Matthew 2:6

Matthew 2:6. And thou Bethlehem. Freely quoted from the Greek version (the Septuagint) then in common use. The Hebrew is literally: ‘But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, too small to be among the thousands of Judah [i.e., the towns where the heads of thousands resided, the chief towns of the subdivisions of the tribes]: but of thee shall come forth unto me one who is to be ruler in Israel.' The variations are undoubtedly intentional and explanatory. It is not evident whether the passage was quoted by the scribes, or inserted as an explanation by Matthew. Instead of Ephrata, we find ‘the land of Judah,' and instead of ‘too small to be among' we have ‘art not the least,' which is a sort of question introducing the insignificance of the place, and im plying its moral greatness as the birthplace of the Messiah. Bethlehem was not among the chief towns of Judah in the list given, Joshua 15:59.

Princes is, according to a usual figure, put for the towns where the princes, or heads of thousands, lived. For gives the reason for the greatness in spite of the insignificance.

Shall be the shepherd. This includes both ruling and feeding; the meaning is: shall be a careful and affectionate ruler.