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The Prophets · Old Testament

Micah 5

Micah 5: a ruler from Beth-lehem Ephratah and the remnant among the nations

General context

The daughter of troops is told to gather herself, for siege is laid and the judge of Israel will be struck on the cheek with a rod. Then Beth-lehem Ephratah, little among the thousands of Judah, is told that out of it will come one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. He will give them up until she who travails has brought forth, and the remnant of his brethren will return. He will stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, and be great to the ends of the earth. This man will be the peace when the Assyrian comes into the land; seven shepherds and eight principal men will be raised against him, and they will waste Assyria and the land of Nimrod with the sword. The remnant of Jacob will be among many people as dew and showers, and as a lion among sheep that tears and none can deliver. In that day the Lord will cut off horses, chariots, cities, strongholds, witchcrafts, soothsayers, graven images, standing images and groves from the midst of the people, and execute vengeance on the heathen.

Cited passages: Micah 5:1, Micah 5:2, Micah 5:3, Micah 5:4, Micah 5:5, Micah 5:6, Micah 5:7, Micah 5:8, Micah 5:9, Micah 5:10, Micah 5:11, Micah 5:12, Micah 5:13, Micah 5:14, Micah 5:15

Micah 5 (KJV)

1Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

2But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

3Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

4And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

5And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

6And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

7And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

8And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

9Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

10And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:

11And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

12And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

13Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

14And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

15And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The ruler is not named. The text says he comes from Beth-lehem Ephratah, that he is "to be ruler in Israel," that his "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting," and that he will feed in the strength of the Lord. Matthew 2:6 is a later citation in which scribes answer Herod with a form of this verse: "And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel." The Assyrian is the only enemy named, in verses 5 and 6, together with "the land of Nimrod." The judge of Israel struck on the cheek in verse 1 is not identified. "Seven shepherds, and eight principal men" is a numbered phrase without names. The list of things cut off in verses 10 to 14 addresses "thee," the people, and includes their own horses, chariots and cities as well as their idols, so the chapter treats military strength and witchcraft together. Verse 15 turns the vengeance on the heathen. No dates are given, and "she which travaileth" in verse 3 is not identified beyond the birth image already used in 4:9 and 4:10.

Cited passages: Micah 5:2, Micah 5:4, Matthew 2:6, Micah 5:5, Micah 5:6, Micah 5:1, Micah 5:10, Micah 5:13, Micah 5:15, Micah 5:3, Micah 4:10

Literary context

The chapter opens with a blow to the judge's cheek and answers it with a ruler who comes from the least of Judah's thousands. Smallness and greatness are set side by side: "little among the thousands" against "great unto the ends of the earth." Feeding and standing describe his rule, which recalls the flock and fold of 2:12 and the tower of the flock in 4:8. The Assyrian's tread "in our palaces" is met by a tread in his own land. Two similes describe the remnant in a row: dew that waits for no man, then a lion that none can deliver from, gentleness and violence without reconciliation. The "cut off" refrain repeats through verses 10 to 13, stripping the people of everything they might trust before the final word on the heathen. Chapter 6 shifts to a lawsuit before the mountains.

Cited passages: Micah 5:1, Micah 5:2, Micah 5:4, Micah 2:12, Micah 4:8, Micah 5:5, Micah 5:6, Micah 5:7, Micah 5:8, Micah 5:10, Micah 5:11, Micah 5:12, Micah 5:15, Micah 6:1

Key moments

  1. The judge struck (Micah 5:1). Siege is laid and the judge of Israel is smitten on the cheek with a rod.
  2. Out of Beth-lehem Ephratah (Micah 5:2). A ruler in Israel is to come from Beth-lehem, whose goings forth are from of old.
  3. He shall stand and feed (Micah 5:4). The ruler feeds in the strength of the Lord and is great to the ends of the earth.
  4. Seven shepherds against Assyria (Micah 5:5). When the Assyrian comes, seven shepherds and eight principal men are raised against him.
  5. Dew and lion (Micah 5:7). The remnant of Jacob is as dew from the Lord among many people.
  6. Horses and chariots cut off (Micah 5:10). The Lord will cut off the people's horses and destroy their chariots.
  7. No more the work of thine hands (Micah 5:13). Graven and standing images are cut off so the people worship them no more.

For reflection

The remnant is compared to dew that asks nothing of men and, in the next verse, to a lion that tears with none to deliver. What might it mean to hold both images of the same people at once?

People in this chapter

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