Micah 5

Mic 5:1-15.

THE

CALAMITIES

WHICH

PRECEDE

MESSIAH'S

ADVENT.

HIS

KINGDOM,

CONQUEST OF

JACOB'S

FOES, AND

BLESSING UPON

HIS

PEOPLE.

1. gather thyself in troops--that is, thou shalt do so, to resist the

enemy. Lest the faithful should fall into carnal security because of the

previous promises, he reminds them of the calamities which are to

precede the prosperity.

daughter of troops--Jerusalem is so called on account of her numerous

troops.

he hath laid siege--the enemy hath.

they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the

cheek--the greatest of insults to an Oriental. Zedekiah, the judge

(or king,

Am 2:3)

of Israel, was loaded with insults by the Chaldeans; so also the other

princes and judges

(La 3:30).

HENGSTENBERG thinks the expression, "the judge,"

marks a time when no king of the house of David reigned. The smiting on

the cheek of other judges of Israel was a type of the same indignity

offered to Him who nevertheless is the Judge, not only of Israel, but

also of the world, and who is "from everlasting"

(Mic 5:2;

Isa 50:6;

Mt 26:67; 27:30).

2. Beth-lehem Ephratah--

(Ge 48:7),

or, Beth-lehem Judah; so called to distinguish it from Beth-lehem in

Zebulun. It is a few miles southwest of Jerusalem. Beth-lehem means

"the house of bread"; Ephratah means "fruitful": both names

referring to the fertility of the region.

though thou be little among--though thou be scarcely large enough to be reckoned among, &c. It

was insignificant in size and population; so that in

Jos 15:21,

&c., it is not enumerated among the cities of Judah; nor in the list in

Ne 11:25,

&c. Under Rehoboam it became a city:

2Ch 11:6,

"He built Beth-lehem."

Mt 2:6

seems to contradict Micah, "thou art not the least," But really

he, by an independent testimony of the Spirit, confirms the prophet,

Little in worldly importance, thou art not least (that is, far

from least, yea, the very greatest) among the thousands, of

princes of Judah, in the spiritual significance of being the birthplace

of Messiah

(Joh 7:42).

God chooses the little things of the world to eclipse in glory its

greatest things

(Jud 6:15;

Joh 1:46;

1Co 1:27, 28).

The low state of David's line when Messiah was born is also implied

here.

thousands--Each tribe was divided into clans or

"thousands" (each thousand containing a thousand families: like our old

English division of counties into hundreds), which had their

several heads or "princes"; hence in

Mt 2:6

it is quoted "princes," substantially the same as in Micah, and

authoritatively explained in Matthew. It is not so much this thousand

that is preferred to the other thousands of Judah, but the Governor or

Chief Prince out of it, who is preferred to the governors of all the

other thousands. It is called a "town" (rather in the Greek,

"village"),

Joh 7:42;

though scarcely containing a thousand inhabitants, it is ranked among

the "thousands" or larger divisions of the tribe, because of its being

the cradle of David's line, and of the Divine Son of David. Moses

divided the people into thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, with

their respective "rulers"

(Ex 18:25;

compare

1Sa 10:19).

unto me--unto God the Father

(Lu 1:32):

to fulfil all the Father's will and purpose from eternity. So the Son

declares

(Ps 2:7; 40:7, 8;

Joh 4:34);

and the Father confirms it

(Mt 3:17; 12:18,

compare with

Isa 42:1).

God's glory is hereby made the ultimate end of redemption.

ruler--the "Shiloh," "Prince of peace," "on whose shoulders the

government is laid"

(Ge 49:10;

Isa 9:6).

In

2Sa 23:3,

"He that ruleth over men must be just," the same Hebrew

word is employed; Messiah alone realizes David's ideal of a ruler. Also

in

Jer 30:21,

"their governor shall proceed from the midst of them"; answering

closely to "out of thee shall come forth the ruler," here

(compare

Isa 11:1-4).

goings forth . . . from everlasting--The plain antithesis of this

clause, to "come forth out of thee" (from Beth-lehem), shows that

the eternal generation of the Son is meant. The terms convey the

strongest assertion of infinite duration of which the Hebrew language is capable (compare

Ps 90:2;

Pr 8:22, 23;

Joh 1:1).

