of the Twelve: The Minor Prophets. Kregel Exegetical Library. Kregel Academic. p. 23. ISBN 978-0825444593. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  3. ^ Mays (1976), p. 1
  4. ^ Limburg (1988), p. 160
  5. ^ Limburg (1988), p. 159
  6. ^ King (1988), pp. 27–28
  7. ^ Sweeney (2000), pp. 341–42
  8. ^ Coogan (2009), p. 284
  9. ^ Coogan (2009), p. 265
  10. ^ Kessler, Rainer (February 10, 2021). Michael A. S. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets. Oxford University Press. pp. 461–471. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190673208.013.35. Retrieved January 5, 2025.


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