Undoing Justice: Comparing Micah's Complaint with the Covenant Code in Exodus 21-23 (original) (raw)
2017
The celebrated call of Micah “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic 6:8), strikes a fierce blow against the nation of Judah which has, according to the prophet, comprehensively failed in its obligation to walk in the ways of YHWH. At the heart of this accusation is the evidence of oppression, corruption, and false prophecy which demonstrates a rejection of God’s justice and thus a betrayal of YHWH’s covenant with them. This much is well attested, and many scholars have noted significant points of correlation between the details of Micah’s complaint and the covenant requirements as laid out in Exodus 20:1-17, Leviticus 19:9-18 and 25:1-55 in particular. In his 1988 commentary, Bruce Waltke made a similar comparison between Micah’s understanding of mishpat and the Covenant Code as recorded in Exodus 21:1-23:19, although he did not explore the connection in specific detail. Others have also noted isolated points of crossover between these texts, but Waltke’s suggestion that the parallel is more comprehensive, as well as his implication that this may be deliberate, has not been fully developed. The thesis of this paper is that there is indeed a profitable comparison to be made between these two texts, both of which begin with confrontations of idolatry before setting out to define YHWH’s mishpat (Ex 21:1 cf. Mic 3:1, 8-9), according to closely corresponding themes. This paper will present the results of this comparative study and offer reflections on the extent to which this indicates a conscious interaction between the texts and whether this provides evidence of a sophisticated covenant ideology in the Book of Micah.
Related papers
2018
Review article published in Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (ZAW) 130 (2018), 1st issue. The full text can be downloaded via one of the following links: http://www.ku.de/thf/at/forschungskooperation-jesaja-und-zwoelfpropheten/ https://goo.gl/YR4K6a https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/zatw.2018.130.issue-1/issue-files/zatw.2018.130.issue-1.xml Abstracts in English, German and French: Israel’s God does not only cast down arrogant superpowers such as Assyria (cf. Isa 10) and Egypt (cf. Ex 1 – 15) but also haughty Israelite leaders (cf. Isa 1 – 12). This invites a comparison between the fates of Egypt in Ex 1 – 15 and the Judean political stakeholders in Isa 1 – 12. The comparison reveals a number of specific and theologically important similarities. Both protagonists turn into oppressors of God’s chosen people, whose cry YHWH hears. In response, he calls a prophet and commissions him to harden the oppressors’ heart. By consequence, the latter ones ignore the announcements of doom proclaimed to them until YHWH’s judgement fully hits them. In the macrocontext, a bridge from Exodus to Isaiah is provided by the call narratives which follow the pattern of the call of Moses (Judges 6:11 14; 1 Sam 9:1 – 10:16). They mark Israel’s gradual development from a community suffering under foreign oppressors towards a society where Pharao-like tyrants have taken lead to the detriment of the poor. The fact that Micah contains no comparable narrative structure characterizes him as a different type of prophet. German: Israels Gott wirft nicht nur hochmütige Supermächte wie Assyrien (vgl. Jes 10) und Ägypten (vgl. Ex 1 – 15) zu Boden, sondern auch überhebliche israelitische Anführer (vgl. Jes 1 – 12). Dies lädt zu einem Vergleich zwischen dem Ergehen Ägyptens in Ex 1 – 15 und dem der judäischen politischen Elite in Jes 1 – 12 ein. Der Vergleich zeigt eine Reihe spezifischer, theologisch bedeutsamer Ähnlichkeiten auf. Beide Protagonisten werden zu Unterdrückern des Gottesvolks, dessen Schrei JHWH hört. Er antwortet, indem er einen Propheten mit dem Auftrag beruft, das Herz der Unterdrücker zu verstocken. Infolgedessen ignorieren letztere die ihnen verkündeten Gerichtsansagen, bis JHWHs Gericht sie niederwirft. Im Markokontext schlagen nach dem mosaischen Schema gestaltete Berufungsberichte (Ri 6:11 14; 1 Sam 9:1 – 10:16) einen Bogen zwischen Ex und Jes. Sie kennzeichen Israels Entwicklung von einer Gemeinschaft, die unter fremden Unterdrückern