Micah 5:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet Micah does not stop there; he continues to address the divine aspect, noting “and of Whom the origin is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.” Likewise, Isaiah proclaims, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel, which means, God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). Observe how he transitions from the physical to the divine. He makes a similar progression in another passage: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; the dominion is upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). You can see how he begins with the human form and incarnation, and ascends towards the divine.

Additionally, another prophet indicated the location of the Lord's birth, stating: “Thou Bethlehem-Ephrathah, art thou small among the thousands of Judah? Out of thee shall He come forth unto me, who is to be ruler in Israel, and whose origin is from the beginning, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2). This prophecy reflects both the Deity and humanity of Christ, illustrating His pre-eternal existence alongside His incarnation as the ruler who will emerge from Israel.

The Almighty expressed His sorrow to the prophet Samuel, saying, “They did not humiliate you, but they humiliated me, so that I should not reign over them” (1 Sam. 8:7). The negative consequences of this decision, which were inherently bitter and destructive, were clearly demonstrated through their experiences. It is undeniable that as a result, they were subjected to severe and unavoidable disasters. Thus, in an effort to return Israel to its original state under God’s reign, a Savior and Redeemer—Christ—was prophesied to arise from Bethlehem. Any interpretation of a general nature in this context misses the point. When we on earth reject God’s sovereign rule, imposing a foreign yoke upon ourselves and acknowledging as our master not the true Lord but the rebellious and fallen one, known as Satan, we invite various calamities upon ourselves. Yet, as mentioned earlier, God and the Father desire to “head all things concerning Christ, which are in heaven, and which are on earth in him” (Eph. 1:10), and to “deliver us from the power of darkness, and bring us into the kingdom of the Son of his love in light” (Col. 1:13).

The focus shifts to Bethlehem, or the house of Ephrathah, which is a region, while Bethlehem itself is a village within it. It is the birthplace of Jesse and David, as well as the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to our divine child, the boy Jesus, “whose beginning is upon his frame: and his name is called: great is the council of the angel” (Is. 9:6). He reigned through the cross, and because “He was obedient even unto death, the death of the cross, nevertheless,” as the Apostle Paul writes, “God also exalted Him, and gave Him a name greater than every name, that at the name of Christ every knee should bow, of heavenly and earthly and underworld, and every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-11). Thus it is stated: O Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah! “Thou eatest little food, that thou mayest be in the thousands of Judah,” which indicates that while there are many large and prosperous cities brimming with inhabitants in Judah, even though Bethlehem may be small in population, it will be a significant place, recognized as the city of a king over Israel. This kingship extends not only to the descendants of Israel but also to those promised to Abraham, as it is not stated that “in Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Gen. 21:12). The phrase “in Isaac” signifies according to the promise. Thus, the promise is firmly established “not unto them that are of” the lineage of Israel (“circumcision”), “but also unto them that walk in the steps of faith, which are in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham” (Rom. 4:12); for these are considered true Israel (Rom. 9:6) since “the children of the promise are counted to the seed” (Rom. 9:8). It is as if it were said that He shall reign over all who believe in Him and draw near to the Father through Him. He declared, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Thus, Christ emerged from Bethlehem as the good shepherd, guiding us among the gardens and lilies, imparting the sweet fragrance of His gospel teachings, and offering His wisdom as ripe fruits for those wishing to partake. He said, “I am the flower of pollen and the hoary crinum” (Song of Songs 2:1). “Come forth,” He invites, “from the beginning and from the days of the age,” implying either the eternal nature of the Word (who is consubstantial with the Father and is Himself the Creator of ages) or His incarnation at the end of the age, though His mystery was already foreordained by the Father before the foundation of the world. The ‘exodus’ refers thus to either the eternal existence of the Son from God the Father or to His manifestation when He took on flesh, foreordained by the Father as the Savior and Redeemer, knowing the consequences of Adam's sin for humanity.

