And thou Bethlehem Ephrathah art [a]little to be among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that shall be the ruler in Israel: whose [b]goings forth have been from the beginning and from everlasting.

Therefore will he give them up, until the time that [c]she which shall bear, shall travail: then the remnant of their brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

And he shall [d]stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, and in the majesty of the Name of the Lord his God, and they shall dwell still: for now shall he be magnified unto the ends of the world.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:2 For so the Jews divided their country that for every thousand there was a chief captain: and because Bethlehem was not able to make a thousand, he calleth it little, but yet God will raise up his captain and governor therein: and thus it is not the least by reason of this benefit, as Matt. 2:6.
  2. Micah 5:2 He showeth that the coming of Christ and all his ways were appointed of God from all eternity.
  3. Micah 5:3 He compareth the Jews to women with child, who for a time should have great sorrows, but at length they should have a comfortable deliverance, John 16:21.
  4. Micah 5:4 That is, Christ’s kingdom shall be stable and everlasting, and his people as well the Gentiles as the Jews shall dwell in safety.

“But you, Bethlehem(A) Ephrathah,(B)
    though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler(C) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(D)
    from ancient times.”(E)

Therefore Israel will be abandoned(F)
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock(G)
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(H)
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:2 Or rulers