Colin Semwayo - The Concept of Divine Sovereignty in Micah: A Vision for the Fulfillment of the Abrahamic Promises

Interpreters have struggled to discern literary-theological unity in the book of Micah, leading some to deny it exists. Colin Semwayo rightly challenges such scepticism. He argues that the central theological theme of Micah is the reestablishment of Yahwehs sovereignty in the face of the covenant communitys rebellion. Yahweh accomplishes this through the restoration of Zion and the Davidic dynasty. In the process Yahweh fulfills his promises to Abraham. Semwayos most valuable contribution to our understanding of Micah is showing how the Zion/Davidic and Abrahamic promises intersect.

Robert B. Chisholm, Jr, ThD

Chair and Senior Professor of Old Testament Studies,

Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, USA

In this scholarly exegesis of the book of Micah, the reader is guided step by step through a careful analysis to the conclusion. There is a sense of honesty in the use of the evidence which gives the reader a glimpse of scholarship at its best, and there is much here which will be of value to both the layperson and academic in their studies of the minor prophets.

William Domeris, PhD

Senior Academic in Biblical Studies,

South African Theological Seminary, Bryanston, South Africa

Biblical theology is a well-worn subject area, and the study of the theology of Micah is no exception in this regard. But Dr Semwayo brings a fresh voice to the conversation. Methodologically, he applies relevance theory, a linguistic model of communication that has been underutilized in biblical studies. This validates his search for intertextual allusions that are necessary to link various motifs in Micah and unify the theme of divine sovereignty with the Zion traditions and the Abrahamic covenant. Semwayos discussion of covenants is also refreshing, being informed by recent developments in our understanding of ancient Near Eastern covenants and the Old Testament. On the whole, this is biblical theology at its best.

John W. Hilber, PhD

Professor of Old Testament,

Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

This biblical-theological study examines the thematic coherence of the book of Micah in relation to the theme of divine sovereignty, specifically with regard to the Lords action on and for Mt Zion in fulfilment of the Abrahamic promise. It argues that the vision of the Lords rule on Zion, through the Davidic king, unto the blessing of all creation, is the means by which Micah uses Zion/David themes to apply the Abrahamic promise to his own generation and stands as the theme uniting the apparently disparate texts making up his book. The discussion ranges over divine sovereignty in the ancient Near East and the Old Testament and previous scholarship on Micahs unity or perceived lack thereof (ch. 1); scholarly understanding of covenants, arguing for varying dimensions of symmetry and asymmetry in promise and obligation as the best model for relating and distinguishing them (ch. 2); and Zion traditions and motifs of divine combat (ch. 3). The thesis is then cogently applied to the book of Micah in three final chapters.

The level of scholarship is high and the dissertation successfully challenges previous studies which regard Micahs oracles as only superficially connected and/or reject the authenticity of Micah 67. The authors examination of divine sovereignty as expressed in the Zion traditions cogently demonstrate the conceptual coherence and structure of the book of Micah.

Eric Ortland, PhD

Lecturer in Old Testament and Biblical Hebrew,

Oak Hill College, London, UK