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Micah Chapter
Five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 5
This
chapter begins with a prophecy of the siege of Jerusalem
Micah 5:1; and then
follows another concerning the place of the Messiah's birth
Micah 5:2; and of
the case of the Jews
either before or after it
Micah 5:3; and of
Christ's office as a shepherd
and of his grandeur in the world
Micah 5:4; and of
his being a peacemaker
and protector of his people from their enemies
Micah 5:5; and of
his people
the great increase of them
and their usefulness
and also of their
courage
strength
and prowess
Micah 5:7; likewise
that the Lord will remove from them their vain confidence
and all occasion of
it
and whatsoever illicit arts and practices were found among them; and all
idolatry
and the instruments of it
Micah 5:10; and the
chapter is concluded with a threatening of vengeance to the Heathens
Micah 5:15.
Micah 5:1 Now gather
yourself in troops
O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They
will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
YLT
1Now gather thyself together
O daughter of troops
A siege he hath laid against us
With a rod they smite on
the cheek the judge of Israel.
Now gather thyself in troops
O daughter of troops
.... Not
Jerusalem
full of people
called to draw out their forces
and fall upon the
enemy besieging them
whether Chaldeans or Romans; but rather the Babylonians
whose armies were large
and their troops numerous; who are called upon by the
people of God
encouraged by the foregoing prophecies
as well as by what
follows
to come forth with all their forces
and muster up all their armies
and exert all the power and strength they had
thus suiting them; being
assured
by the above promises
that in the issue they should prevail over all
their enemies: unless the Romans should be intended
to whom this character of
"daughter of troops" well agrees
of whose legions all have heard;
and since the Babylonish attempt on Jerusalem
and the carrying the Jews
captive into Babylon
are before predicted
with their deliverance from it
and
what they should do in the times of the Maccabees; a prophecy of the Romans
or
a representation of them
a gathering their troops and legions together to
besiege Jerusalem
very naturally comes in here;
he hath laid siege against us; either Nebuchadnezzar
and the Chaldean army; or Vespasian with the Romans: this
according to the
prophetic style
is spoken of as if actually done
because of the certainty of
it;
they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek; that is
either they
the besiegers
the king of Babylon and his army
when they shall
have taken Jerusalem
besieged by them
shall use Zedekiah the king of Judah
and judge of Israel
and his princes and nobles
very ill
signified by this
phrase; yea
in a very cruel and barbarous manner; first slaying his sons and
his princes before his eyes
then putting his eyes out
binding him in chains
and carrying him to Babylon
and there laying him in a prison
Jeremiah 52:10; or
else they
the besieged
would use the Messiah
the King
Judge
and Ruler in
Israel
in such a spiteful and scandalous manner; and so the Messiah was to be
used by them
who according to prophecy gave his cheek to them that plucked off
the hair
and hid not his face from shame and spitting; and so Jesus
the true
Messiah
was smitten
both with rods
and with the palms of men's hands
and
buffeted and spit upon
Isaiah 50:6; and
this is mentioned as a reason why Jerusalem would be encompassed with the Roman
armies
and besieged by their troops and legions
and become desolate
even for
their rejection and ill usage of the Messiah. Aben Ezra says
it is right in my
eyes that the judge of Israel is the Messiah
or Zerubbabel; not the latter
who never was so used
but the former.
Micah 5:2 2 “But
you
Bethlehem Ephrathah
Though you are little among the thousands of
Judah
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in
Israel
Whose goings forth are from of old
From everlasting.”
YLT
2And thou
Beth-Lehem
Ephratah
Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh
forth -- to be ruler in Israel
And his comings forth [are] of old
From the
days of antiquity.
But thou
Bethlehem Ephratah
.... But though Jerusalem
should be besieged and taken
and the land of Judea laid waste
yet
before all
this should be
the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem
of which this is a
prophecy
as is evident from Matthew 2:4; the
place is called by both the names it went by
to point it out the more
distinctly
and with the greater certainty
Genesis 35:19; the
former signifies "the house of bread"
and a proper place for Christ
to be born in
who is the bread of life; and it has the name of the latter from
its fruitfulness
being a place of pasture
and as we find it was at the time
of our Lord's birth; for near it shepherds were then watching over their
flocks; and it is here added
to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in the
tribe of Zebulun
Joshua 19:15; from
which tribe the Messiah was not to come
but from the tribe of Judah; and in
which this Bethlehem was
and therefore called
by Matthew
Bethlehem in the
land of Judah; as it appears this was
from 1:1;
and from the Septuagint version of Joshua 15:60
where
as Jerom observes
it was added by the Greek interpreters
or erased out
of the Hebrew text by the wickedness of the Jews: the former seems most
correct;
though thou be little
among the thousands of Judah; this supplement of ours is according to
Kimchi's reading and sense of the words; which
in some measure
accounts for
the difference between the prophet and the Evangelist Matthew
by whom this
place is said to be "not the least"
Matthew 2:6
as it
might
and yet be little; besides
it might be little at one time
in Micah's
time
yet not little at another time; in Matthew's; it might be little with
respect to some circumstances
as to pompous buildings
and number of
inhabitants
and yet not little on account of its being the birth place of
great men
as Jesse
David
and especially the Messiah: or the words may be
rendered with an interrogation
"art thou little?" &c.F4צעיר להיות באלפי
יהודה "parvulane es?" Drusius;
"parvane sis?" Grotius; "parva es?" Cocceius. ; thou art
not: or thus
it is a "little thing to be among the thousands of
Judah"F5"Parum est ut sis inter chiliarchas Judae"
Osiander
Grotius; "vile
ignominiosum est
esse inter millia Judae"
De Dieu. ; a greater honour shall be put upon thee
by being the place of the
Messiah's birth. Moreover
Mr
Pocock has shown out of R. Tanchum
both in his
commentary on this place
and elsewhereF6Not. Misn. in Port. Mosis
p. 17
18.
