Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Micah
Chapter 5: But Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah
Micah 5 holds one of the brightest Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. From little Bethlehem, too small to be counted among the towns of Judah, God will bring forth the Ruler of Israel, 'whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.' The One born in a village has existed from eternity, the everlasting God entering time as a man. He 'shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD,' a Shepherd-King 'great unto the ends of the earth,' and 'this man shall be the peace.' Around Him God gathers a remnant scattered among the nations, life-giving 'as a dew from the LORD' and irresistible 'as a lion.' And He purges His people of every false trust, horses and strongholds, witchcrafts and idols, so that they 'no more worship the work of thine hands.' The chapter moves from a manger to a throne, from Bethlehem to the ends of the earth.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Micah chapter 5, the prophecy of the Ruler from Bethlehem and the remnant He gathers. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. This chapter points with rare clarity to the birth and eternal person of Jesus Christ. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Bethlehem Ephratah
The little town from which the Ruler comes forth.
From Everlasting
A Ruler born in time whose goings forth are eternal.
This Man Shall Be the Peace
A King who feeds His flock and is Himself their peace.
As Dew and as a Lion
A purified people, reviving and prevailing among the nations.
Whose Goings Forth Have Been From Everlasting (Micah 5:1-6)
Though the judge of Israel is struck on the cheek, God promises to raise up from little Bethlehem a Ruler whose origins are eternal, a Shepherd-King who will stand in the strength of the LORD, be great to the ends of the earth, and be Himself the peace of His people.
Out of Thee Shall He Come Forth That Is to Be Ruler in Israel
"Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders."
Hebrew Study
"whose goings forth have been from of old," motsa'oth ("goings forth"). Here is the mystery of the incarnation foretold seven centuries before Bethlehem. The Ruler who "come[s] forth" from a village in time has "goings forth" that reach back before all time. The One born as a baby is Himself without beginning. This is the great truth of Christ: He was "made of a woman" (Galatians 4:4), yet He is the eternal God, "before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58), "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8).
"from everlasting," olam (עוֹלָם, "everlasting"). The word that carries those motsa'oth back into eternity itself: "from of old, from everlasting" is mi-yemey olam, "from the days of eternity." For the Apostolic reader this is precious: the child of Bethlehem is not a second God nor a created being, but the one eternal LORD manifest in flesh, "God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). His "goings forth" are from everlasting because He is the everlasting God who came forth to us as a man.
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little." God chooses the small and overlooked. Bethlehem was "little among the thousands of Judah," an insignificant village, yet from it came both David and, greater than David, the Messiah. When the wise men asked where the Christ should be born, the chief priests answered from this very verse, "in Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet" (Matthew 2:5-6). God's way is to bring the greatest things out of the smallest places, "base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen" (1 Corinthians 1:28). If God can bring the Saviour of the world out of little Bethlehem, He can use the small and overlooked still, including you.
Explanation
The chapter opens in humiliation: the enemy has "laid siege," and "the judge of Israel" is struck "with a rod upon the cheek", a picture of a defeated, disgraced ruler. Against that dark backdrop shines the promise: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little... yet out of thee shall he come forth... that is to be ruler in Israel." From the least town comes the greatest King. And His origin staggers the mind: "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." He is born in time, yet He is eternal.
Verse 3 hints at a delay, "until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth", the long wait until the Messiah's birth, after which "the remnant of his brethren shall return." Then His reign is described: "he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD," a Shepherd ruling in God's own majesty, and "he shall be great unto the ends of the earth", no local king but a universal one. The heart of it is verse 5: "this man shall be the peace." He does not merely make peace or bring peace; He is the peace. The deliverance from "the Assyrian" (the great enemy of Micah's day, and a type of every foe) is secured by this Ruler, who protects and delivers His people from every invader.
