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 gran... [ Continue Reading ]
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 peop... [ Continue Reading ]
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 b... [ Continue Reading ]
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 t... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Mess... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL WASTE THE LAND OF ASSYRIA WITH THE SWORD,.... Or "feed e 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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 numbe... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 DEST... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
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, consistin... [ Continue Reading ]
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 aposta... [ Continue Reading ]
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 o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL EXECUTE VENGEANCE IN ANGER, AND FURY UPON THE HEATHEN,.... Or "nations" o; 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 divin... [ Continue Reading ]