that the word צעיר signifies both
"little" and "great"
or of great note and esteem. The
tribes of Israel were divided into tens
hundreds
and thousands
over which
there was a head or prince; hence
in Matthew
these are called "the
princes of Judah"
Matthew 2:6;
yet out of thee shall he come
forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; not Hezekiah
who very probably was now born at the time of this prophecy; nor was he born at
Bethlehem
nor a ruler in Israel
only king of Judah: nor Zerubbabel
who was
born in Babylon
as his name shows
was governor of Judah
but not of Israel;
nor can it be said of him
or any mere man
what is said in the next clause:
but the Messiah is intended
as the Targum
Jarchi
and Kimchi confess
and
other Jewish writers. The Targum is
"out
of thee shall come forth before me the Messiah
that he may exercise dominion
over Israel.'
Jarchi's
note is
"out
of thee shall come forth unto me Messiah
the son of David;'
and
so he says
"the stone which the builders refused"
&c. Psalm 118:22;
plainly suggesting that that passage also belongs to the Messiah
as it
certainly does. Kimchi's paraphrase is
"although
thou art little among the thousands of Judah
of thee shall come forth unto me
a Judge
to be ruler in Israel
and this is the King Messiah.'
And
AbarbinelF7Mashmiah Jeshuah
fol. 62. col. 2.
mentioning those
words in Micah 4:13;
"arise
and thresh
O daughter of Zion"
observes
"this
speaks concerning the business of the King Messiah
who shall reign over them
and shall be the Prince of their army; and it is plain that he shall be of the
house of David: and it is said
"O thou
Bethlehem Ephratah"
which
was a small city
in the midst of the cities of Judah; and "although thou
art little in the thousands of Judah
out of thee shall come forth unto
me" a man
a ruler in Israel
"whose goings forth are from the days
of old"; the meaning is
the goings forth of the family of that ruler are
from the days of old; that is
from the seed of David
and a rod from the stem
of Jesse
who was of Bethlehem Judah.'
So
AbendanaF8Not. in Miclol Yophi in loc.
a more modern Jew
paraphrases the words thus
"out
of thee shall come forth unto me a Judge
that is to be ruler in Israel
and
this is the King Messiah; for because he is to be of the seed of David
from
Bethlehem he will be.'
To
which may be added R. IsaacF9Chizzuk Emuuah
par. 1. p. 279.
who
having cited this passage
observes
and
he
the ruler in Israel
is the King
Messiah
who shall come forth from the seed of David the king; who was of
Bethlehem Judah
as in 1 Samuel 17:12.
Wherefore Lyra
having quoted Jarchi
and given his sense of the passage
remarks
hence it is plain that some Catholics
explaining this Scripture of King
Hezekiah
"judaize" more than the Hebrews. Though some of them object
the application of it to Jesus
who they say ruled not over Israel
but Israel
over him
and put him to death; which it is true they did; but God exalted him
to be a Prince
as well as a Saviour
unto Israel
notwithstanding that
and
declared him to be Lord and Christ; besides
previous to his death
and in the
land of Israel
he gave abundant proof of his power and rule over universal
nature
earth
air
and sea; over angels
good and bad; and over men and
beasts: all creatures obeyed him; though indeed his kingdom is not of this
world
but of a spiritual nature
and is over the spiritual Israel of God; and
there is a time coming when he will be King over all the earth. Now out of
Bethlehem was the King Messiah
the ruler in Israel
to come forth; that is
here he was to be born
as the phrase signifies; see Genesis 10:14; and
here our Jesus
the true Messiah
was born
as appears from Matthew 2:8; and
this is not only certain from the evangelic history
but the Jews themselves
acknowledge it. One of their chronologersF11R. David Ganz
Tzemach
David
par. 2. fol. 14. 2. affirms that Jesus the Nazarene was born at
Bethlehem Judah
a parsa and a half from Jerusalem; that is
about six miles
from it
which was the distance between them: and even the author of a
blasphemous bookF12Toldos Jesu
p. 7. Ed. Wagenseil.
pretending to
give the life of Jesus
owns that Bethlehem Judah was the place of his
nativity: and it is clear not only that the Jews in the times of Jesus expected
the Messiah to come from hence
even both the chief priests and scribes of the
people
who
in answer to Herod's question about the place of the Messiah's
birth
direct him to this
according to Micah's prophecy
Matthew 2:4; and
the common people
who thought to have confronted the Messiahship of Jesus with
it
John 7:41; but
others also
at other times. The tower of Edar being a place near to Bethlehem
Ephratah
Genesis 35:19;
Jonathan ben Uzziel
in his Targum of Genesis 35:19
says
of the tower of Edar
this is the place from whence the King Messiah shall be
revealed in the end of days; nay
some of them say he is born already
and was
born at Bethlehem. An Arabian
they sayF13T. Hieros. Beracot
fol.
5. 1.
told a Jew
"the
King Messiah is born; he replied to him
what is his name? he answered
Menachem (the Comforter) is his name; he asked him
what is his father's name?
he replied
Hezekiah; he said to him
from whence is he? he answered
from the
palace of the king of Bethlehem Judah.'
This
same story is told elsewhereF14Echa Rabbati
fol. 50. 1.
with some
little variation
thus
that the Arabian should say to the Jew
"the
Redeemer of the Jews is both; he said to him
what is his name? he replied
Menachem is his name; and what is his father's name? he answered
Hezekiah; and
where do they dwell? (he and his father;) he replied
in Birath Arba
in
Bethlehem Judah.'
