Micah
Micah 5
Chapter V · Vol. III, pp. 1457–1459
1 The birth of Christ foretold. 4 His kingdom. 8 His complete conquest over his enemies.
1 Now gathera thyself in troops, O bdaughter of troops: che hath laid siege against us: they dshall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.1
a Je.25.9,10; 4.7.
b Ge.10.9,10. Je.51.20-23. Is.14.6,16,17.
c Je.6.3-6. De.28.52-57. Le.26.25. 2 Ki.24.10; 25.1-3.
d Mat.27.30. La.3.30. Je.39.5-7. Job 16.10.
1 See note * below.
2 But thou, eBeth-lehem Ephratah,2 though thou be little among the gthousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be hruler in Israel; whose igoings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.3
e Mat.2.6. Jn.7.42. Lu.2.4,6,7. Ge.35.19. Ps.132.6.
2 Bethlehem-Ephratah ('the fruitful') was the ancient name, which was well known to the patriarchs, Ge.35.19; 48.7. In after-times the distinctive epithet was forgotten, and another was added (Bethlehem-Juda), to prevent its being confounded with places of the same name in other tribes.—P.
g Ex.18.21-25. Ju.6.15. 1 Sa.10.19; 23.23.
h Ge.49.10. Is.9.6,7; 11.1-5. Zec.9.9. Je.23.5,6. Mat.28.18.
i Jn.1.1. Col.1.17. Ps.90.2; 2.7. Pr.8.22,23. 1 Pe.1.20.
3 Heb. the days of eternity.
3 Therefore4 will he jgive them up, until the time that she which travaileth khath brought forth; then the lremnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4 Or, Nevertheless he will, Is.30.18. Ho.2.14.
* It will be observed that there is a note of time here. The time is that of the deepest degradation of Israel. The government was overthrown; the judge was under the rule of others; the rulers of the nation were degraded as well as superseded. At that time, when hope had well nigh gone, Zion's great Deliverer was to appear.—P.
j ch.4.10; 7.13. Eze.21.25-27. Ho.3.3,4.
k ch.4.10. Is.66.7,8, or Is.7.14. Mat.1.21, or Ga.4.27. Re.12.5; 11.11-15.
l Je.3.18; 31.1-9,20, or He.2.11,12. Jn.10.16. Is.11.10. Ep.5.30.
4 And nhe shall stand and feed5 in the strength of the LORD, oin the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall pabide: for now qshall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
A.M. cir. 3284. B.C. cir. 720.
n Ps.2.6; 89.20-28. Is.40.11. Eze.34.23,24. Mat.28.18; 7.29. Is.50.4,7,9.
5 Or, rule.
o Ex.23.21. Ps.45.3-5. Is.49.3. Jn.13.31,32; 10.38; 5.22-27,43.
p Mat.16.18. Jn.10.28,29. Jude 1.
q Ps.22.27-31; 72.8-11. Re.11.15.
5 And this man shall be rthe peace, swhen the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him tseven shepherds, and eight principal men.6
r Ep.2.13-17. Col.1.20. Lu.2.14. Zec.9.10. Ps.72.7. Is.9.6,7.
s Is.8.7-10; 37.35-37. Ps.110.5,6. Re.xii. xiii. xx. Eze.xxxviii.
t Je.6.3; 25.34. Is.44.28. Je.51.27,28.
6 Heb. princes of men.
6 And uthey shall waste7 the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof:8 thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he vcometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
u Na.i.-iii. Is.xiii. xiv. xxi. xlvii. Je.l. li. Lu.1.71,74.
7 Heb. eat up.
8 Heb. with her own naked swords.
v 2 Ki.xviii. xix. 2 Ch.33.11. 2 Ki.xxiv. xxv. Re.xii. xiii. Eze.xxxviii.xxxix. Re.xx.
7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people xas a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that ytarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people zas a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep;9 who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
z Ps.45.16. Is.41.15,16. ch.4.13. Ob.18,19. Zec.12.6. Re.11.5,6. Ps.110.5,6. 2 Co.10.4,5. 1 Jn.5.4,5. Ro.8.37.
9 Or, goats.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that bI will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:
b Ho.1.7; 14.3. Zec.9.10; 4.6. Ps.33.16,17; 20.5-8. Eze.38.11. Ac.4.12. Je.3.23,24.
11 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:
13 Thyd graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images1 out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands:
14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy 2cities.
