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The Book of Micah is the sixth of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible.[1][a] Ostensibly, it records the sayings of Micah, whose name is Mikayahu (Hebrew: מִיכָיָ֫הוּ), meaning "Who is like Yahweh?",[3] an 8th-century BCE prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah (Hebrew name from the opening verse: מיכה המרשתי).[4]
The book has three major divisions, chapters 1–2, 3–5 and 6–7, each introduced by the word "Hear", with a pattern of alternating announcements of doom and expressions of hope within each division.[5] Micah reproaches unjust leaders, defends the rights of the poor against the rich and powerful;[6] while looking forward to a world at peace centered on Zion under the leadership of a new Davidic monarch.[7]
While the book is relatively short, it includes lament (1:8–16; 7:8–10), theophany (1.3–4), a hymnic prayer of petition and confidence (7:14–20),[8] and the "covenant lawsuit" (6:1–8), a distinct genre in which Yahweh (God) sues Israel for breach of contract of the Mosaic covenant.[9]
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