"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, being little 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."
A passage often remembered around Christmas time, Micah 5:2 is quoted in Matthew 2:5-6 to describe how Israel’s ruler would be born in Bethlehem. Some Christian expositors and laypersons see the “eternal pre-existence” of the Messiah and therefore Messiah’s deity in the words of Micah 5:2 (in Hebrew, Micah 5:1): “whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” However, a word study and the context of the passages shows that neither Micah nor Matthew were declaring the “eternal pre-existence” of Messiah. Rather, the passages refer to the promise of God given to David centuries before.
What are the Hebrew Words?
There are two phrases in Micah 5:2 that may, or may not, refer to eternality:
- miqedem מקדם translated “from before, from old”
- mimei olam מימי עולם translated “from ancient days, from eternity”
- Micah 7:14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old (ימי עולם the same phrase used in Micah 5:2).
- Psalm 77:6 (in Hebrew, 77:5) and Psalm 77:12 (Hebrew, 77:11) I consider the days of old (ימים מקדם), the years long ago (שנות עולמים)…I will remember the deeds of Yahweh; yes, I will remember your wonders of old (miqedem מקדם)…. You, with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph…You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron (cf. Psalm 77:15, 20).
- Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old (ימי עולם).
- Isaiah 63:11 Then he remembered the days of old (ימי עולם), of Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock
- Amos 9:11 In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old (ימי עולם)
- Malachi 3:4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to [Yahweh] as in the days of old (ימי עולם) and as in former years (שנים קדמוניות).
- Nehemiah 12:46 For long ago in the days of David and Asaph (בימי דויד ואסף מקדם) there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
It is clear from these occurrences in the Bible of the same words that Micah uses (miqedem מקדם and yemei olam ימי עולם) that these words in Micah do not mean “eternity past” but refer to events and acts of God in Israel’s days long ago. As an idiom, olam עולם combined with “days of ימי” means “days of long ago, days of a previous historical era, or "years of (שנות / שנים) an ancient historical era”. "Days" and "years" restrict the meaning to historical (human) time. The time of the Exodus from Egypt is especially thought of as “days/years of long ago” when Yahweh led his people like a shepherd by the hand of Moses and Aaron. David's days are also specifically recalled (Amos 9:11).
When or What are Micah’s “days long ago”?
Micah has in mind not a nebulous eternity past, but God's ancient promise to David
(2 Sam. 7, 1 Chron. 17, Psalm 2)
who was from Bethlehem
(Micah 5:2, in Hebrew 5:1, 1 Sam. 16:1, 13).
The promise to David was made some 250 years before Micah lived, “before, in days long ago”. Yahweh, who transcends time, made a promise to David that one of David’s descendants would rule over Israel. In Micah’s days things looked grim because the greatest superpower the world had yet seen, Assyria, was making its way toward Judah. Micah knew that according to Yahweh’s promise made long ago, Yahweh would raise up a king from the Davidic line. Even if centuries passed Yahweh would make good on His promise. Micah’s “from before, from days long ago” may also relate to God’s promises of blessing to Israel through Abraham made over 1000 years before Micah lived (Gen. 12:2-3, Psa. 105:8-11).
[Note: Could even go back as far as the promise to Adam & Eve]
But Micah’s focus is on the divinely ordained monarchy of David who was of the tribe of Judah and from the town of Bethlehem
(1 Sam. 16:1, 13). Israel’s hope was in Yahweh through the Yahweh-promised ruler-shepherd descended from David.
The word translated as “origins” or “goings forth” (motsa’ot, מוצאות) occurs only here in the Bible in the feminine form (and only in plural), with one additional possible textual variant in 2 Ki. 10:27. The masculine form (motsa מוצא) has various meanings including “a place or act of going forth, a word, an exit, an issue, a source, a spring of water, east”
(e.g., Deu. 8:3, Hos. 6:3, Isa. 58:11, Ezek. 43:11).
The meanings are all related to the root word yatsa יצא, “to go or come out.”
From the same root is “descendant” צאצא (e.g. Job 5:25, Isa. 44:3) and later Hebrew “ancestry” ממוצא. In association with miqedem, mimei olam “from before, from days of long ago” which relate to Israel's historical past (see above), the feminine plural form in Micah 5:1 (5:2 English) most likely relates to physical ancestry, especially David’s and/or Abraham’s.
(2 Sam. 7, 1 Chron. 17, Psalm 2)
who was from Bethlehem
(Micah 5:2, in Hebrew 5:1, 1 Sam. 16:1, 13).
The promise to David was made some 250 years before Micah lived, “before, in days long ago”. Yahweh, who transcends time, made a promise to David that one of David’s descendants would rule over Israel. In Micah’s days things looked grim because the greatest superpower the world had yet seen, Assyria, was making its way toward Judah. Micah knew that according to Yahweh’s promise made long ago, Yahweh would raise up a king from the Davidic line. Even if centuries passed Yahweh would make good on His promise. Micah’s “from before, from days long ago” may also relate to God’s promises of blessing to Israel through Abraham made over 1000 years before Micah lived (Gen. 12:2-3, Psa. 105:8-11).
