Micah 5:3-8

5:3 So the Lord ¹  will hand the people of Israel ²  over to their enemies ³ 

until the time when the woman in labor ⁴  gives birth. ⁵ 

Then the rest of the king’s ⁶  countrymen will return

to be reunited with the people of Israel. ⁷ 

5:4 He will assume his post ⁸  and shepherd the people ⁹  by the Lord’s strength,

by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. ¹⁰ 

They will live securely, ¹¹  for at that time he will be honored ¹² 

even in the distant regions of ¹³  the earth.

5:5 He will give us peace. ¹⁴ 

Should the Assyrians try to invade our land

and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, ¹⁵ 

we will send ¹⁶  against them seven ¹⁷  shepherd-rulers, ¹⁸ 

make that eight commanders. ¹⁹ 

5:6 They will rule ²⁰  the land of Assyria with the sword,

the land of Nimrod ²¹  with a drawn sword. ²² 

Our king ²³  will rescue us from the Assyrians

should they attempt to invade our land

and try to set foot in our territory.

5:7 Those survivors from ²⁴  Jacob will live ²⁵ 

in the midst of many nations. ²⁶ 

They will be like the dew the Lord sends,

like the rain on the grass,

that does not hope for men to come

or wait around for humans to arrive. ²⁷ 

5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,

in the midst of many peoples.

They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,

like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,

which attacks when it passes through;

it rips its prey ²⁸  and there is no one to stop it. ²⁹ 

[5:3]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ² tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ³ tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:3]  ⁴ sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.

[5:3]  ⁵ sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.

[5:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “to the sons of Israel.” The words “be reunited with” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”

[5:4]  ⁹ tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.”

[5:4]  ¹¹ tn The words “in peace” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Perhaps וְיָשָׁבוּ (vÿyashavu, “and they will live”) should be emended to וְשָׁבוּ (vÿshavu, “and they will return”).

[5:4]  ¹² tn Heb “be great.”

[5:4]  ¹³ tn Or “to the ends of.”

[5:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).

[5:5]  ¹⁵ tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).

[5:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “raise up.”

[5:5]  ¹⁷ sn The numbers seven and eight here symbolize completeness and emphasize that Israel will have more than enough military leadership and strength to withstand the Assyrian advance.

[5:5]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “shepherds.”

[5:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”

[5:6]  ²⁰ tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”

[5:6]  ²¹ sn According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.

[5:6]  ²² tc The MT reads “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (baptikhah, “with a drawn sword”).

[5:6]  ²³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:7]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).

[5:7]  ²⁵ tn Heb “will be.”

[5:7]  ²⁶ tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).

[5:7]  ²⁷ tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”

[5:8]  ²⁸ tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:8]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”