---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse Micah 5:1. O daughter of troops — The Chaldeans, whose armies were composed of troops from various nations. He (Nebuchadnezzar) hath laid siege agai"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/micah/5"
---

Verse [Micah 5:1](../../../kjv/micah/5/1). ***O daughter of troops*** — The Chaldeans, whose armies were composed of *troops* from various nations.
***He*** (Nebuchadnezzar)*******hath laid siege against us;*******(Jerusalem;)*******they shall smite the judge of Israel*** (Zedekiah)*******with a rod upon**********the cheek.*** — They shall offer him the greatest *indignity*. They slew his sons before his face; and then put out his eyes, loaded him with chains, and carried him captive to Babylon.

Verse [Micah 5:2](../../../kjv/micah/5/2). ***But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah*** — I have considered this subject in great detail in *Clarke's notes on "*[Matthew 2:6](../../../kjv/matthew/2/6)*"*, to which the reader will be pleased to refer. This verse should begin this chapter; the *first* verse belongs to the preceding chapter.
*Bethlehem Ephratah*, to distinguish it from another Beth-lehem, which was in the tribe of *Zebulun*, [Joshua 19:15](../../../kjv/joshua/19/15).
***Thousands of Judah*** — The tribes were divided into small portions called *thousands*; as in our country certain divisions of counties are called *hundreds*.
***Whose goings forth*** have been *from of old*] In every age, from the foundation of the world, there has been some manifestation of the Messiah. He was the hope, as he was the salvation, of the world, from the promise to Adam in paradise, to his manifestation in the flesh *four thousand* years after.
***From everlasting*** — מימי עולם *miyemey olam*, "From the days of all time;" from time as it came out of eternity. That is, there was *no time* in which he has not been *going forth-coming* in various ways to save men. And he that *came forth* the moment that time had its birth, was *before that time* in which he began to *come forth* to save the souls that he had *created*. He was *before* all things. As he is the *Creator* of all things, so he is the *Eternal*, and *no part* of what was *created*. All *being* but God has been *created*. Whatever has *not been created* is God. But Jesus is the *Creator* of all things; therefore he is God; for he cannot be a *part* of his *own work*.

Verse [Micah 5:3](../../../kjv/micah/5/3). ***Therefore will he give them up*** — Jesus Christ shall give up the disobedient and rebellious Jews into the hands of all the nations of the earth, till *she who travaileth hath brought forth*; that is, till the Christian Church, represented [Revelation 12:1](../../../kjv/revelation/12/1), under the notion of a *woman in travail*, shall have had the fulness of the Gentiles brought in. *Then the remnant of his brethren shall* *return*; the Jews also shall be converted unto the Lord; and thus *all Israel shall be saved*, according to [Romans 11:26](../../../kjv/romans/11/26).
***Unto the children of Israel.*** — Taking in *both families*, that of *Judah* and that of *Israel*. The remnant of the *ten tribes*, wherever they are, shall be brought in under Christ; and though now *lost* among the nations of the earth, they will then not only be brought in among the *fulness of the Gentiles*, but most probably be *distinguished* as *Jews*.
On this verse Abp. *Newcome* says, "The sense is, God will not fully vindicate and exalt his people, till the virgin mother shall have brought forth her Son; and till Judah and Israel, and all the true sons of Abraham among their brethren the Gentiles, be converted to Christianity.

Verse [Micah 5:4](../../../kjv/micah/5/4). ***He shall stand and feed*** — The *Messiah* shall *remain* with his followers, supporting and *governing them in the strength* *and majesty of the Lord*, with all the miraculous interferences of his power, and all the glories of his grace.
***And they shall abide*** — After this the Jews shall no more go astray, but shall remain one people with the Gentiles, under the one Shepherd and Bishop of all souls.
*Newcome* translates, "They shall be converted" for instead of וישבו *veyashebu*, he reads וישובו *veyashubu*, which gives him the translation above. This is the reading of *three* MSS. of *Kennicott's* and *De Rossi's*, with the *Syriac, Chaldee*, and *Vulgate*.
***For now shall he be great*** — The Messiah shall be *great*, as bringing salvation to the *ends of the earth*. All nations shall receive his religion, and he shall be universal King.

