Bible Commentaries
Micah 5

Verse 1

Mic 5:1. This verse is a continuation of the thought started in the last verse of the preceding chapter, namely, the triumph of Israel over all her misfortunes. Troops literally means soldiers and indicates military conflicts, but it is used figuratively only, for Israel did not have to fight for the release from captivity. The pronouns should be carefully distinguished in order to avoid confusion. Thyself and us means Israel, while he and they are the enemies of Gad’s people. Laid siege and smite refer to the siege and capture of the nation of Israel, which was to be reversed when the "return” was accomplished by the Lord’s decree.

Verse 2

Mic 5:2. This verse is another of the numerous instances of the passing from some favorable event for ancient Israel to one of spiritual Israel. It Is understandable why the inspired prophets would do so: while the spiritual advantages pertaining to the New Testament times are for both Jews and Gentiles, yet the system was given to the world through the Jews (Rom 3:2). We know this verse is a prediction of the times of Christ, for the New Testament makes such an application of it (Mat 2:8). Whose going forth . . . from everlasting. Jesuis was not personally con-nected with the affairs of the Old Testament, but He was recognized by his Father throughout all of the dealings intended for the benefit of mankind (Mat 25:34).

Verse 3

Mic 5:3. After a brief interruption to make a prediction concerning Christ, the prophet returns to the original subject of ancient Israel, Give them up means that God would suffer the foreign nation to have possession of His people. Until . . . travaileth . . , brought forth means when the captivity and its ravages will be ended and the nation of Israel will be given a "new birth of freedom” in its own native land. Remnant shall return refers to the surviving number stated in Ezr 2:64.

Verse 4

Mic 5:4. The antecedent of he is the remnant of the preceding verse, meaning the part of Israel that was to survive the captivity. One meaning of the original for feed is “to rule." which I He remnant of Israel was to do after returning from the captivity. In the strength of the Lord denotes that the leaders in Israel were to rule the flock tinder and with the help of the Lord. They were to do this in the name of the Lord and because of the majesty Of the God of Israel. And they shall abide. The Jewish nation was never again to be removed bodily from its home land as it had been in the captivity.

Verse 5

Mic 5:5, The specific exile generally meant in this book is that of the 10- tribe kingdom under the Assyrian Empire recorded in 2 Kings 17. Of course when the final "return" was accomplished (Ezra and Nehemiah). that included the 10 tribes also since the territory formerly controlled by the Assyrians was later taken over by the Babylonians. This verse is a figurative prediction that Israel would not be retained in exile by the Assyrians. Seven shepherds means that complete triumph would be enjoyed by Israel over all foes.

Verse 6

Mic 5:6. The predictions of this verse are virtually the same as those in the preceding one. Nimrod is mentioned in connection with Assyria be-cause the founder of the Assyrian Empire went forth out of the land under the domain of Nimrod (Gen 10:9-11), and the two names are frequently linked together in prophecy and history,

Verse 7

Mic 5:7. Small things are sometimes very effective in their influence. The dew is light and small compared with the vegetable kingdom, yet it can enliven an entire field of dry and parched grass. Likewise, the influence of the remnant of Israel was to be great when it was settled down upon the (politically) dry land of Palestine.

Verse 8

Mic 5:8. This verse continues the thought of the preceding one but with a different figure. Now the remnant is likened to a Hon among other beasts, with the added specific thought that Israel was to be like a lion in a flock of sheep. Not that the people of Israel were actually to exercise any violence against, the surroundings, but the illustration is to show the power of God's nation.

Verse 9

Mic 5:9. The greatest enemies the people of Israel ever had were those who led them into idolatry. All of that, was to be reversed by the revolutionary effects of the captivity. This is the sense in which the enemies were to be cut off.

Verse 10

Mic 5:10. The general subject of the verses from 8 to the close of the chapter is the return from captivity, in-cluding the things that were to be accomplished by that sad experience. Chief among these was the cure of Idolatry and the worldly Interests the people of Israel had manifested. This verse cites one of those as being the horse and chariot. Such things should not have led them into wrong-doing, but it seems they did. The Lord knew the tendencies of them and had forbidden their use as early as in Deu 17:16 which Solomon disobeyed after he became king (1Ki 10:28).

Verse 11

Mic 5:11. The mere tact of being a city was not objectionable to God, but some of them had been devoted to the service of idolatry and He proposed to deprive the land of such.

Verse 12

Mic 5:12. The belief in witchcraft and soothsaying was based largely on that of the supposed power of the in-visible false gods of the heathen. As an item in removing the indications of such false service, the presence and use of such evil characters as witches and soothsayers had to be removed.

Verse 13

Mic 5:13. Idolaters were not content to offer service to the invisible gods, but made images of them out of metal and other materials. All of this was to be discontinued as a result of the captivity, and the reader should keep hiis memory informed about this important subject. See the historical note that records the fulfillment of the prediction at Isa 1:25, volume 3 of this Commentary. A very foolish fact, in connection with the worship of graven images is that they were the work of their hands. The idea of serving a thing as a god that was the work of that same servant is the height of fotly and inconsistency.

Verse 14

Mic 5:14. Not all groves were objectionable to God. for be is the creator of all vegetable life. But the heathen nations turned many groves into places of idolatrous worship, and in some cases they even Bingled out in-dividual trees and consecrated them to the worship of false gods. It was these abominable groves that were meant by the prediction of th'S verse and others on the same line of denunciation. The very presence of all such growing objects might remind the people of Israel of their former practices and rekindle in them a desire to return to the abomination. As a precautionary movement the lord decreed that such groves should be destroyed. The cities that had been used for the same, purpose were to share in the same fate as these, groves.

Verse 15

Mic 5:15. The people of God learned of the practice of idolatry through the heathen nations, hence He was incensed against them and determined to take vengeance on them.