Micah 5:2-5

Micah 5:2-5

[2] 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.  [3] Therefore will he give them up,  until the time  that she which travaileth  then the remnant  of his brethren  shall return  unto the children  of Israel.  [4] And he shall stand  and feed  in the strength  in the majesty  of the name  his God;  and they shall abide:  for now shall he be great  unto the ends  of the earth.  [5] 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. 

What does Micah 5:2-5 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

"In chapter5 the prophet repeated and expanded the major themes of Micah 4:6-10, only in reverse order. This creates a chiastic structure for the central portion of the speech, which can be outlined as follows:
AThe Lord strengthens a remnant ( Micah 4:6-7 a)BDominion restored ( Micah 4:7-8)CZion and her king are humiliated ( Micah 4:9-10)DZion saved from the present crisis ( Micah 4:11-13)C"Zion and her king are humiliated ( Micah 5:1)B"Dominion restored ( Micah 5:2-6) A"The Lord strengthens a remnant ( Micah 5:7-9)" [1]
This section introduces another ruler of Israel who, in contrast to Zedekiah, his foil, would effectively lead God"s people.
"This royal oracle is obviously intended to be the central peak of the range of oracles in chs4,5. It presents a longer hope section than any other unit, and points to the fulfilment of royal promise as the key to the greatness of Jerusalem and Israel heralded in the surrounding pieces." [2]