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Micah (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
A distinctively theological take on the book of Micah Readers of the book of Micah learn a great deal about he is a mighty God who controls the nations, yet he is also concerned with everyday matters like equity, poverty, and care for widows and orphans. In presenting this transcendent-yet-immanent God, Micah's message revolves around themes of justice, judgment, and salvation that continue to carry great significance today. In this theological commentary on the book of Micah, Stephen Dempster places the text in conversation with the larger story of Scripture. After discussing questions of structure and authorship in his introduction, Dempster systematically works through the text, drawing links to the broader biblical story throughout. In the second part of his commentary Dempster offers theological discussion that further explicates the most significant themes in Micah and their applicability to today's Christians.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 29, 2017
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About the author
Stephen G. Dempster
11 books21 followersStephen G. Dempster is professor emeritus of religious studies at Crandall University, where he taught for 37 years and held the Stuart E. Murray Chair in Religious Studies. With academic degrees in kinesiology, biblical studies, theology, and classical Hebrew from institutions including Westminster Theological Seminary and the University of Toronto, Dempster is widely respected for his work in Old Testament theology. He is the author of Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology of the Hebrew Bible, a well-regarded contribution to biblical theology, and a contributor to Biblical Theology: Retrospect and Prospect. He also founded and coached Crandall’s men’s baseball team.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 21, 2018
Review here: http://mydigitalseminary.com/micah-tw...
I must admit I’ve delayed writing this review. It’s not that I didn’t like Stephen Dempster’s Micah commentary; in fact, it was the opposite. I liked it so much that I was intimidated to review it (even after writing so many reviews). It’s just that good. Micah all the expected features of a commentary in the Two Horizons series. A 50-page introduction discusses usual issues such as authorship, setting, and structure as well as Micah’s placement in the Book of the Twelve (interestingly, Micah’s prediction of the temple’s destruction is at the very center of the Twelve). A 120-page commentary follows; one that somehow doesn’t feel as brief as it may look. A 70-page theological reflection concludes the commentary, in which Dempster considers Micah’s themes (e.g. justice, land, temple, messiah), contribution to Biblical theology, and contemporary relevance (e.g. cheap grace, justice, idolatry).
So far, so good. But these features are not particularly uncommon. How is Dempster’s Micah such a good commentary?
First, Dempster’s writing is exceptional in its clarity, creativity, and beauty; it was a pleasure to read. Second, Dempster pays close attention to the literary structure of the text, drawing out its own artistry and features such as word play, repetition, and sound. Third, Dempster ably weaves between historical, literary, and applicational concerns. Fourth, Dempster reads Micah theologically and canonically; that is, he reads it in light of its border theological and biblical horizons. Fifth, Dempster has some of the hardest-hitting application I’ve read in any commentary that is also thoroughly grounded in his exegesis. For example, consider the following:
"One of the judgments in Western culture for the vast network of sweatshops and slave industries that supply the Western world with its goods and luxuries is the profound dissatisfaction that can be seen in the vacant faces of those walking the halls of the supermalls, zombielike, listening to the omnipresent Muzak. … When a people abandons God, the prophet comes and says, ‘You will eat but not be satisfied.’" (p. 172)
Prophetic and contextually sensitive application like this appears throughout the commentary.
If I had any critique, it would be that I found the commentary on Micah 4:1-5 a little scant. While Dempster provided his usual insight in the literary structure, I was disappointed that his section on fulfillment was not as nuanced. In Dempster’s view, “the key interpretive question is whether this text will be fulfilled in a literal fashion at the end of history in a millennium, or if it is to be understood as being fulfilled in the temple of the Christian church” (p. 130). He goes on to suggest it is the latter. However, I find this to be a false dichotomy. There are other un-discussed options, such as possible intertextuality or thematic parallels in Revelation 21-22.
Conclusion
Presenting the best of an already strong series, Dempster’s Micah volume in the Two Horizons series interweaves deep exegesis with sustained theological reflection. It will undoubtedly be the first Micah commentary I use and recommend for studying and teaching the book.
Many thanks to Eerdmans for providing a review copy. I was not required to post a positive review.