[Note: Could even go back as far as the promise to Adam & Eve]
But Micah’s focus is on the divinely ordained monarchy of David who was of the tribe of Judah and from the town of Bethlehem
(1 Sam. 16:1, 13). Israel’s hope was in Yahweh through the Yahweh-promised ruler-shepherd descended from David.
The word translated as “origins” or “goings forth” (motsa’ot, מוצאות) occurs only here in the Bible in the feminine form (and only in plural), with one additional possible textual variant in 2 Ki. 10:27. The masculine form (motsa מוצא) has various meanings including “a place or act of going forth, a word, an exit, an issue, a source, a spring of water, east”
(e.g., Deu. 8:3, Hos. 6:3, Isa. 58:11, Ezek. 43:11).
The meanings are all related to the root word yatsa יצא, “to go or come out.”
From the same root is “descendant” צאצא (e.g. Job 5:25, Isa. 44:3) and later Hebrew “ancestry” ממוצא. In association with miqedem, mimei olam “from before, from days of long ago” which relate to Israel's historical past (see above), the feminine plural form in Micah 5:1 (5:2 English) most likely relates to physical ancestry, especially David’s and/or Abraham’s.
Context, context, context
In addition to misunderstanding the meaning of "before, from days long ago", the “eternality” interpretation of Micah 5:2 ignores the context of Micah’s prophecy. The context of the passage is: “This (or this one) will be our peace when the Assyrian comes into our land, and treads in our palaces…” (Micah 5:5-6). Micah’s words were spoken when the mighty nation of Assyria threatened to conquer both the northern Kingdom of Israel and southern Kingdom of Judah. Micah's prophecy had a certain fulfillment in the days of a descendant of David, Hezekiah (Isa. 37:15-38).
[Yahweh] was keeping His promise to David by setting David’s descendant Hezekiah on the throne. Micah knew (as did his contemporary, Isaiah) that God would stop mighty Assyria in its tracks (2 Chron. 32:20-22, Isa. 37:35). The origins or ancestry מוצאותיו of the faithful Hezekiah, who became “ruler in Israel” when the Assyrians were in the land, was from long ago, in David and the promise of Yahweh to David.
[Yahweh] was keeping His promise to David by setting David’s descendant Hezekiah on the throne. Micah knew (as did his contemporary, Isaiah) that God would stop mighty Assyria in its tracks (2 Chron. 32:20-22, Isa. 37:35). The origins or ancestry מוצאותיו of the faithful Hezekiah, who became “ruler in Israel” when the Assyrians were in the land, was from long ago, in David and the promise of Yahweh to David.
Also, two verses after the famous Bethlehem promise, Micah 5:4 declares that the promised shepherd-ruler will shepherd his flock “in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God.”
Like Moses and David, the coming shepherd-ruler is not God, but has a God, and is empowered by God/Yahweh.
Like Moses and David, the coming shepherd-ruler is not God, but has a God, and is empowered by God/Yahweh.
Hezekiah is only a sample of the great salvation Yahweh has and will yet work through that greater descendant of David, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem relates to the “long ago” promise of the “days of old” - the promise Yahweh made to David.
Matthew’s quote
It should be noted that Matthew didn’t quote this passage from Micah as a “fulfillment” passage. Matthew simply recorded the words of the Jewish scribes who believed that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem because of the Davidic promise. Neither the Jewish scribes nor Matthew make any reference to the “eternality” of the Messiah. In fact, the passage quoted in Matthew does not even include the words analyzed above that some Christians claim show the Messiah’s eternality.
Matthew simply recorded the Jewish scribes’ answer to Herod’s question about where Messiah would be born: "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: "' And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel'" (Matthew 2:5-6).
Matthew simply recorded the Jewish scribes’ answer to Herod’s question about where Messiah would be born: "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: "' And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel'" (Matthew 2:5-6).
There is no declaration from either the Jewish scribes or Matthew of the “eternal pre-existence” of the Messiah. As mentioned, the words that some interpret in Micah as showing “eternality” don’t even appear in Matthew. Instead Matthew, like Luke 2:4, associates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem with the promise of God that Messiah would be a descendant of David. Like David, the greater Son of David will be empowered by God to rule and shepherd God’s flock, Israel.
Not a New Testament Exercise
Finally, it should be emphasized that neither Jesus nor any other author of the New Testament went back into the Old Testament (Tanach) to find proofs or hints that Jesus is God. Such efforts are totally foreign to the New Testament. Finding proofs of Jesus’ deity or “eternal pre-existence” in
the Old Testament is not a New Testament exercise. It is not a biblical exercise. Finding hints or proofs of Jesus’ deity in a passage like Micah 5:2 is an activity of men beginning in the centuries after the New Testament was written. Jesus and the apostles never appealed to the Old Testament to show Messiah’s eternal deity. Rather, Jesus and the apostles appealed to the Old Testament to show the suffering, death, burial, resurrection and exaltation - of the man descended from David, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah - to the right hand of God Almighty
(Luke 24:26-27, 44-46; Acts 2:22-36, 3:18, 10:30, 17:2, 31, etc.).
the Old Testament is not a New Testament exercise. It is not a biblical exercise. Finding hints or proofs of Jesus’ deity in a passage like Micah 5:2 is an activity of men beginning in the centuries after the New Testament was written. Jesus and the apostles never appealed to the Old Testament to show Messiah’s eternal deity. Rather, Jesus and the apostles appealed to the Old Testament to show the suffering, death, burial, resurrection and exaltation - of the man descended from David, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah - to the right hand of God Almighty
(Luke 24:26-27, 44-46; Acts 2:22-36, 3:18, 10:30, 17:2, 31, etc.).
