5  The troubles of Israel, Mic 5:1.
The birth and advancement of the Messiah, Mic 5:2-4.
His protection of his people, and victory over their enemies, Mic 5:5-6.
The increase of the church and destruction of her enemies, Mic 5:7-15.

5:1 Now gather thyself - Since this must be done, do it quickly.O daughter of troops - Nineveh or Babylon. He - Sennacherib, or Nebuchadnezzar. They - The proud, oppressive enemy.The judge - The king. Of Israel - Not the ten tribes, though they are actually called by this name, but the two tribes that adhered to David's family. A rod - This is a proverbial speech, expressing the most contemptuous usage.

5:2 Bethlehem - Bethlehem of Judah was called Ephratah, from the fruitfulness of the land where it stood: the word whence it is derived importing fruitfulness. Art thou little - If thou art the least in other respects in this thou art honoured above them all.Ruler - King and sovereign. In Israel - Amidst the Israel of God.Going forth - Whose generation, as he is the Son of God, equal with his father, is eternal.

5:3 He - God. Give them up - To the Chaldeans. She - The daughter of Zion, compared here to a woman in travail, shall be delivered out of captivity. His brethren - The brethren of the Messiah.Those of Judah and Benjamin who were carried captive.

5:4 He - The ruler, the Messiah shall stand. This posture speaks the readiness, chearfulness, and stability of Christ, his government, and kingdom. Feed - As a shepherd that diligently guides, preserves, and feeds his sheep. By the strength - By his own almighty strength.Of the name - By commission from the Father in whose name Christ came, preached, wrought miracles, and instituted his gospel church.They - His church made up of converted Jews and Gentiles, shall continue; the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.For - The church is so redeemed, and established, that Christ the Messiah might be glorified, throughout the world.

1 

1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ - That is, strictly speaking, the account of his birth and genealogy.This title therefore properly relates to the verses that immediately follow: but as it sometimes signifies the history of a person, in that sense it may belong to the whole book. If there were any difficulties in this genealogy, or that given by St. Luke, which could not easily be removed, they would rather affect the Jewish tables, than the credit of the evangelists: for they act only as historians setting down these genealogies, as they stood in those public and allowed records. Therefore they were to take them as they found them. Nor was it needful they should correct the mistakes, if there were any. For these accounts sufficiently answer the end for which they are recited.They unquestionably prove the grand point in view, that Jesus was of the family from which the promised seed was to come. And they had more weight with the Jews for this purpose, than if alterations had been made by inspiration itself. For such alterations would have occasioned endless disputes between them and the disciples of our Lord. The son of David, the son of Abraham - He is so called, because to these he was more peculiarly promised; and of these it was often foretold the Messiah should spring. Luk 3:31.

1:3 Of Thamar - St. Matthew adds the names of those women also, that were remarkable in the sacred history.

1:4 Naasson - Who was prince of the tribe of Judah, when the Israelites entered into Canaan.

1:5 Obed begat Jesse - The providence of God was peculiarly shown in this, that Salmon, Boaz, and Obed, must each of them have been near a hundred years old, at the birth of his son here recorded.

1:6 David the king - Particularly mentioned under this character, because his throne is given to the Messiah.

1:8 Jehoram begat Uzziah - Jehoahaz, Joash, and Amaziah coming between. So that he begat him mediately, as Christ is mediately the son of David and of Abraham. So the progeny of Hezekiah, after many generations, are called the sons that should issue from him, which he should beget, Isa 39:7.

1:11 Josiah begat Jeconiah - Mediately, Jehoiakim coming between.And his brethren - That is, his uncles. The Jews term all kinsmen brethren. About the time they were carried away - Which was a little after the birth of Jeconiah.

1:16 The husband of Mary - Jesus was generally believed to be the son of Joseph. It was needful for all who believed this, to know, that Joseph was sprung from David. Otherwise they would not allow Jesus to be the Christ. Jesus, who is called Christ - The name Jesus respects chiefly the promise of blessing made toAbraham: the name Christ, the promise of the Messiah's kingdom, which was made to David. It may be farther observed, that the word Christ in Greek, andMessiah in Hebrew, signify anointed, and imply the prophetic, priestly, and royal characters, which were to meet in the Messiah. Among the Jews, anointing was the ceremony whereby prophets, priests, and kings were initiated into those offices.And if we look into ourselves, we shall find a want of Christ in all these respects. We are by nature at a distance from God, alienated from him, and incapable of a free access to him.Hence we want a mediator, an intercessor, in a word, a Christ, in his priestly office. This regards our state with respect to God. And with respect to ourselves, we find a total darkness, blindness, ignorance of God, and the things of God. Now here we want Christ in his prophetic office, to enlighten our minds, and teach us the whole will of God. We find also within us a strange misrule of appetites and passions. For these we want Christ in his royal character, to reign in our hearts, and subdue all things to himself.