These
things show their sense of this prophecy
and the convictions of their minds as
to the births of the Messiah
and the place of it. The words "unto
me" are thought by some to be redundant and superfluous; but contain in
them the glory and Gospel of the text
whether considered as the words of God
the Father; and then the sense is
that Christ was to come forth in this place
in human nature
or become incarnate
agreeably to the purpose which God
purposed in himself; to the covenant made with him
before the world was; to an
order he had given him as Mediator
and to his promise concerning him; and he
came forth to him
and answered to all these; as well as this was in order to
do his will and work
by fulfilling the law; preaching the Gospel; doing
miracles; performing the work of redemption and salvation; by becoming a
sacrifice for sin
and suffering death; and likewise it was for the glorifying
of all the divine perfections: or whether as the words of the prophet
in the
name of the church and people of God
to and for whom he was born
or became
incarnate; he came forth unto them
to be their Mediator in general; to be the
Redeemer and Saviour of them in particular; to execute each of his offices of
Prophet
Priest
and King; and to answer and fill up all relations he stands in
to them
of Father
Brother
Head
and Husband;
whose goings forth have been of old
from everlasting; which is said
of him
not because his extraction was from David
who lived many ages before
him; for admitting he was "in him
in his loins"
as to his
human nature
so long ago
yet his "goings forth" were not from
thence: nor because he was prophesied of and promised very early
as he was
from the beginning of the world; but neither a prophecy nor promise of him can
be called his "going forth"; which was only foretold and spoken of
but not in actual being; nor because it was decreed from eternity that he
should come forth from Bethlehem
or be born there in time; for this is saying
no more than what might be said of everyone that was to be born in Bethlehem
and was born there: nor is this to be understood of his manifestations or
appearances in a human form to the patriarchs
in the several ages of time;
since to these
as to other of the above things
the phrase "from
everlasting" cannot be ascribed: but either of his going forth in a way of
grace towards his people
in acts of love to them
delighting in those sons of
men before the world was; in applying to his Father on their account
asking
them of him
and betrothing them to himself; in becoming their surety
entering
into a covenant with his Father for them
and being the head of election to
them
receiving all blessings and promises of grace for them: or else of his
eternal generation and sonship
as commonly interpreted; who the only begotten
of the Father
of the same nature with him
and a distinct person from him; the
eternal Word that went forth from him
and was with him from eternity
and is
truly God. The phrases are expressive of the eternity of his divine nature and
person; Jarchi compares them with Psalm 72:17;
"before the sun was
his name was Jinnon"; that is
the Son
the Son
of God; so as the former part of the text sets forth his human birth
this his
divine generation; which
cause of the excellency and ineffableness of it
is
expressed in the plural number
"goings forth". So EliezerF15Pirke
Eliezer
c. 3. fol. 2. 2.
along with the above mentioned passage in the
Psalms
produces this to prove the name of the Messiah before the world was
whose "goings forth were from everlasting"
when as yet the
world was not created.
Micah 5:3 3 Therefore
He shall give them up
Until the time that she who is in labor has given
birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel.
YLT
3Therefore he doth give them
out till the time She who bringeth forth hath brought forth
And the remnant of
his brethren return to the sons of Israel.
Therefore will he give them up
.... Or
"notwithstanding"
as this particle signifies; see Hosea 2:14; though
all this shall be
yet
previous to the birth of this person
the Lord would
give up the Jews to trouble and distress
and into the hands of their enemies;
and the time from this prophet to the birth of Christ was a time for the most
part of great trouble to
the Jews; not only was their country invaded and
their city besieged by Sennacherib in Hezekiah's time
but
some years after
that
they were wholly carried captive into Babylon: and when they returned it
was troublesome times with them; they met with many enemies that disturbed them
while they were rebuilding the city and temple; and after that they endured
much tribulation
in the times of Antiochus Epiphanes
or of the Maccabees; nor
were they long in any quiet
nor in any settled state
unto the coming of the
Messiah. Or else this is to be understood of what should be after his coming;
for though Jesus was born at Bethlehem
according to this plain prophecy
and
had all the characters of the Messiah in him
yet the Jews rejected him
and
would not have him to reign over them: wherefore he
the Messiah
as Japhet
interprets it
gave them up to judicial blindness and hardness of heart
and
into the hands of their enemies the Romans; by whom they were destroyed or
carried captive
and dispersed among the nations; in which condition they still
remain
and will
until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled; so long will
Jerusalem be trodden under foot
or the Jews be given up to their will
according to Luke 21:24; or
as
here expressed
until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: that is
according to the first sense until the Virgin Mary travailed in birth with the
Messiah
and brought forth him her firstborn
Matthew 1:25; or
according to the latter
until Zion
or
the church of God
travailed in
prayer
in the ministry of the word
and brought forth many children to Christ
both among Jews and Gentiles; and the sense is
that the Jews shall be given up
to distress and trouble
till the time of their conversion
see Isaiah 66:7; The
Jews have a tradition in their Talmud
that
"the
son of David would not come until the kingdom spreads itself over the whole
world for nine months; as it is said
"therefore will he give them up
until the time that she that travaileth hath brought" forth; which is the
time of a woman's going with child.'
This
both Jarchi and Kimchi take notice of. In one placeF16T. Bab. Yoma
fol. 10. 1. it is called the kingdom of Aram or Syria; and in anotherF17T.
Bab. Sanhedrin
fol. 98. 2. a blank is left for Edom
that is
Rome; for by the
kingdom is meant the Roman empire
and which did extend all over the world
before the coming of the Messiah Jesus
as appears from Luke 2:1; as well as
from all profane history;
then the remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of
Israel; that is
the brethren of the Messiah
as Kimchi and Abendana
interpret it; who should return with the children of Israel
as both they and
Jarchi explain it; to which the Targum agrees. Kimchi's note is
""the
remnant of his brethren"; they are the tribes of Judah and Benjamin
which
remained when the ten tribes were carried captive; and the surnames
his
brethren
relate to the Messiah.'