Messiah's generation as man coming forth unto God to do His will on

earth is from Beth-lehem; but as Son of God, His goings forth

are from everlasting. The promise of the Redeemer at first was

vaguely general

(Ge 3:15).

Then the Shemitic division of mankind is declared as the quarter in

which He was to be looked for

(Ge 9:26, 27);

then it grows clearer, defining the race and nation whence the

Deliverer should come, namely, the seed of Abraham, the Jews

(Ge 12:3);

then the particular tribe, Judah

(Ge 49:10);

then the family, that of David

(Ps 89:19, 20);

then the very town of His birth, here. And as His coming drew nigh, the

very parentage

(Mt 1:1-17;

Lu 1:26-35; 2:1-7);

and then all the scattered rays of prophecy concentrate in Jesus, as

their focus

(Heb 1:1, 2).

3. "Therefore (because of His settled plan) will God

give up to their foes His people Israel, until," &c.

she which travaileth hath brought forth--namely, "the virgin" mother,

mentioned by Micah's contemporary,

Isa 7:14.

Zion "in travail"

(Mic 4:9, 10)

answers to the virgin in travail of Messiah. Israel's

deliverance from her long travail-pains of sorrow will synchronize with

the appearance oœ Messiah as her Redeemer

(Ro 11:26)

in the last days, as the Church's spiritual deliverance synchronized

with the virgin's giving birth to Him at His first advent. The ancient

Church's travail-like waiting for Messiah is represented by

the virgin's travail. Hence, both may be meant. It cannot

be restricted to the Virgin Mary: for Israel is still "given

up," though Messiah has been "brought forth" eighteen and a half

centuries ago. But the Church's throes are included, which are only to

be ended when Christ, having been preached for a witness to all

nations, shall at last appear as the Deliverer of Jacob, and when the

times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, and Israel as a nation shall

be born in a day

(Isa 66:7-11;

Lu 21:24;

Re 12:1, 2, 4;

compare

Ro 8:22).

the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel--(Compare

Mic 4:7).

The remainder of the Israelites dispersed in foreign lands shall return

to join their countrymen in Canaan. The Hebrew for "unto" is,

literally, "upon," implying superaddition to those already

gathered.

4. he shall stand--that is, persevere: implying the endurance of

His kingdom [CALVIN]. Rather, His sedulous care

and pastoral circumspection, as a shepherd stands erect to

survey and guard His flock on every side

(Isa 61:5)

[MAURER].

feed--that is, rule: as the Greek word similarly in

Mt 2:6,

Margin, means both "feed" and "rule"

(Isa 40:11; 49:10;

Eze 34:23;

compare

2Sa 5:2; 7:8).

in the majesty of the name of the Lord--possessing the majesty of all

Jehovah's revealed attributes ("name")

(Isa 11:2;

Php 2:6, 9;

Heb 2:7-9).

his God--God is "His God" in a oneness of relation distinct from

the sense in which God is our God

(Joh 20:17).

they shall abide--the Israelites ("they," namely, the

returning remnant and the "children of Israel previously in Canaan)

shall dwell in permanent security and prosperity

(Mic 4:4;

Isa 14:30).

unto the ends of the earth--

(Mic 4:1;

Ps 72:8;

Zec 9:10).

5. this man--in Hebrew simply "This." The One just mentioned; He

and He alone. Emphatical for Messiah (compare

Ge 5:29).

the peace--the fountainhead of peace between God and man, between

Israel and Israel's justly offended God

(Ge 49:10;

Isa 9:6;

Eph 2:14, 17;

Col 1:20),

and, as the consequence, the fountain of "peace on earth," where

heretofore all is strife

(Mic 4:3;

Ho 2:18;

Zec 9:10;

Lu 2:14).

the Assyrian--Being Israel's most powerful foe at that time, Assyria

is made the representative of all the foes of Israel in all ages, who

shall receive their final destruction at Messiah's appearing

(Eze 38:1-23).

seven shepherds, and eight--"Seven" expresses perfection; "seven and

eight" is an idiom for a full and sufficient number

(Job 5:19;

Pr 6:16;

Ec 11:2).

principal men--literally, "anointed (humble) men"

(Ps 62:9),

such as the apostles were. Their anointing, or consecration and

qualification to office, was by the Holy Spirit [CALVIN]

(1Jo 2:20, 27).

