5:1 (4:14) 1 But now slash yourself, 2 daughter surrounded by soldiers! 3
We are besieged!
With a scepter 4 they strike Israel’s ruler 5
on the side of his face.
5:2 (5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, 6
seemingly insignificant 7 among the clans of Judah –
from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, 8
one whose origins 9 are in the distant past. 10
5:3 So the Lord 11 will hand the people of Israel 12 over to their enemies 13
until the time when the woman in labor 14 gives birth. 15
Then the rest of the king’s 16 countrymen will return
to be reunited with the people of Israel. 17
5:4 He will assume his post 18 and shepherd the people 19 by the Lord’s strength,
by the sovereign authority of the Lord his God. 20
They will live securely, 21 for at that time he will be honored 22
even in the distant regions of 23 the earth.
5:5 He will give us peace. 24
Should the Assyrians try to invade our land
and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, 25
we will send 26 against them seven 27 shepherd-rulers, 28
make that eight commanders. 29
5:6 They will rule 30 the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod 31 with a drawn sword. 32
Our king 33 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 34 Jacob will live 35
in the midst of many nations. 36
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. 37
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 38 and there is no one to stop it. 39
5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; 40
may all your enemies be destroyed! 41
5:10 “In that day,” says the Lord,
“I will destroy 42 your horses from your midst,
and smash your chariots.
5:11 I will destroy the cities of your land,
and tear down all your fortresses.
1 sn Beginning with 5:1, the verse numbers through 5:15 in the English Bible differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 5:1 ET = 4:14 HT, 5:2 ET = 5:1 HT, 5:3 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:15 ET = 5:14 HT. From 6:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
2 tn The Hebrew verb גָדַד (gadad) can be translated “slash yourself” or “gather in troops.” A number of English translations are based on the latter meaning (e.g., NASB, NIV, NLT).
3 tn Heb “daughter of a troop of warriors.”
4 tn Or “staff”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “rod”; CEV “stick”; NCV “club.”
5 tn Traditionally, “the judge of Israel” (so KJV, NASB).
6 sn Ephrathah is either an alternate name for Bethlehem or the name of the district in which Bethlehem was located. See Ruth 4:11.
7 tn Heb “being small.” Some omit לִהְיוֹת (lihyot, “being”) because it fits awkwardly and appears again in the next line.
8 tn Heb “from you for me one will go out to be a ruler over Israel.”
9 tn Heb “his goings out.” The term may refer to the ruler’s origins (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) or to his activities.
10 tn Heb “from the past, from the days of antiquity.” Elsewhere both phrases refer to the early periods in the history of the world or of the nation of Israel. For מִקֶּדֶם (miqqedem, “from the past”) see Neh 12:46; Pss 74:12; 77:11; Isa 45:21; 46:10. For מִימֵי עוֹלָם (mimey ’olam, “from the days of antiquity”) see Isa 63:9, 11; Amos 9:11; Mic 7:14; Mal 3:4. In Neh 12:46 and Amos 9:11 the Davidic era is in view.
11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
12 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
14 sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.
15 sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.
16 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Heb “to the sons of Israel.” The words “be reunited with” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”
19 tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
20 tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the
21 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”).
22 tn Heb “be great.”
23 tn Or “to the ends of.”
24 tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).
25 tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).
26 tn Heb “raise up.”
27 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.
28 tn Heb “shepherds.”
29 tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”
30 tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”
31 sn According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.
32 tc The MT reads “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (baptikhah, “with a drawn sword”).
33 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
34 tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).
35 tn Heb “will be.”
36 tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).
37 tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”
38 tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
39 tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”
40 tn Heb “let your hand be lifted against your adversaries.”
41 tn Heb “be cut off.”
42 tn Heb “cut off” (also in the following verse).