Verse [Micah 5:5](../../../kjv/micah/5/5). ***And this*****man*****shall be the peace*** — This clause should be joined to the preceding verse, as it finishes the prophecy concerning our blessed Lord, who is the *Author* and *Prince of* *Israel*; and shall finally give *peace* to all nations, by bringing them under his yoke.
***When the Assyrian shall come*** — This is a new prophecy, and relates to the subversion of the Assyrian empire.
***Then shall we raise against him seven shepherds*** — Supposed to mean the *seven Maccabees, Mattathias*, and his *five* sons, and *Hyrcanus*, the son of *Simon*.
***Eight principal men.*** — Eight princes, the *Asmonean* race; beginning with *Aristobulus*, and ending with *Herod*, who was married to *Mariamne*.-*Sharpe*. Perhaps *seven* and *eight* are a definite for an indefinite number, as [Ecclesiastes 11:2](../../../kjv/ecclesiastes/11/2); [Job 5:19](../../../kjv/job/5/19). The prophet means the chiefs of the Medes and Babylonians, the prefects of different provinces who took Nineveh, whose number may have been what is here specified.-*Newcome*.
*Calmet* considers this as referring to the invasion of Judea by *Cambyses*, when the Lord raised up against him the *seven magi*. He of them who passed for king of the Persians was the *Smerdis* of *Herodotus*, the *Oropastes* of Trogus, and the *Artaxerxes* of Ezra. These magi were put to death by *seven Persian chiefs*; who, having delivered the empire from them, set one of themselves, *Darius*, the son of Hystaspes, upon the throne.

Verse [Micah 5:6](../../../kjv/micah/5/6). ***The land of Nimrod*** — Assyria, and Nineveh its capital; and Babylon, which was also built by Nimrod, who was its *first* king, [Genesis 10:11-12](../../../kjv/genesis/10/11-12), in the *margin*.
***In the entrances thereof*** — At its *posts* or *watergates*; for it was by rendering themselves masters of the Euphrates that the Medes and Persians took the city, according to the prediction of Jeremiah, [Jeremiah 51:32](../../../kjv/jeremiah/51/32); [Jeremiah 51:36](../../../kjv/jeremiah/51/36).
*Calmet* thinks that this refers to the deliverance of the land from *Cambyses* by his death, and the insurrection of the *eight* *princes* mentioned above, who made themselves masters of the whole Babylonian empire, c. Perhaps it is best to refer it to the invasion of Judea by *Nebuchadnezzar* and the final destruction of the *Babylonish* empire by *Cyrus*, who took Babylon, slew Belshazzar, and possessed himself of the kingdom.

Verse [Micah 5:7](../../../kjv/micah/5/7). ***The remnant of Jacob*** — From the reign of *Darius* *Hystaspes* (*Ahasuerus*, husband of *Esther*) the Jews were greatly favoured. Those who continued in Persia and Chaldea were greatly honoured under the protection of *Mordecai* and *Esther*.-*Calmet*. But others consider this as applying to the *Maccabees*.
***As a dew from the Lord*** — Even during their captivity many of the Jews were the means of *spreading the knowledge of the one true* *God*; see [Daniel 2:47](../../../kjv/daniel/2/47); [Daniel 3:29](../../../kjv/daniel/3/29); [Daniel 4:34](../../../kjv/daniel/4/34); [Daniel 6:26](../../../kjv/daniel/6/26). This may be *the dew from the Lord* mentioned here. When the Messiah appeared, the Gospel was preached by *them*; and it shall again be propagated by their future glorious restoration, [Romans 11:12](../../../kjv/romans/11/12); [Romans 11:25](../../../kjv/romans/11/25).
***The grass, that tarrieth not for man*** — Which *grass* springs up without the attention and culture of man; לאיש *leish*, even the *best* and *most skilful* of men.
***Nor waiteth for the sons of men.*** — לבני אדם *libney adam*, for the *sons of Adam*, the first transgressor. The *dew* and the *showers* descend on the earth and water it, in order to render it fruitful; and the *grass* springs up independently either of the *worth* or *wickedness* of man. All comes through *God's bounty*, who causes his *sun* to shine on the *just* and the *unjust*, and his *rain* to descend on the *evil* and the *good*.

Verse 8. ***As a lion*** — In this and the following verse the victories of the Maccabees are supposed to be foretold.

Verse 9. ***All thine enemies shall be cut off.*** — The *Assyrians*, who had destroyed *Israel*; and the *Babylonians*, who had ruined *Judah*.

Verse [Micah 5:10](../../../kjv/micah/5/10). ***I will cut off thy horses*** — Thou shalt have no need of *cavalry* in thine armies; God will fight for you.

Verse [Micah 5:11](../../../kjv/micah/5/11). ***I will - throw down all thy strongholds*** — Thou shalt have no need of *fortified cities*; I will be thy defense.

Verse [Micah 5:12](../../../kjv/micah/5/12). ***I will cut off witchcrafts*** — Thou shalt seek help only in Jehovah thy God. They have had neither soothsayers, images, groves, nor high places, from the captivity to the present day.

Verse [Micah 5:13](../../../kjv/micah/5/13). ***Thy graven images also will I cut off*** — Thou shalt be no more an idolatrous people.

Verse [Micah 5:15](../../../kjv/micah/5/15). ***I will execute vengeance - upon the heathen*** — And he did so; for the empires of the *Assyrians, Chaldeans*, and others, the sworn enemies of the Jews, have long since been utterly destroyed.

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