So
AbendanaF18Not. in Miclol Yophi in loc.
"and
"the remnant his brethren"; they are the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin
they shall return with the children of Israel
who are the ten
tribes; as if he should say
these and these shall return to their land
and
King Messiah shall reign over them; and the surnames
his brethren
respect the
Messiah.'
And
to the same purpose R. IsaacF19Chizzuk Emunah
par. 1. p. 281.
"the
remnant of the brethren of the Messiah
who are the children of Judah and
Benjamin
that are left and remain of the calamities and persecutions of the
captivities
shall return to their own land
together with the children of
Israel
who are the ten tribes.'
Meaning
either the remnant
according to the election of grace
among the Gentiles; who
with those among the Jews should be converted to Christ in the first times of
the Gospel
those immediately following the birth of Christ; the Gospel being
preached both to the Jews and Gentiles
and some of both were called and
converted
and whom Christ owned as his brethren
and were not ashamed of; see Matthew 12:49 Hebrews 2:11; or
the Lord's chosen people
and brethren of Christ
those of
he two tribes of
Judah and Benjamin
and those of the ten tribes of Israel; who shall join and
coalesce together in seeking the Messiah
embracing and professing him
and
appointing him the one Head over them
when they will turn to the Lord
and all
Israel shall be saved; see Jeremiah 50:4.
Micah 5:4 4 And
He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the Lord
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; And
they shall abide
For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth;
YLT
4And he hath stood and
delighted in the strength of Jehovah
In the excellency of the name of Jehovah
his God
And they have remained
For now he is great unto the ends of earth.
And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord
.... The ruler
in Israel
before described and prophesied of; the Messiah
as Kimchi himself
interprets it
and other Jewish writers. Kimchi's note is
"after
the affliction
the King Messiah shall stand and feed Israel in the strength of
the Lord;'
and
so R. IsaacF20Ibid. (Chizzuk Emunah
par. 1. p. 281.) paraphrases
the words exactly in the same way: wherefore
as another learned JewF21Tanchuma
apud Pocock in loc. observes
these expressions evince that the ruler here
spoken of can be no other than the Messiah; not Zerubbabel
who never attained
to this height and happiness. He is both King and Shepherd
and to each of
these the act of feeding is ascribed. The same word
in the Greek language
signifies both to rule and to feed and is used by Matthew
Matthew 2:6; and
kings are often compared to shepherds. Christ feeds his people
his brethren
his flock
his sheep
and lambs all truly converted ones; and this takes in the
whole office of a shepherd
and the care he has of his flock; he takes an exact
account of them
goes before them
and leads them out into good pastures; sets
under shepherds over them; protects them from
all their enemies; looks after
what is lost or driven away; heals the sick
strengthens the weak
binds up the
broken
and watches over his flock continually: he feeds them with
himself
the bread of life
with his flesh and blood
which are meat and drink indeed;
with the doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel; and which are found to be
spiritual
savoury
strengthening
satisfying
and soul nourishing food: and he
"stands" and does this
being raised from the dead
and possessed of
all power in heaven and in earth; which designs not the position of his body
but the ministration of his office
and his alacrity and readiness to perform
it
and his constancy in it: and all this "in the strength of the
Lord"; in his own strength
as a divine Person
which is the same with the
strength of Jehovah; and in the power and strength that is dispensed to him as
Mediator; and with his Gospel
the rod of his strength
and in such manner as
to defend his flock from all that would devour them:
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; Jehovah the
Father is the God of Christ
as is Mediator; and his name is in him
even the
majesty of it; for
as a divine Person
he has the same nature and perfections
with him; and as man
exalted at his right hand
has a name above every name in
this world
or that to come; and it is by authority from him
in his office
capacity
that he rules and feeds his people
having all judgment committed to
him:
and they shall abide; that is
his people
his
flock
his sheep fed and ruled by him; these shall continue and persevere under
his care and keeping; in him
in whom they are chosen and preserved; in his
love
from which they can never be separated; in his hands
out of which none
can pluck them; in his church
where they shall ever remain; and so may be
considered as a promise of the perseverance of the saints in faith and holiness
to the end: or
"they shall sit"F23ישבו
"sedebunt"
Tigurine version
Vatablus
Drusius;
"considebunt"
Cocceius; so R. Isaac
"they shall sit safely in
his time"
as is said above
ch. iv. 4. "they shall sit every
man"
&c. Chizzuk Emunah
ut supra. (par. 1. p. 281.) ; quietly and
securely
being freed from persecution
with which the Christians were at
ended in the first three centuries: this began to be accomplished in the times
of Constantius Chlorus
who helped the Christians in the times of Dioclesian
and with whom the persecutions ended
and peace and prosperity followed:
for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth; as
he was in
the times of Constantine
and will be again. Christ is great in himself
in
his person and offices; and will appear to be so unto all men
even unto the
ends of the earth
when his Gospel shall be preached and spread
everywhere;
when his kingdom shall be enlarged
and be from sea to sea
and from the river
to the ends of the earth; even then shall he appear to be a great King over all
the earth
and
the great Shepherd of the sheep
the man
Jehovah's fellow; and
to have such a flock
and so large
as never any had; when there will be one
fold
and one shepherd; for this prophecy respects the latter day glory.
Kimchi's gloss is
"the
name of the Messiah shall be magnified
after the judgment of the wicked.'
Micah 5:5 5 And
this One shall be peace. When the Assyrian comes into our land
And when
he treads in our palaces
Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and
eight princely men.
YLT
5And this [one] hath been
peace
Asshur! when he doth come into our land
And when he doth tread in our
palaces
We have raised against him seven shepherds
And eight anointed of man.