"Princes" also were anointed, and they are mentioned as under Messiah

(Isa 32:1).

English Version therefore gives the probable sense.

6. waste--literally, "eat up": following up the metaphor of "shepherds"

(compare

Nu 22:4;

Jer 6:3).

land of Nimrod--Babylon

(Mic 4:10;

Ge 10:10);

or, including Assyria also, to which he extended his borders

(Ge 10:11).

in the entrances--the passes into Assyria

(2Ki 3:21).

The Margin and JEROME, misled by a needless

attention to the parallelism, "with the sword," translate, "with her

own naked swords"; as in

Ps 55:21

the Hebrew is translated. But "in the entrances" of Assyria,

answers to, "within our borders." As the Assyrians invade our

borders, so shall their own borders or "entrances" be

invaded.

he . . . he--Messiah shall deliver us, when the Assyrian shall

come.

7. remnant of Jacob--already mentioned in

Mic 5:3.

It in comparative smallness stands in antithesis to the "many people."

Though Israel be but a remnant amidst many nations after her

restoration, yet she shall exercise the same blessed influence in

quickening them spiritually that the small imperceptible dew exercises

in refreshing the grass

(De 32:2;

Ps 72:6; 110:3).

The influence of the Jews restored from Babylon in making many Gentile

proselytes is an earnest of a larger similar effect hereafter

(Isa 66:19;

Zec 8:13).

from the Lord--Israel's restoration and the consequent conversion of

the Gentiles are solely of grace.

tarrieth not for man--entirely God's work, as independent of human

contrivance as the dew and rains that fertilize the soil.

8. as a lion--In

Mic 5:7

Israel's benignant influence on the nations is described; but here her

vengeance on the godless hosts who assail her

(Isa 66:15, 16, 19, 24;

Zec 12:3, 6, 8, 9; 14:17, 18).

Judah will be "as as lion," not in respect to its cruelty, but in its

power of striking terror into all opponents. Under the Maccabees, the

Jews acquired Idumea, Samaria, and parts of the territory of Ammon and

Moab [GROTIUS]. But this was only the earnest of

their future glory on their coming restoration.

9. Thine hand shall be lifted up--In

Isa 26:11

it is Jehovah's hand that is lifted up; here Israel's as

Mic 5:8

implies, just as "Zion" is addressed and directed to "beat in pieces

many people"

(Mic 4:13;

compare

Isa 54:15, 17).

For Israel's foes are Jehovah's foes. When her hand is said to be

lifted up, it is Jehovah's hand that strikes the foe by her (compare

Ex 13:9,

with Ex 14:8).

10. cut off thy horses . . . chariots--namely, those

used for the purposes of war. Israel had been forbidden the use of

cavalry, or to go to Egypt for horses

(De 17:16),

lest they should trust in worldly forces, rather than in God

(Ps 20:7).

Solomon had disregarded this command

(1Ki 10:26, 28).

Hereafter, saith God, I will remove these impediments to the free

course of My grace: horses, chariots, &c., on which ye trust. The

Church will never be safe, till she is stripped of all creature trusts,

and rests on Jehovah alone [CALVIN]. The universal

peace given by God shall cause warlike instruments to be needless. He

will cut them off from Israel

(Zec 9:10);

as she will cut them off from Babylon, the representative of the

nations

(Jer 50:37; 51:21).

11. cut off . . . cities . . .

strongholds--such as are fortified for war. In that time of peace,

men shall live in unwalled villages

(Eze 38:11;

compare

Jer 23:6; 49:31;

Zec 2:8).

12. witchcrafts out of thine hand--that is, which thou now usest.

13. graven images . . . cut off--(Compare

Isa 2:8, 18-21; 30:22;

Zec 13:2).

standing images--statues.

14. groves . . . cities--The "groves" are the idolatrous symbol of

Astarte

(De 16:21;

2Ki 21:7).

"Cities" being parallel to "groves," must mean cities in or near which

such idolatrous groves existed. Compare "city of the house of Baal"

(2Ki 10:25),

that is, a portion of the city sacred to Baal.

15. vengeance . . . such as they have not heard--or, as the

Hebrew order favors, "the nations that have not hearkened

to My warnings." So the Septuagint

(Ps 149:7).