Micah 5:2 - Exposition

At the time of Zion's deepest distress, and when her earthly king is suffering the grossest degradation, reduced as it were to the shepherd house at Bethlehem, a Deliverer shall arise thence who shall do wonderful things. This passage was quoted by the Sanhedrin to answer Herod's question where the Christ was to be born ( Matthew 2:5 , Matthew 2:6 ; comp. John 7:42 ). But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah. Ephratah (Ephrathah, or Ephrath), "fruitfulness," is another name for Bethlehem, "House of bread" ( Genesis 35:19 ; Genesis 1:1-31 Saul Genesis 17:12 ; Ruth 1:2 ); from its position it is also called Bethlehem Judah ( 17:7 ), being situated in the tribal lot of Judah, about five miles south of Jerusalem, and thus distinguished from a town of the same name in Zebulun( Joshua 19:15 ). Septuagint, κιὰ σὺ βηθλεὲμ οἷκος ἐφραθά τοῦ ἐφραθά Alex.]. "And thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah." The rest of the clause is best translated, too little to be among the thousands of Judah . Each tribe was divided into "thousands," which would be equivalent to clans, with its own head. Probably the reckoning was made of fighting men (see note on Zechariah 9:7 ; and comp. Numbers 1:16 ; Numbers 10:4 ; Joshua 22:21 , Joshua 22:30 ; 1 Samuel 10:19 ). Bethlehem, called in the text Bethlehem Ephratah for solemnity's sake, was a small place ( κάμη , John 7:42 ), of such slight importance as not to be named among the possessions of Judah in Joshua 15:1-63 ; or in the catalogue of Nehemiah 11:25 , etc. Yet out of thee shall he ( one ) come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel. In spite of its insignificance, this birthplace of David shall be the birthplace of Messiah. "Shall some forth" is spoken sometimes of birth and descent, as in Genesis 17:6 and Genesis 35:11 ; at other times it contains merely the notion of proceeding from, as in Jeremiah 30:21 . In the present ease both ideas are suitable. Unto me (Jehovah is speaking). To my praise and glory, to do my will. Micah by these words would recall the announcement concerning David made to Samuel, "I have provided me a king" ( 1 Samuel 16:1 ), and thus show the typical relation of David to the Messiah (Keil). Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting . The meaning of the word rendered "goings forth" ( motsaoth ) is somewhat doubtful. Septuagint, ἔξοδοι : Vulgate, egressus . The Fathers see in it a declaration of the eternal generation of the Son: he who was born in time at Bethlehem hath an eternal existence. In this case the plural form of the word is a plural of majesty, or an abstract expression (comp. Psalms 114:2 , "dominions;" Isaiah 54:2 . "habitations"). To Christians, who believe in the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the plural would express the continual generation or the Son from the Father from everlasting and to everlasting, never beginning and never ending; as the Council of Lateran says, "Without beginning ever and without end, the Father begetting, the Son being born ( nascens ), and the Holy Ghost proceeding." Many commentators take the "goings forth" to be the ancient promises, the revelations of the Angel of the covenant to the patriarchs, the various preparations made in type and history for the appearance of the great Son of David in due time; but this is a forced interpretation of the word. Granted that Micah's contemporaries understood the prophecy to state merely that a Saviour should arise from the lineage of David who traced his descent from hoar antiquity, and might be said to have lived in the days of old, this fact (if it be a fact) does not preclude us, with our more perfect knowledge, from seeing a deeper meaning in the inspired utterance, an adumbration of the nature of that Prince whom Isaiah calls "Everlasting" ( Isaiah 9:6 ), the Word who "was in the beginning with God" ( John 1:1 , John 1:2 ). We may note certain contrasts in these two first verses. Zion, "the daughter of troops," is contrasted with the mean and insignificant Bethlehem; yet the former shall be shamefully handled, the latter highly honoured; that one's king shall be dethroned and disgraced, this one's Ruler is from everlasting and to everlasting.