I must admit I’ve delayed writing this review. It’s not that I didn’t like Stephen Dempster’s Micah commentary; in fact, it was the opposite. I liked it so much that I was intimidated to review it (even after writing so many reviews). It’s just that good. Micah all the expected features of a commentary in the Two Horizons series. A 50-page introduction discusses usual issues such as authorship, setting, and structure as well as Micah’s placement in the Book of the Twelve (interestingly, Micah’s prediction of the temple’s destruction is at the very center of the Twelve). A 120-page commentary follows; one that somehow doesn’t feel as brief as it may look. A 70-page theological reflection concludes the commentary, in which Dempster considers Micah’s themes (e.g. justice, land, temple, messiah), contribution to Biblical theology, and contemporary relevance (e.g. cheap grace, justice, idolatry).
So far, so good. But these features are not particularly uncommon. How is Dempster’s Micah such a good commentary?
First, Dempster’s writing is exceptional in its clarity, creativity, and beauty; it was a pleasure to read. Second, Dempster pays close attention to the literary structure of the text, drawing out its own artistry and features such as word play, repetition, and sound. Third, Dempster ably weaves between historical, literary, and applicational concerns. Fourth, Dempster reads Micah theologically and canonically; that is, he reads it in light of its border theological and biblical horizons. Fifth, Dempster has some of the hardest-hitting application I’ve read in any commentary that is also thoroughly grounded in his exegesis. For example, consider the following:
"One of the judgments in Western culture for the vast network of sweatshops and slave industries that supply the Western world with its goods and luxuries is the profound dissatisfaction that can be seen in the vacant faces of those walking the halls of the supermalls, zombielike, listening to the omnipresent Muzak. … When a people abandons God, the prophet comes and says, ‘You will eat but not be satisfied.’" (p. 172)
Prophetic and contextually sensitive application like this appears throughout the commentary.
If I had any critique, it would be that I found the commentary on Micah 4:1-5 a little scant. While Dempster provided his usual insight in the literary structure, I was disappointed that his section on fulfillment was not as nuanced. In Dempster’s view, “the key interpretive question is whether this text will be fulfilled in a literal fashion at the end of history in a millennium, or if it is to be understood as being fulfilled in the temple of the Christian church” (p. 130). He goes on to suggest it is the latter. However, I find this to be a false dichotomy. There are other un-discussed options, such as possible intertextuality or thematic parallels in Revelation 21-22.
Conclusion
Presenting the best of an already strong series, Dempster’s Micah volume in the Two Horizons series interweaves deep exegesis with sustained theological reflection. It will undoubtedly be the first Micah commentary I use and recommend for studying and teaching the book.
Many thanks to Eerdmans for providing a review copy. I was not required to post a positive review.
August 17, 2023
Dr. Dempster (as I will always refer to him) writes a commentary not just with the typical logos, but also with an abundance of pathos. Those who know him personally will further know that he carries no shortage of ethos.
Thus result in this brief commentary is a heartful yet scholarly dive into the life and times of Micah the prophet. And this is, in fact, the only approach that does justice to the message therein. Dr. Dempster has a way of taking the reader into the immediacy of the Sitz im Leben of the original hearers while simultaneously making analogical connections with the sins of man and mercies of God in our own age. He gets down to brass tacks and identifies our idols as well as our saints, the latter of which are too scarce in our North American context.
For me, this book served as the basis for Bible study sessions at an inner city Christian home, but it affected me personally as much as anyone else that benefited from the teaching sessions. I look forward to Dr. Dempster's forthcoming book on the Kingdom.
Thus result in this brief commentary is a heartful yet scholarly dive into the life and times of Micah the prophet. And this is, in fact, the only approach that does justice to the message therein. Dr. Dempster has a way of taking the reader into the immediacy of the Sitz im Leben of the original hearers while simultaneously making analogical connections with the sins of man and mercies of God in our own age. He gets down to brass tacks and identifies our idols as well as our saints, the latter of which are too scarce in our North American context.
For me, this book served as the basis for Bible study sessions at an inner city Christian home, but it affected me personally as much as anyone else that benefited from the teaching sessions. I look forward to Dr. Dempster's forthcoming book on the Kingdom.
January 18, 2019
I enjoyed the format of this commentary. It has a good exegesis of the text followed by two theological sections, one dealing with Micah's 8th century audience, and one dealing with the modern reader. This book reads like Hans Walter Wolff's major commentary in the Continental commentary series and his smaller Micah the Prophet mashed together and the applications updated from late 1950's Germany to contemporary America.
March 7, 2024
I read quite a few commentaries when preparing my sermon series on Micah. This one was helpful, sometimes offering nuggets I hadn't gleaned from other commentaries.
[Other commentaries I used: Prior, Waltke, Boice.]
[Other commentaries I used: Prior, Waltke, Boice.]
November 30, 2022
Excellent.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews