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 ]