Micah 5

Micah sets a siege and a humiliated ruler beside the promise of a coming Ruler born in little Bethlehem, whose roots reach back into eternity. He will shepherd his people, bring peace, and make a remnant both a blessing and a force among the nations. The chapter ends with God clearing away false trust: weapons, fortresses, sorcery and idols.

Micah 5:1

Jerusalem is told to gather its troops, for enemies have surrounded it. The leader of Israel is struck on the face with a rod, a picture of shame and defeat. Before the promised Ruler appears, the people’s present rulers are humbled.

BSA: siege (“a wall, a barrier”): The enemy shuts the city in with a wall of its own, cutting the people off from help.

See also: Matthew 27:30.

Micah 5:2

God turns from a humiliated king to a tiny village. Bethlehem is small, yet from it will come the true Ruler of Israel. His roots are not merely ancient but reach back beyond time. Matthew’s Gospel applies this promise to Jesus.

BSA: small (“little among the thousands”): Bethlehem was too minor to count among the great family groups of Judah, yet God chooses it. origins (“goings forth, existence”): His goings forth are from long ago, suggesting a life that does not begin in Bethlehem.

Hebrew: מוֹצָאֹתָיו (motsaotav, H4163) — “his goings forth.” The Hebrew speaks of his comings out, his activity. It reaches back to days of old, even eternity, so the Ruler has an origin beyond ordinary birth.

See also: Matthew 2:5-6; John 1:1.

Micah 5:3

Until the appointed birth, God lets his people be given up to their enemies. Then those scattered will return and rejoin their fellow Israelites. Believers have often linked the woman in labor with the birth of the promised Ruler, and so with the end of Israel’s abandonment.

BSA: abandoned (“given up, left desolate”): God lets his people feel the full result of their sin for a season, but not forever. rest (“remnant, residue”): Those who return are the faithful survivors whom God has kept.

See also: Isaiah 7:14.

Micah 5:4

The Ruler is a shepherd, not a tyrant. He stands and cares for his flock, relying on the LORD’s own strength and name. Under him the people live secure, and his greatness reaches the whole earth.

BSA: shepherd (“care for, tend to”): His rule is hands-on care: feeding, guiding and guarding. securely (“safely, in peace”): His people can finally settle without fear.

Hebrew: וְרָעָה (verah, H7462) — “and he will shepherd.” The Hebrew word is the ordinary word for tending sheep, yet it was used of kings too. Rule and shepherd care are joined.

See also: John 10:11; Psalm 23:1.

Micah 5:5

He himself will be our peace, not merely the giver of it. Even when Assyria, the great threat of Micah’s day, invades, God will raise up enough leaders to meet it. Seven and eight stand for a full and sufficient number.

BSA: peace (“the source of our tranquility, our refuge”): Peace is found in the person of the Ruler, not in circumstances.

Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם (shalom, H7965) — “peace, wholeness.” Shalom means more than quiet. It is wholeness and well-being, and here it is a person.

See also: Ephesians 2:14.

Micah 5:6

The shepherd-leaders will turn back the invader and carry the fight into his own land. Assyria is also called the land of Nimrod, the ancient builder of Babylon and Nineveh, so the enemy stands for the world’s proud power. In the end the LORD delivers.

BSA: deliver (“rescue, save”): The victory belongs to the one who rescues, not to the swords themselves.

See also: Genesis 10:8-11.

Micah 5:7

Now the remnant is a gift to others. Like dew and showers, which come from God and need no human permission, Israel’s remnant brings refreshment among the nations. Their blessing depends on God alone, not on man’s approval.

BSA: dew (“moisture, refreshing”): Dew quietly revives dry ground, a picture of gentle, life-giving blessing. remnant (“surviving group, what is left”): God keeps a faithful few and makes them a blessing.

See also: Genesis 12:3.

Micah 5:8

The same remnant is now pictured as a lion. Dew shows the remnant as gentle blessing, the lion as strength against all opposition. God’s people, though few, are not helpless, because his power stands behind them.

BSA: lion (“a fierce beast”): The picture stresses overwhelming strength that no one can resist.

Micah 5:9

Micah gathers the picture into one promise: the hand of God’s people is raised in victory and every enemy is cut off. The triumph is God’s, as the next verses show, not won by the people’s own weapons.

BSA: cut off (“destroyed, completely eliminated”): The enemy is not merely pushed back but ended.

Micah 5:10-11

On that day the LORD removes what Israel relied on for safety: war horses, chariots, walled cities and strongholds. He wants his people to trust him, not their military strength. Security is never in weapons.

BSA: horses (“warhorses, cavalry”): These were the great military power of the time and a temptation to trust in force. strongholds (“fortresses, strong holds”): Even fortified places give way when the people rely on them instead of God.

See also: Psalm 20:7.

Micah 5:12

God will also remove the occult practices that Israel used to learn the future or gain control. Sorcery and fortune-telling seek guidance apart from God. He takes them away so that his people look to him alone.

BSA: fortune-tellers (“soothsayers, observers of clouds”): These were people who tried to read signs in the sky and other omens instead of listening to God.

See also: Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

Micah 5:13-14

Idols, sacred pillars and Asherah poles will also go. Asherah poles were wooden symbols tied to Canaanite worship. It is foolish to bow before something one has made, and God will clear it away so that worship is for him alone.

BSA: bow down (“worship, give reverence”): The issue is who receives a people’s reverence. Asherah poles (“idols, groves”): These were wooden objects set up for the Canaanite worship that kept tempting Israel.

See also: Isaiah 44:9-20.

Micah 5:15

The chapter closes with judgment. The nations that have refused to listen to God will face his righteous anger. His purpose is a world set right, with his people cleansed and the proud brought low.

BSA: obeyed (“hearkened to, listened to”): Obeying means truly listening to God, and the nations stand guilty for refusing to.

See also: Psalm 2:10-12.