Gospel Focus
This is one of the clearest windows in the Old Testament onto the person of Christ, and it is thoroughly Apostolic. The Ruler of Israel is born in Bethlehem, "made of a woman," truly and fully human, and yet His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting", He is the eternal God. Here in one verse is the whole mystery of the incarnation: the everlasting One entering time, the Creator born as a creature, "God... manifest in the flesh." He is not a lesser deity beside the Father, but the one LORD Himself come to us in the flesh of Jesus. When you kneel at the manger, you kneel before the eternal God who "come[s] forth" to save you.
And "this man shall be the peace" is the gospel in five words. Christ does not only negotiate a peace or preach a peace; He is our peace. "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition" (Ephesians 2:14). At the deepest level, our war is with God because of our sin, and the eternal Ruler born in Bethlehem ended that war by His cross, "having made peace through the blood of his cross" (Colossians 1:20). He is peace with God, peace between former enemies, and peace within the troubled heart, "my peace I give unto you" (John 14:27). The One whose goings forth are from everlasting came forth to be your peace. Receive Him, and the long war is over.
As a Dew From the LORD (Micah 5:7-15)
The remnant of Jacob will live among the nations both as refreshing dew and as an unstoppable lion; and God will strip His people of every false trust, their weapons, fortresses, sorceries, and idols, so that they worship the work of their hands no more.
Thou Shalt No More Worship the Work of Thine Hands
"And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard."
Hebrew Study
"as a dew from the LORD... as a lion." The remnant of Jacob among the nations is pictured two ways. First, "as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass", a source of quiet, heaven-sent, life-giving refreshment that "tarrieth not for man," coming from God, not from human effort. God's true people are a blessing to the world, bringing the life of God wherever they go. Second, "as a lion among the beasts of the forest", unstoppable, from whom "none can deliver." The remnant is both gentle and mighty, dew to revive and a lion to prevail. So the church of Christ is both, "a savour of life" that refreshes (2 Corinthians 2:16) and a kingdom against which "the gates of hell shall not prevail" (Matthew 16:18). Grace makes God's people tender as dew and invincible as a lion.
"thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands." The end of God's purging is pure worship. He lists the false trusts He will "cut off": "horses" and "chariots" (military might), "cities" and "strong holds" (human security), "witchcrafts" and "soothsayers" (occult power), and "graven images" and "groves" (idols). All of it must go, so that His people "no more worship the work of thine hands." God removes our idols not to impoverish us but to free us for Himself, "little children, keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21). Whatever we make and then trust, our achievements, our defenses, our substitute gods, God in His mercy will strip away, that we may worship Him alone. The goal of all His severity is undivided worship.
Explanation
Around the Ruler from Bethlehem, God gathers "the remnant of Jacob," and describes them among the nations with two images. They are "as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass," a refreshing, God-given blessing that "tarrieth not for man", their good comes down from heaven, not up from human striving. And they are "as a lion among the beasts of the forest," strong and unconquerable, so that "none can deliver" from them. God's people will both revive and prevail.
Then God turns to purify His own people. "In that day" He will "cut off" everything they had trusted instead of Him: their "horses" and "chariots," their "strong holds," their "witchcrafts" and "soothsayers," their "graven images" and "groves." The aim is stated plainly: "thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands." God dismantles every false security and every idol so that His people will trust and worship Him alone. And He will "execute vengeance" on the unrepentant "heathen." The Ruler who is Himself the peace also cleanses His people, making them a pure, God-dependent, God-worshipping remnant.
Gospel Focus
The two pictures of the remnant describe what the church of Christ is meant to be. We are called to be "as a dew from the LORD" among the people around us, a quiet, refreshing, life-giving presence that carries the blessing of God into a parched world, not by our own cleverness but by grace that "tarrieth not for man." And we are "as a lion," not weak and defeated, but sharing in the invincibility of Christ's kingdom, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The believer is both tender and strong, gentle as dew, mighty as a lion, because both come from the LORD.
