"In this volume Ben Zvi explores the prophetic book of Micah as a written document that presents itself as YHWH's word. The starting point of this study is that such a written document was meant to be read and reread by an ancient audience, so the commentary begins by addressing the questions of how the book was likely read by its intended or primary readers, why they read it, who read it, and to whom it was read and why. The commentary deals extensively not only with the message of Micah - and of its textual subunits - but also with the social setting of its authorship and primary readership and with the social function of this and other prophetic books in ancient Israel. Emphasis is placed on the construction of the past, on the images of the future, and on the relevance of both of these to the present of the community or communities of readers for whom the book was intended."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved