Paronomasia as an element of communication leading to the recovery of self-identity: A communicologicalbiblicalstudy of Mic 1:10–16

Abstrakt

This article examines paronomasia in Mic 1:10–16 as a communicative device directed toward restoring the audience’s awareness of its own identity. The interdisciplinary approach adopted here integrates biblical exegesis with communication studies, taking into account the cultural specificity of ancient Israel and the oral roots of the Hebrew textual tradition. The first part of the article discusses the distinctive features of prophetic communication—its multi-agent structure (God, prophet, addressee), its persuasive intent, and the rhetorical function of phonic devices. The study then proceeds to analyse the ten instances of paronomasia found in Mic 1:10–15, employing the classificatory framework developed by S. B. Noegel. The analysis demonstrates that the wordplays built upon place names of the Shephelah do not serve a merely ludic function, but rather construct a semantic network of references to specific territories, communal bonds, and the people’s relationship with God. Their compositional arrangement forms a chiastic structure whose centre points to frustration and spiritual disorientation as consequences of the deviation from the identity proper to the people of God. The findings suggest that the concentration of paronomastic figures constitutes a deliberate rhetorical strategy aimed at awakening in the audience an awareness of its identity as Israel and at restoring its relationship with YHWH as the ultimate source of that identity. The study further opens, in a preliminary and exploratory fashion, the prospect of applying communication-theoretical tools and Biblical Performance Criticism to future research into the identity-constituting function of phonicity in the texts of the Hebrew Bible.