Micah 5 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

Yahweh promises a ruler who will shepherd and deliver his people.

1. Yahweh raises up a ruler from Bethlehem (1–6)
2. Yahweh preserves his people among the nations (7–9)
3. Yahweh removes all sources of false security and idolatry (10–15)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Messiah

This chapter contains a prophecy explaining that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. This prophecy is fulfilled by Jesus’s birth and referenced in the New Testament in each of the gospel accounts of that event.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Change in Personal Pronouns

Extra care must be taken in translating pronouns in this chapter. Sometimes “I” is a reference to the author and other times it is a reference to Yahweh. There is also a noticeable shift where the author stops speaking about the people as “you” and begins speaking about them as “we” or “us.”