2 Or, enemies.
Notes
Ver. 1, 2. Notwithstanding the Chaldeans or others who assemble themselves to destroy the cities and afflict the rulers of Judah, the Messiah, who was from eternity begotten by the Father, and constituted the living head of all believers, shall, in due time, be born in the small city of Bethlehem-Judah, to be the great Ruler and Governor of the church. 3, 4. Nevertheless, the calamities of the Jewish nation shall be often repeated till he be born of the virgin, and multitudes of Gentile converts flow together unto him. Then, to his own and his Father's honour, he shall, in the most powerful manner, gather and govern, establish and perfect, his gospel church. His kingdom shall be extended, and his honour advanced over the world. And not only shall he protect Jerusalem from the Assyrian invaders, but, in every age, shall defend his church from heathen, antichristian, or Mahometan enemies; and, by proper instruments in church or state, shall punish them with a fearful destruction. 7-9. And as at the return from Babylon and their present dispersion the Jews shall be exceedingly blessed and emboldened by God, and made a blessing to multitudes around them, and a terror to their opposers, so shall their preachers, in the apostolic and future periods, be remarkably useful in converting the Gentiles to Christ, but a terrible curse and mean of destruction to all opposition. 10, 11. I will purge them from all their former corruptions, particularly their trusting in carnal confidences, horses, chariots, and fortifications, and from all divinations and idolatries; and terrible shall be the judgment which will be executed upon the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syro-Grecians, Romans, Antichristians, and Mahometans, who shall have persecuted and murdered them.
Ver. 1. Now gather, &c. 'Now assemble thyself, O daughter, in troops.'—Newcome. He hath laid siege. 'The LORD has, for our sins, directed this judgment.' See ver. 3. C.
Ver. 2. Among the thousands. 'Thousands' constituted one of the great civil and military divisions of Israel, 1 Ch. 12. 20, as England was divided into hundreds with correspondent leaders. Goings forth have been of old. Manifestations in time; himself, in his divine nature, being from everlasting, from 'the days of eternity.' C.
Ver. 4. They shall abide. That is, the children of Israel, ver. 3. C.
Ver. 5. The Assyrian. A general name for any northern invader, of whom the invasion of Sennacherib was but a mere type. Concerning this formidable enemy, the Jews are constantly warned by the prophets. See Ps. 110. 5, 6; Is. 26. 20, 21; 34. 1; 66. 16; Je. 30. 7-10; Eze. xxxviii. xxxix.; Joel 3. 9-14; Ob. 14; Zep. 3. 8; Hag. 2. 22; Zec. 12. 1; 13. 8; Re. 19. 19; 20. 9. Seven shepherds. 'Seven' represents perfect number in succession, the idea being derived from the seven days in the week. Eight principal men. 'Eight' has many scriptural references, among which see Ge. 17. 12; 1 Sa. 17. 12; 1 Ki. 7. 10; 2 Ch. 29. 17; Eze. 40. 31; Jn. 20. 26. It seems, however, to be derived from the 'eight persons' preserved in the ark, 1 Pe. 3. 20, and saved by water, the emblem of the salvation of the Spirit. C.
Ver. 7. This prophecy has never yet been realized; but God is true, and it will surely be fulfilled. The predicted destruction of the Assyrian is therefore also future, and is to be referred to the terrible northern enemies by which the church of God is yet to be assailed. C.
Ver. 9. Thine hand. The address is to 'the daughter,' ver. 1, and the 'cutting off' of horses, cities, &c., is in 'the siege' which the Lord directs against her for her correction and reformation. This, like the preceding prophecy, is also future. No such event has taken place; but 'the Lord is not slack concerning his promise.' C.
Ver. 15. Heathen. The destruction of Gog and Magog—the unparalleled overthrow of heathenism. See ver. 8. C.
Reflections.—Behold the miseries of Israel and the disgrace of the family of David gloriously counterbalanced in the person, incarnation, mediation, and glory of Christ! And grievous distresses and troubles making way for the most glorious benefits of redemption! Behold how extensive, glorious, peaceful, safe, and lasting is his spiritual kingdom! They who attempt to ruin it but hasten their own destruction. Greatly useful were the Jews, and still shall be, in converting others to Christ, whom they have long so heartily hated. And with great readiness and boldness men act for God when animated by his Spirit. Yea, thrice happy are the churches when their enemies are overcome and their internal corruptions removed!