Texts in Conversation
Isaiah and Micah both criticize those who gain land by taking it from others, warning that such greed brings divine judgment. Isaiah describes empty houses and barren vineyards, while Micah shows families losing their homes. Both share concern for economic injustice and the breakdown of community.
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Isaiah 5:8
Hebrew Bible
6 I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it. 7 Indeed, Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the people of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight. He waited for justice, but look what he got—disobedience! He waited for fairness, but look what he got—cries for help! 8 Beware, those who accumulate houses, who also accumulate field after field until there is no land left, and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. 9 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies told me this: “Many houses will certainly become desolate, large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. 10 Indeed, a large vineyard will produce just a few gallons, and enough seed to yield several bushels will produce less than a bushel.”
Date: 7th-5th Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Micah 2:2
Hebrew Bible
1 Beware wicked schemers, those who devise calamity as they lie in bed. As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans, because they have the power to do so. 2 They confiscate the fields they desire and seize the houses they want. They defraud people of their homes and deprive people of the land they have inherited. 3 Therefore the Lord says this: “Look, I am devising disaster for this nation! It will be like a yoke from which you cannot free your neck. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of catastrophe. 4 In that day people will sing this taunt song to you—they will mock you with this lament: ‘We are completely destroyed; they sell off the property of my people. How they remove it from me! They assign our fields to the conqueror.’”
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Only about half of the prophetic books address what may be called 'social issues,' and the number of passages addressed to them is small. Although the following taxonomy of the passages is crude, it presents the relevant data. The categories used evolved as a response to the following question, 'What is the social or ethical concern reflected in this passage or speech or chapter?' ... Against the acquisition of wealth: Isaiah 5:8-10; Micah 2:1-5 ..."
Zevit, Ziony
The Religions of Ancient Israel: A Synthesis of Parallactic Approaches
(p. 509) Continuum, 2001
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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