Micah Chapter 5
From The Open Bible Project
5:1 Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
- (a) He forewarns them of the dangers that will come before they enjoy these comforts, showing that inasmuch as Jerusalem was accustomed with her garrisons to trouble others, the Lord would now cause other garrisons to vex her, and that her rulers would be hit on the face most contemptuously.
5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.
- (b) For so the Jews divided their country that for every thousand there was a chief captain: and because Bethlehem was not able to make a thousand, he calls it little. But yet God will raise up his captain and governor in it: and thus it is not the least by reason of this benefit. See Matthew 2:6
- (c) He shows that the coming of Christ and all his ways were appointed by God from all eternity.
5:3 Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.
- (d) He compares the Jews to women with child, who for a time would have great sorrows, but at length they would have a comfortable deliverance; (John 16:21).
5:4 He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God: and they will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.
- (e) That is, Christ’s kingdom will be stable and everlasting, and his people, the Gentiles as well as the Jews, will dwell in safety.
5:5 He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land, and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders of men.
- (f) This Messiah will be a sufficient safeguard for us, and though the enemy invades us for a time, yet will God stir up many who will be able to deliver us.
5:6 They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.
- (g) These whom God will raise up for the deliverance of his Church, will destroy all the enemies of it, who are meant here by the Assyrians and Babylonians, who were the chief enemies at that time.
- (h) By these governors will God deliver us when the enemy comes into our land.
5:7 The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Yahweh, like showers on the grass, that don't wait for man, nor wait for the sons of men.
- (i) This remnant or Church which God will deliver will only depend on God’s power and defence (as does the grass of the field), and not on the hope of man.
5:8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.
5:9 Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off.
5:10 "It will happen in that day," says Yahweh, "That I will cut off your horses out of the midst of you, and will destroy your chariots.
- (k) I will destroy all things in which you put your confidence, such as your vain self-reliance and idolatry, and in doing this I will be helping you.
5:11 I will cut off the cities of your land, and will tear down all your strongholds.
5:12 I will destroy witchcraft from your hand; and you shall have no soothsayers.
5:13 I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars out of your midst; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.
5:14 I will uproot your Asherim out of your midst; and I will destroy your cities.
5:15 I will execute vengeance in anger, and wrath on the nations that didn't listen."
- (l) It will be so terrible that nothing like it has been heard of.
