This is the twenty-seventh in a series of biblical summaries from David Dorsey's book: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament. This is the sixth in the sub-series of minor prophets, covering Micah.
a coming defeat and destruction (1:1-16)
b corruption of the people (2:1-13)
c corruption of leaders (3:1-12)
d CENTER: glorious future restoration (4:1-5:15)
c' corruption of leaders (6:1-16)
b' corruption of the people (7:1-7)
a' future reversal of defeat and destruction (7:8-20)
The 'a' pattern links Israel's defeat with their future restoration. Both sections have the theme of sin. Section one emphasizes Israel's guilt. Section two emphasizes that God will forgive. The first section speaks of Israel going into exile. The second section speaks of Israel returning from exile. The first section speaks of God destroying the walls of Samaria, down to the foundations. The second section speaks of future rebuilding of walls.
The 'b' pattern has to do with corruption of the people. Both sections begin with woe. Both focus on social evils and greed.
The 'c' pattern links the first section's emphasis on bad rulers to the second section's emphasis on the requirements for good rulers. Both begin with "hear now." Both condemn dishonesty and social injustice. The first section speaks of corruption of rulers, prophets, and priests. The second section speaks of the past good rulers and priests that Yahweh gave Israel, and also the corruption of present rulers. The first section speaks of prophets prophesying for pay. The second section speaks of the prophet Balaam, who was hired to prophesy for pay. In the first section, bad rulers abhor justice and love evil. In the second section, good rulers are to do justice and love kindness. Both treat topics of eating and the mouth.
The 'd' section is a central treatment of glorious future restoration under Yahweh's own strong and righteous rule. Dorsey writes: "The message begins and ends with a majestic prediction that Yahweh will establish his rule over all the "nations." This will involve the conversion/destruction of all war machinery and the end of idolatry and false religion." (298)
A fascinating study of Old Testament literary structure. We often tend to look at the Bible in general from a modern Western perspective and forget that much, if not all of the Bible was written in order to be read aloud to God’s people, most of whom could not read. Repetition, oral markers and phrases, verbal idioms, parallel passages, oral traditions, etc. God’s word was and is truly alive. Thank you, Chris, for this aid in understanding!
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