The Prophet Micah

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- Chapter 5 -

(Matthew 2:1–12)

Now you will be devastated, you daughter of a robber. They have placed a blockade against us, with a rod they will strike the jaw of the judge of Israel.(a)

And you, Bethlehem Ephrata, are a little one among the thousands of Judah. From you will go forth he who shall be the ruler in Israel, and his landing place has been set from the beginning, from the days of eternity.(b)

(c)

Because of this, he will provide for them, even until the time in which she who bears him gives birth. And the remnant of his brothers will be converted to the sons of Israel.

And he will stand firm and feed on the strength of the Lord, according to the sublime name of the Lord his God. And they will be converted, for now he will be magnified, even to the ends of the earth.

And this man will be our peace, when the Assyrian will come into our land, and when he will trample on our houses; and we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight principal men.(d)

(e)

And they will graze on the land of Assur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with its spears; and he will free us from Assur, when he will come into our land, and when he will trample our borders.(f)

(g)

(h)

The Remnant of Jacob

(Micah 2:12–13)

And there will be a remnant of Jacob in the midst of many peoples, like a dew from the Lord and like drops upon the grass, which awaits no man and does not stand before the sons of men.(i)

And there will be a remnant of Jacob within the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forests, and like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, when he will pass through and trample down and seize, there is none who can rescue.(j)

Your hand will be exalted over your enemies, and all your adversaries will pass away.

And it will be in that day, says the Lord: I will take away your horses from your midst, and I will utterly ruin your four-horse chariots.(k)

(l)

And I will destroy the cities of your land, and I will pull down all your fortifications, and I will take away evil-doing from your hand, and there will be no divinations among you.

And I will cause your graven images to perish, and your statues, from your midst. And you will no longer adore the works of your hands.

And I will root out your sacred groves from your midst, and I will crush your cities.

And I will exact vengeance, in fury and in indignation, among all the nations which have not listened.

Footnotes

(a)5:1 Daughter of the robber:Some understand this of Babylon; which robbed and pillaged the temple of God: others understand it of Jerusalem; by reason of the many rapines and oppressions committed there.(Challoner)

(b)5:2 The word ‘egressus’ can refer to a place of departure or the act of going forth, but it can also mean a landing place, or a place of arrival or departure. In this case, the one who goes forth to rule Israel is Christ and His landing place on earth is either Bethlehem, or, from another point of view, the womb of the Virgin Mary. Christ first arrives on earth as the Messiah at His Incarnation within the Virgin Mary. And he later departs from the womb and from her side in order to effect our salvation.(Conte)

(c)5:2 His going forth, etc:That is, he who as man shall be born in you, as God was born of his Father from all eternity.(Challoner)

(d)5:5 The Assyrian:That is, the persecutors of the church: who are here called Assyrians by the prophet: because the Assyrians were at that time the chief enemies and persecutors of the people of God.(Challoner)

(e)5:5 Seven shepherds, etc:Viz., the pastors of God’s church, and the defenders of the faith. The number seven in scripture is taken to signify many: and when eight is joined with it, we are to understand that the number will be very great.(Challoner)

(f)5:6 In another context, ‘iste’ might merely be translated as ‘this,’ as in: ‘this will be our peace.’ But the previous verse of Micah 5:2 is quoted in Matthew 2:6 as referring to Jesus Christ. So the translation in context is ‘this man will be our peace,’ which also follows the Challoner Douay-Rheims text.(Conte)

(g)5:6 Who is Assur or the Assyrian? It is the Antichrist, who will be from Assyria. Also, the name Assur refers to an ancient false god, which makes for a fitting reference to the Antichrist, who claims to be a god. The Antichrist will ‘come into our land’ and ‘trample our borders.’(Conte)

(h)5:6 They shall feed, etc:They shall make spiritual conquests in the lands of their persecutors, with the word of the spirit, which is the word of God. Eph. 6:17.(Challoner)

(i)5:7 The remnant of Jacob:Viz., the apostles, and the first preachers of the Jewish nation; whose doctrine, like dew, shall make the plants of the converted Gentiles grow up, without waiting for any man to cultivate them by human learning.(Challoner)

(j)5:8 As a lion, etc:This denotes the fortitude of these first preachers; and their success in their spiritual enterprises.(Challoner)

(k)5:10 A ‘quadrigas’ is a chariot with four horses, i.e. a powerful vehicle of ancient times. A modern analogy to this vehicle would be either a car or other motor vehicle (with four wheels instead of four horses). Another analogy could be made to vehicles used in war, since chariots were used in war as well as in peace.(Conte)

(l)5:10 I will take away thy horses, etc:Some understand this, and all that follows to the end of the chapter, as addressed to the enemies of the church. But it may as well be understood of the converts to the church: who should no longer put their trust in any of these things.(Challoner)

(Matthew 2:1–12)

Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.

He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. They will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.

He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land and when he marches through our fortresses, then we will raise against him seven shepherds, and eight leaders of men.

They will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates. He will deliver us from the Assyrian, when he invades our land, and when he marches within our border.

The Remnant of Jacob

(Micah 2:12–13)

The remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, that don’t wait for man nor wait for the sons of men.

The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, among many peoples, like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is no one to deliver.

Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off.

“It will happen in that day”, says the LORD, “that I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots.

I will cut off the cities of your land and will tear down all your strongholds.

I will destroy witchcraft from your hand. You shall have no soothsayers.

I will cut off your engraved images and your pillars from among you; and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.

I will uproot your Asherah poles from among you; and I will destroy your cities.

I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath on the nations that didn’t listen.”