And this man shall be the peace
.... The word
man is not in the text
only this; and refers to the person before spoken of
who was to be born in Bethlehem
to be the ruler in Israel
that should stand
and feed his people
and should be great to the ends of the earth; and is no
other than the Messiah
as Kimchi
and other Jewish writers
own
Kimchi's note
is
"this
peace respects the Messiah; for he shall be the cause or author of peace; as it
is said
"he shall speak peace unto the Heathen"
Zechariah 9:10;'
and
R. IsaacF24Ut supra. (Chizzuk Emunah
par. 1. p. 281.) expresses his
sense of the words in much the same language; and it is an observation the Jews
sometimes make
and which they give as a sign of the Messiah's coming
"when
you see a Persian horse bound in the land of Israel
look for the feet of the
Messiah;'
which
is the sense of Micah 5:5;
"this shall be the peace
when the Assyrian comes into our land"F25Echa
Rabbati
fol. 48. 3.
&c. so Jesus the true Messiah is called "our
peace"
Ephesians 2:14; and
is the cause and author of peace
not only between Jew and Gentile
but between
God and men; which he has made by the blood of his cross
and speaks and gives
peace to men; and he is the author of peace in his churches
whose kingdom is a
kingdom of peace
of which there will be an abundance in the latter day; for
all which he would not be sufficient was he a mere man; though it was proper he
should be a man
that he might have blood to shed
a body to offer up
and in
it die to procure peace; and yet be more than a man
God also
to put virtue
and efficacy into what he did and suffered to obtain it
as well as to secure
and continue the peace of his people
and preserve them from all their enemies:
when the Assyrian shall come into our land; not
Sennacherib king of Assyria; though by the invasion of Judea
and siege of
Jerusalem
he might have lately been concerned in
and by reason of the terror
which that had raised in the people; the Assyrian may be here put for any
powerful enemy of the people of God in later times; or Satan
and his
principalities and powers
even all the powers of darkness Christ our
peacemaker engaged with
at the time he made peace by his sufferings and death;
and perhaps may chiefly design the Turk
the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel
as Mr.
MedeF26Works
l. 4. Ep. 41. p. 796. thinks
that will enter into the
land of Judea
in order to take it out of the hands of the Jews
who will be
possessed of it upon their conversion to Christ; but he by his instruments will
secure to them the possession of it
and their peace and prosperity in it:
and when he shall tread in our palaces; the palaces
of our princes
and nobles
and great men
at least attempt to do it:
then shall we raise against him; the Assyrian
or
whatsoever enemy is meant by him: or
"with him"
that is
the
Messiah
as Kimchi and othersF1Vid. Chizzuk Emunah
par. 1. p. 282.
interpret it. The Targum is
"then
will we appoint over us;'
which
sense the above writer wonders at
as being contrary to the Hebrew text:
seven shepherds
and eight principal men; that is
many
as the phrase is used in Ecclesiastes 11:2;
to which passage Aben Ezra and Kimchi refer us; these are
as the last
mentioned writer and others sayF2Ibid.
the princes of the Messiah;
and
according to the ancientF3T. Bab. Succa
fol. 52. 2.
Shirhashirim Rabba
fol. 26. 3. Jewish Rabbins
the seven shepherds are
particularly these
David in the midst
Adam
Seth
Methuselah
on his right
hand (Kimchi has it
Seth
Enoch
and Methuselah)
and Abraham
Jacob
and
Moses
on his left hand; and the eight principal men are
Jesse
Saul
Samuel
Amos
Zephaniah
Zedekiah (in Kimchi and Rabbot it is Hezekiah)
Elijah
and
the Messiah; but
as Aben Ezra
not fifteen persons are designed
at most but
eight
according to this form of speech in Proverbs 30:15;
&c. CalmetF4Dictionary
in the word "Shepherds". takes
those seven or eight shepherds to he the seven princes confederate with Darius
the son of Hystaspes
who killed Smerdis the Magian
who had possessed himself
of the empire of the Persians
after the death of Cambyses; but Smerdis was not
an Assyrian
nor is the kingdom of Persia here meant
but the land of Judea;
and the prophecy respects the times of the Messiah
who should appear there
and where would be raised up men to support his interest: and if conjecture may
be allowed
as this may be understood of the apostles and first preachers of
the Gospel
the princes of the Messiah
who were raised up
at the prayer and
request of the church
to oppose Satan and his emissaries
in the first times
of the Gospel; by these may be meant the writers of the New Testament
the four
evangelists
Matthew
Mark
Luke
and John
and the Apostles Peter
James
and
Jude
which make the seven shepherds; and if you add to these the Apostle Paul
they will make eight principal men; or rather I should think the seven angels
are pointed at
that shall pour out the last plagues on the antichristian
states; to which
if another angel is added
that will proclaim the fall of
Babylon
the same number will be made up; see Revelation 16:1;
and who will assist the Jews against the Turks
when they shall attempt to
dispossess them of their land
they shall again inherit.
Micah 5:6 6 They
shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria
And the land of Nimrod at its
entrances; Thus He shall deliver us from the Assyrian
When he comes
into our land And when he treads within our borders.
YLT
6And they have afflicted the
land of Asshur with the sword
And the land of Nimrod at its openings
And he
hath delivered from Asshur when he doth come into our land
And when he
treadeth in our borders.
