Micah 5:5-6

5:5 He will give us peace. ¹ 

Should the Assyrians try to invade our land

and attempt to set foot in our fortresses, ² 

we will send ³  against them seven ⁴  shepherd-rulers, ⁵ 

make that eight commanders. ⁶ 

5:6 They will rule ⁷  the land of Assyria with the sword,

the land of Nimrod ⁸  with a drawn sword. ⁹ 

Our king ¹⁰  will rescue us from the Assyrians

should they attempt to invade our land

and try to set foot in our territory.

Micah 5:8-9

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 ¹¹  and there is no one to stop it. ¹² 

5:9 Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; ¹³ 

may all your enemies be destroyed! ¹⁴ 

[5:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).

[5:5]  ² tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).

[5:5]  ³ tn Heb “raise up.”

[5:5]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “shepherds.”

[5:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”

[5:6]  ⁷ tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”

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

[5:6]  ⁹ tc The MT reads “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (baptikhah, “with a drawn sword”).

[5:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:8]  ¹¹ tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[5:8]  ¹² tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”

[5:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “let your hand be lifted against your adversaries.”

[5:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “be cut off.”