However, some mistakenly claim that numerous Old Testament citations contain such errors, which occasionally involve alterations in word order, substitutions of terms, or even shifts in meaning. This misunderstanding arises from the assertion that the apostles and Gospel writers quoted from memory rather than consulting the texts, leading to potential inaccuracies. Thus, let us clarify the meaning of the Hebrew scripture. “And thou art Bethlehem,” which translates to “the house of bread,” known as Ephrathah. Indeed, though you are the least among the towns of Judah and relatively small in contrast to the multitude of cities, it is from this humble village that Christ will emerge as Lord in Israel. However, do not assume that He is solely of David's lineage, as evidenced by the Psalmist's declaration, “From the fruit of thy womb I will set upon My throne” (Psalm 131:11). The Incarnation does not diminish His divine splendor; He was begotten of Me before all ages, and as the Creator of time, He exists beyond temporal limitations. This is affirmed in another psalm: “Before the day spring, I have begotten thee” (Psalm 109:3). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1-2). This Word was present with God from the very beginning, establishing His origin in eternity. The identification of Bethlehem as Ephrathah is confirmed in Genesis, which states, “Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrathah, which is Bethlehem” (Genesis 35:19). Both designations signify a profound truth: it is referred to as “the house of bread” in reference to the Living Bread that descends from heaven (John 6:51), and Ephrathah, denoting “the place of fury,” recalls Herod's wrath. Deceived by the Magi, he grew furious and ordered the slaying of all male children in Bethlehem and its vicinity, as per the timeframe he learned from them. The immense shedding of innocent blood reached the heavens, as evidenced by the voices, wailing, and cries of Rachel lamenting her offspring (Jeremiah 31:15). In the LXX translation, we find in the book of Joshua, among the tribes, cities, and fortresses of Judah, an entry stating, “Pheko and Ephrathah, which is Bethlehem, and Phagor, and Etham, and Culon, and Tatami, or Tami, and Soris, and Karem, and Gallim, and Bether, and Manocho: eleven cities with their villages” (Habakkuk 15:59). This specific detail is absent from the Hebrew scripture and other translations. We remain uncertain whether this location was omitted from ancient texts by the Jews to obscure the fact that Christ was born of the tribe of Judah, or if it was appended by the Septuagint translators. However, we can confidently affirm through the book of Judges that Bethlehem belonged to the tribe of Judah: “And there was a Levite residing near the mountain of Ephraim, who took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. His concubine was displeased and returned to her father's house in Bethlehem of Judah” (Judges 19:1, 2). The phrase “to Bethlehem of Judah” is elegantly stated here to differentiate it from the Bethlehem in Galilee, as clarified within the same account in Joshua. In our language, Ephrathah symbolizes fertility or abundance, akin to the “house of bread,” pointing again toward this sacred mystery.

Thus, this eternal one, who exists from the beginning with God, the Word of God coming forth from the beginning, will indeed be born in you, as the Prophet states, raising you, the city of Judah, from obscurity to glory and renown.

Today, the Jewish people misguidedly attribute this prophecy to Zerubbabel, opposing the truth without shame, despite their acknowledgment that He has come from the beginning of time. However, Zerubbabel, born in Babylon following the captivity, derived his name from that place. The ancient Jewish understanding of this prophecy differs significantly from contemporary interpretations. Many years later, when Herod inquired, 'Where will Christ be born?' those questioned referenced this very prophecy (Matthew 2:4-6). It is clear that the modern interpretation among the Jews is flawed. Setting aside their misconceptions, let us proceed with the continuation of the exposition.

Through the words, 'Out of you shall come forth a leader for me,' the nature of His humanity is evident, while by stating, 'His coming forth from the beginning from the days of the age,' the divinity born of the Father before all time is revealed. This resonates with the opening of the Gospel: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God (John 1:1-2). It also echoes what God conveyed through David's prophetic voice: 'Out of the womb before the day, I begat Thee’ (Psalm 109:3, LXX). Therefore, this eternal being, who was in the beginning with God, the Word of God, who originated from God at the dawn of time (Micah 5:2), will be born in you, Bethlehem, as the prophet proclaims, granting you great glory and renown.

The phrase “shall come forth” conveys the act of begetting, similar to Genesis 17:6, where the term יצא (ece) refers to birth, indicating that “kings shall be born of thee.” The eternal origin of this Leader does not negate the significance of His actual birth in Bethlehem. In Isaiah’s prophecy, the child who is to be born is explicitly identified as the Father of eternity and the Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6).