And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword
.... Or
"feedF5ורעו "et depascent"
Montanus
Drusius; "pascent"
Piscator
Grotius
Cocceius. upon
it" with the sword
destroy the inhabitants of it; either spiritually
subdue the nations of the world to the obedience of Christ
the sword of the Spirit
which is the word of God; the preaching of the Gospel
the ministry of the
apostles
and others
in the Gentile world; see 2 Corinthians 10:3;
or literally
meaning that the angels of the vials
the Christian princes
shall destroy the Ottoman empire with the sword:
and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof; the same with
Babylon
the empire of which was first set up by Nimrod
the beginning of whose
kingdom was Babel
Genesis 10:11; the
same with Nebrodas
a name of Bacchus
which is no other than Barchus the son
of Chus
as Nimrod was the son of Cush
and Bacchus was a mighty hunter
as he
was; all which BochartF6Phaleg. l. 1. c. 2. col. 12. has observed:
now his country was Babel
Erech
Accad
and Calneh
in the land of Shinar
that is
the land of Babylon
as the Targum of Onkelos and Jerusalem in Genesis 10:10
render it; though some think Nimrod extended his dominions into Assyria; and
translateF7Vatablus
Junius and Tremellius
Bochart
Cocceius
and
others. Micah 5:11
"out of that land
he" (that is
Nimrod) "went forth into
Assyria
and builded Nineveh
and the city Rehoboth
and Calah"; and the
Targum of Jonathan is very express for it
which paraphrases the words thus
"out
of that land went forth Nimrod
and he reigned in Assyria
because he would not
be in the counsel of the generation of the division
and he left these four
cities; and the Lord gave him a place (or Assyria)
and he built four other
cities
Nineveh
&c.'
hence
someF8Bochart
Phaleg. l. 4. c. 12. c. 229. Bedford's Chronology
p.
773. have thought that the land of Assyria and the land of Nimrod here design
one and the same country; but Ashur
in the text in Genesis
seems rather to be
the name of a man than of a place
even of the son of Shem so called
from whom
the country of Assyria had its name; whereas
if had been so soon in the hands
of Nimrod
and so many cities had been built by him in it
it would rather have
been called by his name than Ashur's; and it seems most reasonable to conclude
that the cities of Nineveh
&c. were built by the latter
and not the
former; and the two countries of Assyria and Nimrod
or Babylon
are very
plainly in this text distinguished from one another; though they might at the
time of this prophecy be united under Esarhaddon
who was both king of Assyria
and Babylon; and at this present time they are both in the hands of the Turks
and in all probability will be until this prophecy is fulfilled in the
destruction of them by the Christian princes: the same thing is meant as
before; and the word rendered "in the entrances thereof" may as well
be translated "with its sword"F9בפתחיה
"gladiis suis"
Pagninus
Montanus
Munster
Tigurine version; so R.
Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed
fol. 31. 2. ; or
as the margin of our Bibles
"with her own naked swords"; so Kimchi and Aben Ezra interpret it:
thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian
when he cometh
into our land
and when he treadeth within our borders; that is
the
King Messiah shall work this deliverance
as Kimchi and othersF11R.
Isaac
ib. p. 283. Abarbinel
&c. explain it; Christ delivered his people
from all their spiritual enemies when he made peace for them; and he will
deliver them in the latter day from both Pope and Turk
when he will destroy
the man of sin by the breath of his mouth
and dry up the river Euphrates
and
cast both beast and false prophet into the lake that burns with fire and
brimstone; though all that is said in this verse and Micah 5:5 may have
had its accomplishment already
at least in part
in the Saracens and their
empire
which begun in the year 623
and who prevailed very much in Arabia
Palestine
Syria
Persia
Egypt
and Africa
and even penetrated into Spain and
France
in all which places were Christian churches; and so may be called
"our land"
as the churches therein "our palaces"
which
these people entered into
trod upon
profaned
or destroyed; and the seven or
eight principal men raised against them may be the Christian princes that
fought with them
and drove them back
and destroyed their land; such as Hugh
the great
brother to Philip king of France; Robert earl of Flanders; Robert
earl of Normandy
brother to William the Conqueror
king of England; Stephen
earl of Blois; Raymund earl of Tholouse; Godfrey duke of Lorrain
and his
brothers Baldwin and Eustachius
and others. These beginning at Nice
where
once a famous Christian council was held
and driving the army of Solyman from
thence
in the space off our years subdued many provinces of Asia
Lycaonia
Cilicia
Syria
Mesopotamia
and Comagena; and at length having put to flight
the Turks
and ejected the Saracens
took Jerusalem
and made Godfrey of
Bullein king of itF12Vid. Witsii Exercitat. 8. de Assyriis in
Miscel. Sacr. tom. 2. p. 218
219
220. . SomeF13Vid. Gurtler. Voc.
Typic. Prophetic. Explicat. p. 18. have interpreted it of the emperor of
Germany
and the seven electors in the empire (for formerly they were no more)
happily and with success carrying on a war against the Turks
Tartars
and
Saracens
when they broke into Europe; but the former sense seems better; and
it is best of all to understand the prophecy of the destruction of the Turk or
Ottoman empire in the latter day by the Christian princes.
Micah 5:7 7 Then
the remnant of Jacob Shall be in the midst of many peoples
Like dew from the Lord
Like showers on the grass
That tarry for no man Nor wait for the
sons of men.
