Discovery BoxMicah 5:3-8 
Context5:3 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.
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
5:6 They will rule 20 the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod 21 with a drawn sword. 22
Our king 23 will rescue us from the Assyrians
should they attempt to invade our land
and try to set foot in our territory.
5:7 Those survivors from 24 Jacob will live 25
in the midst of many nations. 26
They will be like the dew the Lord sends,
like the rain on the grass,
that does not hope for men to come
or wait around for humans to arrive. 27
5:8 Those survivors from Jacob will live among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which attacks when it passes through;
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
2 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people of Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn The words “to their enemies” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
4 sn The woman in labor. Personified, suffering Jerusalem is the referent. See 4:9-10.
5 sn Gives birth. The point of the figurative language is that Jerusalem finally finds relief from her suffering. See 4:10.
6 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “to the sons of Israel.” The words “be reunited with” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
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.
8 tn Heb “stand up”; NAB “stand firm”; NASB “will arise.”
9 tn The words “the people” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
10 tn Heb “by the majesty of the name of the
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”).
12 tn Heb “be great.”
13 tn Or “to the ends of.”
14 tn Heb “and this one will be peace”; ASV “and this man shall be our peace” (cf. Eph 2:14).
15 tc Some prefer to read “in our land,” emending the text to בְּאַדְמָתֵנוּ (bÿ’admatenu).
16 tn Heb “raise up.”
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.
18 tn Heb “shepherds.”
19 tn Heb “and eight leaders of men.”
20 tn Or perhaps “break”; or “defeat.”
21 sn According to Gen 10:8-12, Nimrod, who was famous as a warrior and hunter, founded Assyria.
22 tc The MT reads “in her gates,” but the text should be emended to בַּפְּתִיחָה (baptikhah, “with a drawn sword”).
23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the coming king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 tn Heb “the remnant of” (also in v. 8).
25 tn Heb “will be.”
26 tn This could mean “(scattered) among the nations” (cf. CEV, NLT) or “surrounded by many nations” (cf. NRSV).
27 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
28 tn The words “its prey” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
29 tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”