This small town, located just a short distance from Jerusalem, is referred to by St. Micah as very small, in terms of its limited number of homes and citizens. Nevertheless, it held significant importance as the birthplace of the great Leader and Shepherd, the Savior of the world (Matt. 2:6). Known from ancient times as Ephrathah, meaning fruitful, Bethlehem was the site where “Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrathah, which is Bethlehem” (Gen. 35:19). It is also referred to as the house of David (Luke 2:4), as King David was born and anointed there (1 Sam. 16:1-13), and it was home to David's lineage (Ruth 1:2). This Bethlehem is distinct from the one in Galilee, located in Zebulun (Hab. 19:15). The prophecy states that “Out of thee shall come forth an Elder.” St. Ephr. Sirinus elucidates that this refers to the incarnation of the Word of God from the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem of Ephrathah. The prophet specifies not merely that He is from you, but that He will come forth from you—indicating a physical birth. The divine nature from which He is God and eternal was not derived from this origin, as He has existed from all eternity. This clearly indicates the physical birth of the Son of God, the God-Man, our Savior Jesus Christ, as affirmed by St. Matthew the Evangelist (Matthew 2:1-6). The Elder is born in Bethlehem, on this occasion, the prophet declares that he will be a chief in Israel, destined to reign over not just earthly Israel but also spiritual Israel, encompassing all believers as the king, leader, and head of the Church of God (cf. Is. 9:6. 7. Lk. 1:32, 33, Mt. 2:2. Mt. 21:5, 9. Eph. 1:10. Ps. 2:6). To clarify that this prince is not an ordinary ruler, the prophet adds, “But his origin is from the beginning of the days of the age.” This indicates a prince or king who will emerge from Bethlehem. His roots are timeless—He is an eternal king! St. Chrysostom comments that the prophet alludes to the divinity of the Sovereign who will be born in Bethlehem; despite being born in the temporal realm, He remains eternal in His divine essence. This clearly points to the eternal King—the Savior of the world, who has existed from eternity with the Father and is the Deliverer from all seen and unseen foes, rather than referring to Zerubbabel, as some Jewish and Western commentators suggest.

Bethlehem was relatively small in population, lacking a thousand able-bodied men who were enumerated in the census aged twenty and above (Num. 1:18-29). Despite its small size in this regard compared to the other cities in the tribe of Judah, which boasted populations of a thousand or more able-bodied men, it was significant in that from this city, the Lord proclaimed, an Elder would arise to lead Israel. Bethlehem, the birthplace of David—ancestor of the kings of Israel—would also be the birthplace of a Person who is to be the Ruler of Israel. This Ruler, however, would be unparalleled, not only among kings of Israel but among all kings of the earth, as His origins extend back to the beginning of time. In Him, two births intertwine: one temporal, taking place in Bethlehem, and the other eternal, rooted from the dawn of time. Such a duality of existence can only be attributed to the Messiah who, through His humanity, was born of a virgin and yet, by His divine nature, was eternally born of God the Father.

The eternal nature of the Messiah as the consubstantial Son of God is addressed in the Psalms. Psalm 2 refers to the Messiah, proclaiming the reign over Zion for the King, to whom God the Father declares, “I have begotten thee this day.” Psalm 109 anticipates the royal and priestly functions of this King, who is born of God before the ages (Psalm 109:3). The prophet Isaiah, in predicting the reign of David's descendant Emmanuel, refers to Him as the Father of eternity (Isaiah 9:5). Consequently, Jewish tradition has linked Micah’s prophecy to the Messiah. When Herod inquired about Christ's birthplace, the Jewish chief priests and scribes replied that it was in Bethlehem, aligning with this prophecy (Matthew 2:4-6). The common people were also aware that this pointed to the Messiah. They rejected Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah because, in their view, He hailed from Galilee, while the Messiah was expected to come from David's lineage in Bethlehem, where David originated (John 7:41-42).

This leads to the understanding that He was destined to be a ruler over Israel, not merely in a physical sense but primarily over the spiritual nation of Israel; that is, all who believe in Him from all nations. In His Church, Jews and Gentiles will be united in faith, fulfilling Christ’s promise of one flock and one shepherd.