Summary
In summary, the “eternal pre-existence” and “deity of Christ” claims from Micah 5 are based on a wrong interpretation of Hebrew words. The words (miqedem מקדם and mimei olam מימי עולם) in Micah 5:2 (5:1 Hebrew) do not mean “eternal pre-existence” but refer to events in Israel’s past, specifically to the promise God made to David long ago.
The “eternality” interpretation also ignores the context of the passage which speaks of a descendant of David who was to rule by the strength of his God when the Assyrians came into the land.
The “eternality” interpretation also misses the meaning of the passage. Micah is trusting completely on God’s promise of peace and salvation through a king who would descend from David. There was a sample of that promised victorious peace in David’s descendant Hezekiah (see Isaiah 37:15-38), a sample which gives us evidence and confidence that God fulfills His promises. The ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to David is in Jesus. In an even greater fashion than Hezekiah,
Jesus the descendant of David will shepherd and rule God’s people in the strength of Yahweh his God, and in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God.
Jesus the descendant of David will shepherd and rule God’s people in the strength of Yahweh his God, and in the majesty of the name of Yahweh his God.
- The Gospel of Matthew mentions nothing about the pre-existence of Jesus in quoting Micah’s passage.
- Neither Jesus nor any New Testament author ever appealed to the Old Testament to reveal the eternal pre-existence or deity of Messiah.
- Jesus and the New Testament authors did appeal to the Old Testament to show the suffering, death and subsequent glory of Messiah.
Additional notes on the Hebrew phrases מקדם and מימי עולם
The phrase miqedem מקדם “from before” in Scripture often relates to space, meaning “in front of, east” (e.g., Gen. 2:8, Josh. 7:2) because ancient orientation was to the east. In some instances, as in our Micah passage, the phrase relates to time, meaning “before” (e.g., Psa. 77:12, Isa. 45:21).
To the Hebrew mind, past time was before or in front while the future is behind or after (אחרית הימים, אחרי, אחר).
To the Hebrew mind, past time was before or in front while the future is behind or after (אחרית הימים, אחרי, אחר).
The phrase and mimei olam מימי עולם is literally “from days of age”. Without the preposition (from מ) the idiom ימי עולם yemei olam is two words 1) the plural noun “days” and, 2) the singular noun “age/eternity.” The different meanings of the word עולם olam “age” is perhaps the main reason why some expositors have found eternality in the Micah passage. By itself olam עולם can mean a “period of long duration”, “in perpetuity”, “forever”, or “ancient”. As an idiom combined with “days of” or “years of”, as shown in the passages quoted above, the phrase refers to human historical time, and means “days of long ago, days of a previous historical era, years of an ancient historical era”.
The Greek LXX Old Testament translates עולם olam with αἰών aeon, from which we get the English word eon/aeon. In later Jewish history and Hebrew, the word עולם olam came to express not only time, but space/place. Olam עולם came to mean “world” in addition to time “age/eon”. The idea of the Olam HaBa, the “World/Age to Come, עולם הבא” is prominent in the New Testament, Mishnah, Talmud and Gomorrah. For Jews, including New Testament authors, the promise of life after death is not a nebulous “heaven” but bodily resurrection into a concrete “World/Age to Come”
(Matt. 12:32, 19:28; Luke 18:30, 20:34-35; Eph. 1:21, 2:7; Hebrews 2:5, 6:5).
(Matt. 12:32, 19:28; Luke 18:30, 20:34-35; Eph. 1:21, 2:7; Hebrews 2:5, 6:5).
English Translations
Disagreement as to how to understand the last phrase of Micah 5:2 is reflected in the different English translations. Some English translations of Micah 5:2 imply eternality, while others do not. Compare the King James Version (KJV) with the English Standard Version (ESV):
KJV 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.
ESV But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too 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.
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
These two translations show the typical differences in English translations.
The KJV “from everlasting” may imply eternality.
The ESV “from ancient days” does not. In this case the ESV is the better reading.
The KJV “from everlasting” may imply eternality.
The ESV “from ancient days” does not. In this case the ESV is the better reading.
Micah was from Maresha, a town in the foothills (Shephelah) of Judah, some 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Micah saw trouble coming to Judah from mighty Assyria, but took confidence in the promise of God that a ruler for Israel would descend from David of Bethlehem.
The above article was taken from:
Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:5-6: The eternal deity of Messiah?
