Micah 5:5-7

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Micah 5:5 tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).
2. Micah 5:5 tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (b^eʾadmatenu).
3. Micah 5:5 tn Heb “raise up.”
4. Micah 5:5 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. Micah 5:5 tn Heb “shepherds.”
6. Micah 5:5 tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”
7. Micah 5:6 tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”
8. Micah 5:6 sn According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.
9. Micah 5:6 tc The MT reads בִּפְתָחֶיהָ (biftakheha) “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (bapp^etikhah) “with a drawn sword.”
10. Micah 5:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11. Micah 5:7 tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).
12. Micah 5:7 tn Heb “will be.”
13. Micah 5:7 tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).
14. Micah 5:7 tn Heb “that does not hope for man, and does not wait for the sons of men.”sn Men wait eagerly for the dew and the rain, not vice versa. Just as the dew and rain are subject to the Lord, not men, so the remnant of Israel will succeed by the supernatural power of God and not need the support of other nations. There may even be a military metaphor here. Israel will overwhelm their enemies, just as the dew completely covers the grass (see 2 Sam 17:12). This interpretation would be consistent with the image of v. 7.