leidet, hin zu einer Gesellschaft, wo Pharao-ähnliche Unterdrücker zum Nachteil der Schwachen die Führung übernommen haben. Die Tatsache, dass Micha keine vergleichbare narrative Struktur aufweist, charakterisiert ihn als andersartigen Prophetentypen. French: Le Dieu d’Israël fait chuter non seulement des superpuissances arrogantes comme l’Assyrie (cf. Isa 10) et l’Égypte (cf. Ex 1 – 15) mais aussi les chefs orgueilleux d’Israël (cf. Isa 1 12). Cela invite une comparaison entre la fortune de l’Égypte en Ex 1 – 15 et celle de l’élite politique judaïque en Isa 1 – 12. La comparaison montre un nombre de similarités spécifiques et théologiquement significantes. Tous les deux protagonistes deviennent des oppresseurs du peuple de Dieu, la crie duquel YHWH écoute. En réponse, il appelle un prophéte et lui commande d’endurcir leur cœur. Par conséquent, ils ignorent les annonces de jugement proclamées par le prophète jusqu’au point où le jugement les frappe de toute force. Dans le macrocontexte, des narrations de vocation suivant le schéma de celle de Moïse (Juges 6:11 14; 1 Sam 9:1 – 10:16) créent un pont entre l’Exode et Isaïe. Elles marquent un développement, au cours duquel Israël, qui souffre d’abord des oppresseurs étrangers, devient une société gouvernée par des oppresseurs ressemblant au pharao de l’Égypte. Le fait que Michée manque une structure narrative comparable le caractérise comme un type de prophète différent.
Old Testament Essays, 2018
Trading Yahweh’s word for a price is an attempt to articulate the implications of the mercenary attitude of prophets and priests in Micah 3:5–7, 11, in discharging their duties as religious functionaries. The article examines Micah’s indictment of charismatic and cultic Judeans’ self-centred leadership in commercialising Yahweh’s word. This exploration is done against the background of the functions and responsibility of prophets and priests in the HB/OT. Prophets and priests both functioned in the religion of Ancient Israel and Judah as channels for the transmission of Yahweh’s word to their people and nation. However, Micah presents a charismatic and cultic Judean leadership that was bereft of ethical standards of responsibility, reliability, constancy and integrity. Rather than embodying ethical character that could inspire confidence and commitment, they traded Yahweh’s word for symbols of wealth and power and thus became stumbling blocks to genuine orthodoxy. Such attempts to lower the standard of God’s demand on people so as to gratify oneself in a religious function that is designed to embody integrity, honesty, reliability and accountability constitute an affront to Yahweh. Additionally, it is an abuse of privilege and position, and amounts to religious deception and economic idolatry and creates a false sense of security.
Micah’s Theory of the Justice of Judgement (Micah 3:1–12)
Journal for Semitics , 2017
This article is an examination of Micah’s theory of justice within the overall context of his oracles of judgements. While there are competing perspectives in the justice of judgement in the book of Micah, particularly in relation to the extent of judgement, this article concerns itself with the interrelatedness and connection between sin and judgement. The judgements envisioned in Micah’s oracles are provoked by the violations of the traditional moral and social solidarities resulting from the Covenant, which formed the basis of society. As an egalitarian society, the social blueprint of Yahweh’s Torah for Israel advocated special concern for weak and vulnerable individuals as fundamental. The gift of Torah inaugurated Israel as a community meant to personify Yahweh’s justice. However, increasing injustice profoundly jeopardized this witness to God’s healing agenda. For failing to uphold justice the perpetrators are liable and the judgements constitute justice. This justice may not necessarily be corrective in quality but punitive. The article therefore examines briefly the background, structure, and approaches to the book of Micah, analyses a unit of judgement oracle (3:1–12), and concludes by synthesising Micah’s theory of justice within the overall context of his oracles of judgements.
Loading Preview
Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.