Mateus 2:6

A Biblia Sagrada

E tu, Belm, terra de Jud, De modo nenhum s a menor entre as capitais de Jud; Porque de ti sair o Guia Que h de apascentar o meu povo de Israel.

Parallel Translations

Almeida Revista e Atualizada
E tu, Belm, terra de Jud, no s de modo algum a menor entre as principais de Jud; porque de ti sair o Guia que h de apascentar a meu povo, Israel.

Almeida Revista e Corrigida
E tu, Belm, terra de Jud, de modo nenhum s a menor entre as capitais de Jud, porque de ti sair o Guia que h de apascentar o meu povo de Israel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou: Matthew 2:1, Micah 5:2, John 7:42

a Governor: Matthew 28:18, Genesis 49:10, Numbers 24:19, 1 Chronicles 5:2, Psalms 2:1-6, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7, Ephesians 1:22, Colossians 1:18, Revelation 2:27, Revelation 11:15

rule: or, feed, Psalms 78:71, Psalms 78:72, Isaiah 40:11, Jeremiah 23:4-6, Ezekiel 34:23-25, Ezekiel 37:24-26

Reciprocal: Genesis 35:19 - Ephrath Judges 17:7 - General Judges 19:1 - a concubine Ruth 4:11 - Ephratah 1 Samuel 17:12 - Ephrathite 2 Samuel 5:2 - feed 2 Samuel 7:7 - feed 1 Chronicles 2:51 - Bethlehem 1 Chronicles 11:2 - Thou shalt 1 Chronicles 17:6 - feed 1 Chronicles 17:7 - ruler 2 Chronicles 11:6 - Bethlehem Psalms 28:9 - feed Isaiah 55:4 - a leader Micah 5:4 - feed Micah 7:14 - Feed Matthew 21:5 - thy King John 7:27 - no man Acts 20:28 - to feed Hebrews 9:11 - Christ Revelation 7:17 - feed

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda,.... This prophecy, which the chief priests and scribes produced, as pointing at the place of Christ's birth, is owned by both ancient and later Jews y to be a prophecy of the Messiah. The difference between Micah and Matthew is easily reconciled. Bethlehem is called by Micah, Bethlehem Ephratah, and by Matthew, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, and both were one and the same place. Bethlehem Ephratah was in the land of Juda, as appears from the prophecy of Micah itself, from Ruth 1:2 and the Septuagint version of Joshua 15:60 and is described in this manner by Matthew, partly to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in the land of Zebulun,

Joshua 19:15 and partly because its other name Ephratah was now disused, and so unknown to Herod, who was unacquainted with the books and prophecies of the Old Testament. Micah says this place was

little among the thousands of Judah. Matthew says, "not the least". But in this is no apparent contradiction, it might be "little" and yet "not the least"; besides, it might be "little" and "not little", or "not the least" in different respects, and at different times; it might be little, mean, and contemptible as to worldly splendour, riches, number of inhabitants, pompous buildings, c. and yet not be little or mean, when considered as the place of the birth of many great persons, such as Booz, Jesse, David, c. and especially Christ. It might be little in Micah's time, and yet not in Matthew's especially since it had received a considerable additional honour by Christ's being born there. Moreover, the words in Micah may be rendered, by way of interrogation, "art thou little, or the least?" To which the answer in Matthew is, "no, thou art not the least", c. or else the word דבר may be understood, and the text be translated thus "it is a small thing that thou art among the thousands of Judah, for out of thee", c. a great honour shall be conferred on thee, the Messiah shall spring from thee. Again, what Micah calls "thousands", are in Matthew called "princes" the reason of this is, because the tribes of Israel were divided into thousands, and every thousand had its prince so that though here is a difference in words, yet none in sense. What Micah styles "a ruler in Israel", Matthew expresses by "a governor that shall rule or feed my people Israel"; but in this there is no contradiction. Add to all this, that it should be observed, that the Evangelist is not giving a version of his own, but of the chief priests and scribes; and therefore was it ever so faulty, they, and not he, must be chargeable with it; for he has acted the part of a faithful historian in giving it in the words in which they cited it z.

