The Literary History of Micah 2-5

Abstract

The reconstruction of the growth of the Book of Micah deals with each of the individual pericopes of Micah 2-5. The scope of the original sayings can be determined after a careful literary critical analysis of the individual pericopes. The study of the growth of Micah 2-5, therefore, has to start with a literary critical analysis of the text of 2:1-5:14. The literary critical analysis of an individual saying will, however, be preceded by a form critical assessment of the text. In the analysis of the sayings in the Book of Micah form criticism will tentatively be given precedence over literary criticism. In the form critical analysis, the comparison of a given text with other examples of the same genre will play an important role. The form critical analysis is inextricably bound up with the question of the Sitz im Leben of a certain genre.Keywords: Book of Micah; form critical analysis; literary critical analysis; Sitz im Leben