YLT
7And the remnant of Jacob
hath been in the midst of many peoples
As dew from Jehovah -- as showers on
the herb
That waiteth not for man
nor stayeth for the sons of men.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people
.... The Jews
who will be converted in the latter day
the remnant of them according to the
election of grace
as well as all true Israelites
whether Jews or Gentiles
the Lord's chosen and peculiar people; who
though but a small number in
comparison of others
and mean and contemptible in the eyes of men
are such as
God has made a reserve of for himself; and these
though not of the world
yet
are in the world
and will be in the several parts of it
but a distinct people
from it
and of no account in it; nevertheless will be visible in it
and
wonderfully preserved in the midst of it: and will be
as a dew from the Lord; both with respect to
themselves
being like to dew for the generation of it
which is from above
from heaven
and of God
as their regeneration is; and which secretly and
silently falls as the grace of God in regeneration does; and for the number of
the drops of it
which are not to be reckoned; and so numerous are the people
of God
at least they will be in the latter day
when Christ shall again have
the dew of his youth; or such a number of converts
as will be like the drops
of the morning dew; as also for the favour
grace
and blessings of God upon them
which are as the dew; and which he himself is as that unto them
so that they
themselves are as dew from him
being indulged with his favour; which
as the
dew is entirely free
very softening
cooling
and refreshing
as well as
fructifying; and having the dews of his grace
or the blessings of it
falling
upon them in plenty; see Hosea 14:5; and
with respect to others
among whom they are
and to whom they are as the dew
by their speech
their doctrine
the word ministered by then)
which distils
like the dew
Deuteronomy 32:26;
and by their good works
which are profitable unto men; and by their soft and
gentle behaviour towards them; and by reason of the many outward blessings they
enjoy through them
as Laban did for the sake of Jacob
and Potiphar on the
account of Josiah:
as the showers upon the grass; which revive
refresh
it
and cause it to grow and flourish; or they are like grass
on which the
showers fall
and grow up as such in great numbers
and with great verdure and
fruitfulness
Psalm 72:16;
that tarrieth not for man
nor waiteth for the sons of men; which seems
to be connected with the dew
though it agrees with both dew and rain
which
stay not for men's desires or deserts
but descend according to the will of
God: and as this regards the people of God
either with respect to themselves;
it shows that as they are
as the dew
or as showers and clouds full of rain
either of grace or doctrine compared thereunto; they are not of themselves so
or of men
but of God; and that their dependence is not upon the creature
but
upon the Lord for support and supply:
and with respect to others
to whom they
are beneficial by their doctrine and works; that it is all from the Lord
and
owing to his goodness
which makes them a blessing round about unasked and
undeserved; see Ezekiel 34:26. It
may have respect to plenty of Gospel ministers
whose doctrine is as the dew;
and which
being attended with the power and Spirit of God
waits not for
anything in man
but operates at once secretly and powerfully.
Micah 5:8 8 And
the remnant of Jacob Shall be among the Gentiles
In the midst of many peoples
Like a lion among the beasts of the forest
Like a young lion among flocks of
sheep
Who
if he passes through
Both treads down and tears in pieces
And
none can deliver.
YLT
8Yea
the remnant of Jacob
hath been among nations
In the midst of many peoples
As a lion among beasts
of a forest
As a young lion among ranks of a flock
Which if it hath passed
through
Hath both trodden down and hath torn
And there is no deliverer.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst
of many people
.... The same persons are meant here as before; who are compared
to dew and showers of rain
because numerous; and full of blessings in
themselves
and useful and beneficial to others: and here are said to be
as a lion among the beasts of the forest; strong
mighty
powerful
and courageous
and superior to their enemies
as the lion is
strongest among beasts
and keeps all others in awe of him. Some refer this to
the times of the Maccabees; when Judas and his brethren behaved with great
fortitude and courage
and were victorious
and prevailed over the armies of
Antiochus
and others; but it seems rather to belong to the latter day
when
the Jews shall be superior to their enemies the Turks
who would disturb them
in the possession of their land: and shall be a terror to them
as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; signifying
that their enemies shall be no more to them
and no more able to oppose them
than a flock of sheep are to a young lion
or they to resist him The design of
the metaphor is; not to signify the harmlessness and innocence of their
enemies
but their weakness
and the strength and courage of them;
who
if he go through; the flock: on whatsoever
he seizes
both treadeth down
and teareth in pieces
and none can deliver; brings it to
the ground at once
tramples upon it
and tears it in pieces as its prey; and
none in the flock
or to whom it belongs
can deliver out of his hand. This
will be the case when the Jews shall turn to the Lord
and the Lion of the
tribe of Judah shall be at the head of them; though some interpret this of the
first times of the Gospel
and take it to be fulfilled in the apostles and
first ministers of the word
who were Jews; and who were valiant defenders of
truth
and conquerors over the devil and the world
and were the instruments of
bringing many into subjection to Christ; but it seems best to apply it to the
last times
and not to the converted Jews only
though in the first place; but
to all the
spiritual Israel of God
the whole Christian church
which will
then be in such happy circumstances.
Micah 5:9 9 Your
hand shall be lifted against your adversaries
And all your enemies shall be
cut off.
YLT
9High is thy hand above
thine adversaries
And all thine enemies are cut off.
Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries
.... O remnant
of Jacob or Israel
as the Targum; the church of God; now will be the time that
it shall prevail over all the antichristian states; now will the Christian
princes pour out the vials of God's wrath upon them; and they shall feel the
strength and weight of their hand; which will fall heavy upon them
even to
their utter destruction: or thine hand
O Messiah
the ruler in Israel
the man
the peace that shall deliver from the Assyrian; and who will be at the head of
his church and people
the remnant of Jacob
and destroy their enemies with the
sword that proceeds out of his mouth:
and all thine enemies shall be cut off; all the
enemies of Christ and his church; all the kings of the earth that shall gather
against them
the beast and false prophet
with all their followers; see Revelation 19:19.
Micah 5:10 10 “And
it shall be in that day
” says the Lord
“That I
will cut off your horses from your midst And destroy your chariots.
