Mikha 5:3-5

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 

[5:3]  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.

[5:3]  sn The rest of the king’s brothers are the coming king’s fellow Judahites, while the sons of Israel are the northern tribes. The verse pictures the reunification of the nation under the Davidic king. See Isa 11:12-13; Jer 31:2-6, 15-20; Ezek 37; Hos 1:11; 3:5.

[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.”