Comparison of Isaiah and Micah

**922-722 BCE**
**Southern Kingdom Prophets**
**last revised: 12/2/04**
	Isaiah	Deutero-Isaiah	Micah
The Man	"Isaiah," Wikipedia.com "Isias: I. Life," Catholic Encyclopedia	"Deutero-Isaiah," Cliffs Notes.com	"Micah," Wikipedia.com "Micah," The Hebrew Prophets Web
Ministry:	2 pivotal points: 1. Syro-Ephraimite War (745-732 BCE) 2. The Assyrian Invasion (722-701 BCE)	2 pivotal points: 1. The Conquest of Jerusalem (612-586 BCE) 2. The Return from Exile (539 BCE & following)	Syro-Ephraimite War (745-732 BCE) (focal period: 735-732 BCE)
Kings dealt with:	1. Uzziah (783-742 BCE) 2. Jotham (742-735 BCE) 3. Ahaz (735-715 BCE) 4. Hezekiah (715-687/686 BCE)	1. Nabonidus (last Babylonian king, 556-538 BCE) 2. Cyrus II (Persian king, 550-530 BCE)	Ahaz (735-715 BCE)
The Book	Isa 1-39 "Book of Isaiah," Wikipedia.com "Isaiah, Theology of," Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Theology "Isias: II. Book of Isias," Catholic Encyclopedia	Isa 40-66 "Book of Isaiah," Wikipedia.com "Isaiah, Theology of," Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Theology "Isias: II. Book of Isias: Second Isaias," Catholic Encyclopedia	Micah 1-7 "Book of Micah," Wikipedia.com "Micah, Theology of," Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Theology "Book of Micheas," Catholic Encyclopedia
Literary Structure:	chap 1: Introduction chaps 2-4: Judgment on and promise to Jerusalem chaps 5-12: further warnings chaps 13-23: judgment on Babylon & other foreighn powers chaps 24-27: the two cities contrasted: Jerusalem today & tomorrow chaps 28-33: another warning to Judah chaps 34-35: Edom condemned chaps 36-39: Historical materials from time of Hezekiah	chaps 40-55: focus on international situation under Nabonidus (Exilic) chaps 56-66: focus on internal exile situation under early Persian period (possibly Post-Exilic)	chaps 1-3: oracles of judgment chaps 4-5: oracles of hope chaps 6-7: from judgment to hope
Canonical Setting:	The first book in the Major Prophets section of the Old Testament.	"Deutero-Isaiah," DisciplesNow.com: Chapters 40-55 of the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. These chapters are often referred to as Second Isaiah and were added to the book at a later date than the preceding chapters. There are an additional 11 chapters (56-66) that were added to the text at a still later date. This suggests the possibility of three different authors who all contributed to what we now refer to as the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. NOAB, Heb Bible, p. 974: "There is no record of the editing and compiling process that the book of Isaiah went through, but there are explanations for the characteristics of the text as it now stands. The most obvious of these characteristics, and the first one to be noticed, is the division after chs 1-39, which refer mostly to events of the eight century BCE. Chs 40-66 cannot be earlier than the sixth century, since they clearly address a situation reflecting the fall of Jerusalem and the deportations of large parts of the population of Judah to Babylon. Within chs 40-66, moreover, chs 56-66 (or possibly 55-66) may date from an even later period, after the return of some of the people from the Babylonian exile. These three divisions of the book are usually labedled First, Second, and Third Isaiah."	"In the organization of the Book of the Twelve, Micah follows Jonah, an arrangment apparently based on chronology since, according to 2 Kings 14.25, Jonah also lived in the eighth century. Micah is connected to the book of Nahum, which follows, by catchword; compare the final section of Micah (7:18-19) with the initial unit of Nahum (1.1-3)." [NOAB, Heb Bible, page 1325]