Open AccessJustice in Micha: A Traditio-historical Analysis of the Concept [foreign font omitted].
The prophet A-licah announced the destruction of Samaria, shortly before 722 BC, and Jerusalem, shortly before 70] BC, because of social injustice. About a hundred years later the unfulfilled prophecy on Jerusalem was newly "discovered" when the Babylonians captured Jerusalem in 586/7 BC New reasons are given for the destruction of Jerusalem. It is not primarily because of social injustice bur also bacause of theological reasons that the city was destroyed. These two aspects now play the dominant role in defining justice. N!icha 6:8 functions as a summary of the first parts of the book of ltJicah but also points forward to the remaining part of the book. In this new context, justice has both a social and a theological dimension.