And God's purging love still works to strip away our idols. He lists them here, military power, fortified cities, sorcery, images, and behind them all one root: "the work of thine hands." An idol is anything we make and then trust in the place of God, our money, our security, our achievements, our substitute gods. God loves us too much to leave us clinging to them, so He will "cut them off," not to leave us defenseless but to bring us to worship Him alone. This is severe mercy: the removal of our idols is the gift of undivided worship. Let Him take from your hand whatever competes with Him, and find your whole trust and worship resting on the eternal Ruler who came forth from Bethlehem to be your peace.
Chapter 5 in Review
Micah 5 moves from a struck and besieged Israel to the Ruler who will save her. From little "Bethlehem Ephratah" God brings forth the One "that is to be ruler in Israel," and the wonder is His origin: "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Born in time, He is eternal. He "shall stand and feed" His flock "in the strength of the LORD," be "great unto the ends of the earth," and, most gloriously, "this man shall be the peace." Around Him God gathers a remnant that is both "a dew from the LORD" to refresh and "a lion" to prevail, and He purges His people of every false trust, horses, strongholds, witchcrafts, and idols, so that "thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter is a treasury of Christ. It foretells with startling clarity the birthplace and the eternal person of Jesus: the child of Bethlehem is the everlasting God, "God... manifest in the flesh," the one LORD come to us as a man, not a second deity nor a creature. It proclaims Him our Shepherd-King who "shall be the peace," fulfilled in the One who "is our peace" and "made peace through the blood of his cross." And it calls His people to be dew and lion among the nations, and to let Him strip away every idol until they worship Him alone. From the manger of Bethlehem to a reign that reaches "unto the ends of the earth," the everlasting Ruler has come, and He is our peace.
- The Messiah's birthplace was foretold: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah" (5:2; Matthew 2:5-6).
- The child of Bethlehem is the eternal God: "whose goings forth have been... from everlasting" (5:2; John 8:58; 1 Timothy 3:16).
- He is the Shepherd-King, great "unto the ends of the earth" (5:4).
- "This man shall be the peace": Christ is Himself our peace (5:5; Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:20).
- God's people are to be "as a dew" to refresh and "as a lion" to prevail (5:7-8; Matthew 16:18).
- God cuts off our idols so we "no more worship the work of thine hands" (5:13; 1 John 5:21).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you marvel that the child of Bethlehem is the everlasting God come in the flesh?
- Have you received Christ, who "shall be the peace," as your peace with God?
- Are you "a dew from the LORD" to those around you, a refreshing, life-giving presence?
- What "work of thine hands" is God calling you to stop trusting and worshiping?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Key terms: motsa'oth ("goings forth," verse 2); olam ("everlasting," verse 2); "Ephratah" is the older name of the region of Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19; Ruth 4:11). The Bethlehem prophecy fulfilled in Christ: Matthew 2:1-6; Luke 2:4-7; John 7:42. The eternal person of the Son, come in flesh: John 1:1-3, 14; 8:58; 17:5; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; 13:8; 1 Timothy 3:16; and made of a woman, Galatians 4:4. Christ the Shepherd-King great to the ends of the earth: Isaiah 40:11; 49:6; Psalm 2:8; John 10:11; Matthew 28:18-20. "This man shall be the peace," our peace in Christ: Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Colossians 1:20; John 14:27; Romans 5:1. The remnant as dew and lion: Deuteronomy 32:2; Hosea 14:5; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16; Matthew 16:18; Revelation 5:5. God removing false trusts and idols: Isaiah 2:6-8; 31:1; Zechariah 13:2; Hosea 14:3; 1 John 5:21. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The Ruler born in Bethlehem whose goings forth are from everlasting, and who is our peace: Micah 5:1-6; Matthew 2:6; Ephesians 2:14.
- The remnant as dew and lion, and God's purging of every idol: Micah 5:7-15; Matthew 16:18; 1 John 5:21.