This commentary represents some serious work. Its theological orientation runs contrary to my own; but if you discount its critical thrust, you will find much learning to process. Yes, critical studies often indiscriminately lunge at the Bible, but here the blade is not as sharp as most. It has its moments (Micah as a killjoy! ), but I at least felt that Ms. Sharp liked Micah. She could be winsome toward this book at times. I often like one critical commentary to understand how a biblical book is thought about and this one stands ready to be that volume for me on Micah.

Four sections make up the introduction in this commentary. By far sections two and four are the most helpful. I really can’t get on much with section 3 at all. I tried, but I just couldn’t do it. Section 2 on literary dimensions (structure) was quite helpful and interesting. Section 4, which is called an overview of the history of consequences, is really a good overview of how Micah has been interpreted. This section of 60 pages goes really deep and offers help at the level of some much larger series. Both Jewish and Christian traditions are surveyed appropriately. As you might expect, the bibliography leans left, but is fairly full.

The commentary section can be interesting. For me as a conservative Bible student, it can at times be an out-of-the-box viewpoint that gets you really thinking. Of course, at other times, it would be out in left field, and I would just skim. Because of where I stand, I’m going to rate a critical commentary mostly on its ability to give me something to think about that I find compelling and that I otherwise would never have considered, not on its theological accuracy across the board. This commentary really delivers on that count.

I’m going to be really interested to see what this series delivers in future volumes, but for this one on Micah it delivers exactly what I was looking for. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.