y Targum Jon. Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Kimchi & Abendana in loc. Abarbinel Mashmia Jeshua, fol. 62. 2. R. Isaac Chizuk Emuna, p. 279. z See my book of the "Prophecies of the Messiah", &c. ch. 6. p. 104-116.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

By the prophet - The Sanhedrin answered without hesitation. The question where he would be born had been settled by prophecy. This prophecy is found in Micah 5:2. In that prophecy both the place of his birth and the character of the Messiah are so clearly set forth that there was no room to doubt. It will be observed that there is a considerable difference between the passage as quoted by the Sanhedrin and as it stands in Micah. The main point, however, is retained - the place of his birth. We are not concerned, therefore, in showing how these passages can be reconciled. Matthew, moreover, is not responsible for the correctness of the quotation. He affirms only that the chief priests and scribes gave this answer to Herod, and that Herod was satisfied. Admitting that they did not quote the passage correctly, it does not prove that Matthew has not reported their answer as they gave it, and this is all that he pretends to give.

Art not the least - In Micah, “though thou be little.” Though a small place so far as population is concerned, yet it shall not be small, or be the least in honor; for the Messiah shall be born there. His birth gave the place an honor which could not be conferred on the larger cities by all their numbers, their splendor, and their wealth. The birth of a distinguished personage was always supposed to give honor and importance to a city or country. Thus, seven cities contended for the honor of giving birth to Homer; Stratford-upon-Avon is distinguished as the birthplace of Shakespeare; and Corsica as the birthplace of Napoleon.

A Governor - A ruler. This is one of the characters of the Messiah, who is the king of his people, John 18:37. The word “rule” here means to rule as a shepherd does his flock, in faithfulness and tenderness. Compare John 10:11; Isaiah 40:10-11; Isaiah 9:7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 2:6. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda — To distinguish it from Bethlehem, in the tribe of Zebulon. Joshua 19:15. Matthew 2:1.

Art not the least — In Micah 5:2, it is read, Though thou be little - צעיר להיות tsair lehayoth, little to be. Houbigant, struck with the oddness of the construction of the Hebrew, by dividing the last word, and making a small change in two of the letters, makes the prophet agree with the evangelist, צעיר לא היית tsair lo hayita, thou art not the least. Several learned men are of opinion, that the copy from which St. Matthew quoted, had the text in this way. However, some MSS. of very good note, among which is the Codex Bezae, have μη ελαχιστη ει, for ουδαμως ελαχιστη ει, Art thou not the least? This reconciles the prophet and evangelist without farther trouble. See the authorities for this reading in Griesbach and Wetstein.

Among the princes of Juda — In Micah 5:2, it is, the thousands of Judah. There is much reason to believe that each tribe was divided into small portions called thousands, as in England certain small divisions of counties are called hundreds. For the proof of the first, the reader is referred to Judges 6:15, where, instead of my FAMILY is poor in Manasseh, the Hebrew is, my THOUSAND (אלפי) is the meanest in Manasseh: and to 1 Samuel 10:19, Present yourselves before the Lord by your TRIBES and by your THOUSANDS: and to 1 Chronicles 12:20, Captains of the THOUSANDS of Manasseh. Now these THOUSANDS being petty governments, Matthew renders them by the word ηγεμοσις, because the word princes or governors was more intelligible in the Greek tongue than thousands, though, in this case, they both signify the same. See Wakefield.

That shall rule my people Israel. — οστις ποιμανει, Who shall FEED my people. That is as a shepherd feeds his flock. Among the Greeks, kings are called, by Homer, λαων ποιμενες, shepherds of the people. This appellation probably originated from the pastoral employment, which kings and patriarchs did not blush to exercise in the times of primitive simplicity; and it might particularly refer to the case of David, the great type of Christ, who was a keeper of his father's sheep, before he was raised to the throne of Israel. As the government of a good king was similar to the care a good shepherd has of his flock, hence ποιμην signified both shepherd and king; and ποιμαινω, to feed and to rule among the ancient Greeks.