Rabbi Natasha Mann

This piece first appeared in Rabbi Natasha's commentary on the 929 Tanakh project here . Micah is a master of imagery. When God approaches us for judgment, the mountains will melt like wax and the valleys will burst open (1:4). The corrupt rulers of Israel have devoured the people’s flesh and picked the meat from their bones (3:3). In the fourth and fifth chapters of the Book of Micah, the text turns to the question of the future redemption, and Micah paints a series of portraits of hope.   These visions differ significantly in tone and content. They become a swirl of messianic ideas, tilting from universal to particular, from comforting to concerning and back again. One of the most significant differences is the place of the nations. Will the nations be joining us in Jerusalem to worship the Universal Divine in a time of peace (4:1-5), or will the nations attack Jacob and be consequently crushed by Jacob’s God (5:6-14)? Micah does not resolve this apparent contradiction, nor doe...

Background of Micah Time:  8 th Century BCE                         Note: North falls in 722BCE, when Ahaz is on the Southern throne Place: Southern Kingdom Kings:  Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah (Judah) Political Backdrop: ·        Northern and Southern kingdoms both still standing – Micah prophesies against both kingdoms ·        Approximately the same time as Isaiah Primary Themes of Micah: ·        Accusations and warnings, followed by messages of hope and redemption ·        Everyone is corrupt – even God’s prophets o    Social and religious sins are blended together ·        Judgment: Courtroom language o    God as: accuser, defendant, judge? o ...