YLT
10And it hath come to pass in
that day
An affirmation of Jehovah
I have cut off thy horses from thy midst
And I have destroyed thy chariots
And it shall come to pass in that day
saith the Lord
.... When the
above things shall be accomplished
even in the Gospel day
made so by the
rising of the sun of righteousness; the Gospel dispensation
the latter part of
it:
that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee
and I
will destroy thy chariots; which some take to be an apostrophe to
literal Babylon
and to be fulfilled when Cyrus took possession of it; but
rather it respects mystical Babylon
and the destruction of that by Christ; but
it is best of all to interpret it of the church of Christ
all whose carnal
confidences and dependences shall be cut off
and shall trust alone in Christ
for salvation; particularly the Jews now converted
who have been used to put
their trust in the flesh
and in such things as are here mentioned; but now
shall be made to see the folly and vanity of such things
and shall renounce
and disclaim them; see Hosea 14:3; or the
sense is
there shall be no more war; horses and chariots shall be no more used
in a hostile way; but there shall be perfect peace
all enemies being
destroyed
which agrees with Micah 2:3 Zechariah 9:10. The
Targum is
"I
will cut off the horses of the people from the midst of thee
and destroy their
chariots?'
Micah 5:11 11 I
will cut off the cities of your land And throw down all your strongholds.
YLT
11And I have cut off the
cities of thy land
And I have thrown down all thy fortresses
And I will cut off the cities of thy land
and throw down all thy
strong holds. The meaning is
they should not dwell in fortified cities and
walled towns; they should have none of these to trust to
nor should they stand
in any need of them to defend them
their enemies being subdued; and besides
the Lord would be their strong hold and place of defence
a wall of fire round
about them
but the glory in the midst of them
The phrases are expressive of
the greatest tranquillity and safety
and of living in an open air
free and
undisturbed; see Zechariah 2:4. The
Targum is
"I
will cut off the cities of the people out of thy land
and destroy all their
strong fortresses;'
these
shall dwell no more there
and be no more offensive and troublesome.
Micah 5:12 12 I
will cut off sorceries from your hand
And you shall have no soothsayers.
YLT
12And have cut off sorcerers
out of thy hand
And observers of clouds thou hast none.
And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand
.... Such as
were formerly practised among the Jews
though forbidden them
and in mystical
Babylon
or the antichristian church
whose sorceries are mentioned
Revelation 9:21;
but nothing of this kind will be found in the Christian church
consisting of
Jews and Gentiles
in the latter day; all unlawful arts
cheating and juggling
in religious matters
will cease
and be no more:
and thou shalt have no more soothsayers; or diviners
that cast a mist over people's eyes
and deceived them with false appearances
of things; that pretended to know times and seasons
when it was or was not a
good day to go abroad
or to make merchandise; that judged by the clouds
and
by the position of the heavens
what would come to pass hereafter; and though
such sort of men were formerly indulged
connived at
and caressed among the
Jews
they should be so no more; nor should they apply to such persons for
advice and counsel; nor would they need it
nor should they use it; see Deuteronomy 18:10.
Micah 5:13 13 Your
carved images I will also cut off
And your sacred pillars from your
midst; You shall no more worship the work of your hands;
YLT
13And I have cut off thy
graven images
And thy standing-pillars out of thy midst
And thou dost not bow
thyself any more To the work of thy hands.
Thy graven images also will I cut off
and thy standing images out
of the midst of thee
.... The former were such as were made of wood or stone; the
latter statues
such as were molten or cast
and made of gold
silver
or
brass; Such as the Jews sometimes worshipped
and are now found in the apostate
church of Rome; but will have no place in the Christian churches
or those so
called
in the latter day. The Jews indeed have had no idols or idolatrous
worship among them since the Babylonish captivity; and the prophet here speaks
not of what would be found among them
and removed at their conversion; but of what
was in his time
or had been
or would be again
but should not be in future
time
when they should turn to the Lord
and be like dew among the people; and
so we are to understand some following passages. The Targum is
"I
will cut off the images of the people
and their statues:'
and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands; as not to
fall down to idols and worship them
so neither to trust in carnal privileges
ceremonial rites
observances of the traditions of the elders
or any works of
righteousness done by them
which they had been prone unto.
Micah 5:14 14 I
will pluck your wooden images[a] from your
midst; Thus I will destroy your cities.
YLT
14And I have plucked up thy
shrines out of thy midst
And I have destroyed thine enemies.
And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee
.... Planted
for idolatrous worship
and which the Jews in the reigns of some of their kings
raised
and made use of for such purposes; see 1 Kings 15:13;
though contrary to the law of God
Deuteronomy 16:21;
but now there should be nothing of this kind
all idolatry being rooted out of
the world. The Targum is
"I
will root out the plantations of the people out of the midst of thee:'
so will I destroy thy cities; which some understand of
cities given to idolatry; or rather it is to be understood in the same sense as
in Micah 5:11; though
by reason of that
and as something distinct from it
it is better to render
the words with the Targum
"I
will destroy thine enemiesF14So Jarchi
and Marinas in Aben Ezra
and R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed
fol. 102. 1. .'
Micah 5:15 15 And
I will execute vengeance in anger and fury On the nations that have not heard.”[b]
YLT
15And I have done vengeance
in anger and in fury
With the nations who have not hearkened!
And I will execute vengeance in anger
and fury upon the Heathen
.... Or
"nations"F15את הגוים "gentes"
Junius & Tremellius. ; not
the Pagan nations only
but the Papal and Mahometan ones
even all that are
enemies to Christ
and his church and people:
such as they have not heard; such terrible judgments
and dreadful expressions of divine wrath and fury
by earthquakes
hailstones
&c. as were never known or heard of in the world before; see Revelation 16:18;
or
"which have not heard"F16אשר
לא שמעו "quae non
audierunt"
Pagninus
Montanus; "quae non auscultaverint"
Junius & Tremellius; "quae non obediverunt"
Burkius. ; the
people that have not heard and hearkened to the word of God
to the voice of
Christ in the Gospel
but have turned a deaf ear to it
and despised it. So the
Targum
"who
have not received the doctrine of the law;'
but
it is much more agreeable to understand it of the doctrine of the Gospel
disobeyed by men
and therefore justly punished; see 2 Thessalonians 1:8.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)