Here is my answer to a query concerning Micah 5:2; from a discussion forum in 2004.
| Quote: |
| Also in the book of Micah it says: 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. This is further proof that He {Jesus} has no
beginning, therefore making Him the Eternal God and Saviour my friend.
|
Jesus most definitely does have a beginning. Matthew speaks of the ‘genesis’ of Jesus Christ. [Matt 1:1]. Neither Matthew nor Luke in their narration about how Christ came into existence, has any concept of literal pre-existence.
Now let us look at the phrase ‘from everlasting’.
The Hebrew is OWLAM (Strong’s 5769). Now note how it is translated in the following verses:
(In each case the word(s) translated from OWLAM are CAPITALIZED)
- mighty men which were OF OLD: Gen. 6:4;
- for those nations were OF OLD: 1 Sam. 27:8;
- the ANCIENT people: Isa 44:7;
- in the generations OF OLD: Isa 51:9;
- Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far ... it is an ANCIENT nation:
Jer 5:15;
- the prophets ... OF OLD: Jer 28:8;
- the people OF OLD TIME: Ezek 26:20;
- tabernacle of David ... as in the days OF OLD: Amos 9:11;
- days OF OLD: Micah 7:14, Mal. 3:4
Although OWLAM in the right context can be used to denote ‘eternity’, it
is clear to see that OWLAM in the above cases cannot mean eternal/eternity i.e.
eternal mighty men, eternal nations, eternal prophets, eternal people, etc.
And this goes also for Micah 5:2 which is a verse simply speaking about the
coming (that is, his first coming) and birthplace of the Messiah (as used in
Matt 2:5-6, John 7:42). It is simply saying that the Coming of the Messiah had
been depicted and spoken of from days of old,
from of old time, even from the time of Abraham, who rejoiced to see his
day. [John 8:56]
The KJV English translators being biased by their
trinitarian theology used the words ‘from everlasting’.
Therefore, using the
same Hebrew word, Micah 5:2 could so easily be
translated: ”… 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 old time.”
Compare :-
- Revised Standard Version (hereafter cited as RSV) Micah 5:2
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
(Likewise the New Revised Standard Version has the same rendition; hereafter cited as NRS)
- Young’s Literal Translation Micah 5:2
And thou, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh forth—to be ruler in Israel,
And his comings forth {are} of old, From the days of antiquity.
- New American Bible Micah 5:1
But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.
- New Jerusalem Bible (hereafter cited as NJB) Micah 5:1
But you (Bethlehem) Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, from you will come for me a future ruler of Israel whose origins go back to the distant past, to the days of old.
That is all this verse is saying. It is Messianic. It is the verse that
the Jews in Herod’s time turned to, knowing full well that this verse was
speaking about the ‘Coming and Birth of the Messiah’. The coming and origin of
the Messiah was prophesied from old or ancient times, even as
ancient as Adam & Eve [Gen 3:15], Abraham [Gen 22:18, Gal 3:16], Judah [Gen
49:8-10], David [2 Sam 7:12-14, 1 Chr 17:11-13, Psalms 132:11, Isaiah 11:1,10,
Jere 23:5, 33:15], Daniel [9:25-26], etc. The Jews were expecting a Davidide
Israelite king whose origin had been spoken of from ancient times, to be born in Bethlehem.
This is what Micah 5:2 is all about.
