Micah: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary

Description

A new translation and commentary on the biblical book of Micah that proposes a convincing new theory of its composition history While the biblical book of Micah is most famous for its images of peace—swords turned to plowshares, spears turned to pruning hooks—and its passages of prophetic hope, the book is largely composed of prophecies of ruin. The historical Micah, who scholars believe lived in the late eighth century BCE, is the first recorded prophet to predict the fateful fall of Jerusalem, and he also foretells the destruction of the regions of Samaria and Judah, in addition to the more well-known promises of Judah’s eventual restoration. In this volume, Bob Becking provides a new translation of the Hebrew text and illuminates the book’s most important elements, paying special attention to its literary features, political context, and composition history. Drawing on ancient Near Eastern comparative evidence, archaeological notes, and inscriptions, Becking surveys debates surrounding the book’s interpretation and concludes that Micah uttered a variety of prophecies over the course of many years which a later redactor collected and molded into a proto-apocalyptic, alternating prophetic futurology. Contents Preface Abbreviations Introduction I. The Aim of This Commentary II. The Text of the Book of Micah III. Ancient Readers of Micah IV. Critical Scholarship on Micah V. The Genesis of Micah VI. Micah in History VII. Forms and Gattungen VIII. A New Proposal IX. Reading Micah in 2021 Bibliography Translation Notes and comments The Superscription (1:1) Part I. A Distorting Prophecy (1:2–16) Part II. A Prophetic Futurology (2–5) Part III. A Pro-Josianic Treatise based on Pseudepigraphy (6–7) Index of Subjects Index of Modern Authors Index of Ancient Sources