without end, the FathElr begc-tting, the Son Messiah, shl\ll stand ns a good shepherd, being born (na,r.ens), and the Holy Ghost guiding nnd ordering hie tlook, Wl\tchful proooeding." Many oomn1entators take the and rendy to aid and defend (comp. F.zuk, "goings forth" to be the ancient promises, xxxiv. 23; John x. 11). Septuagint,n/i<r,.-ca, the revelations of the Angel of the covenant ""l ~,i,,.-..,, " shall stand and see." J'ee4; to the patriarohs, the various preparations i.e. his flook. Septue.gint, 1ro1µ<111•1 .-1> ,ro/µ1110, made in type and history for the appear- .. b.-oii. In the strength of the Lord, with ance of the great Son of David in due time; which he is invested and which he disple.ye but this is a forced interpretation of the in the oare of hie people. In the ~esty word. Granted that Micah's contemporaries of the Name of the Lord his God, Messiah understood the prophecy to state merely shall rule iu all the power e.nd glory with that a Saviour shonld arise from the lineage which God hath revealed himself on ee.rtb of David who traced his descent from hoar (comp, Isa. ix. 6; Matt. xxviii. 18; John i. antiquity, and might be said to have lived in 14). They shall abide ; Septua.gint, l;,rJ.p- the days of old, this fact (if it be a fact) does (ou<r<, •• they shRU be," The children of not preclude us, with our more perfect know- Israel shall sit, dwell, in rest and penoe to ledge, from seeing a deeper meaning in the their own le.ud (eh. iv. 4; Lev. xxvi. 5, 6; inspired nttere.nce, an adnmbration of the Joel iii. 20; Amoa ix. 14, 15). The Vulgate, nature of that Prince whom Isaiah calls from e. different pointing of the Hebrew, "Everlasting" (eh. ix. 6), the Word who renders, com,crtentur. With this the Ohaldee "was in the beginning with God" (John i. 1, and Syriac agree, Bnt this idea is already 2). We may note certain contrasts in these expressed in ver. 8. Now shall he be great. two first verses. Zion, " the daughter of When the prophecy is fulfilled and Meesie.b troopa," is contrasted with the mean and is feeding his flock, hie dominion shall ex- inllignificant Bethlehem; yet the former tend unto the ends of the earth (comp. shall be ehe.mefully handled, the latter Mal. i. 11, 14; Ps. ii. 8; lxxii. 8: Luke i. 32) highly honoured; that one's king shall be dethroned and disgraced, this one's Ruler is Vera. 5, 6.-§ 9. Under Mllllsiah'• rule from everlasting and to everlasting. shall be peace. Cheyne considers these Ver. 3.-Therefore; i.e. because God hath verses to have been inserted by :an after- designed to punil!h before delivering, and thought, either to explain the " me.ny this delivemnce is to arise from the little ne.tione" and "many peoples" of eh. iv. 11, Bethlehem, not from J emsa.lem. This pre- euppoaes that the house of David will have 13, or to ·rectify the omission of the period lost the throne and have been reduced to a of foreign rule. This may be reasone.bly low ~d.ition. Will he give them up. allowed ; bnt it ie not neceese.ry to the ex- Jehovah will give up the people to its planation of the paragraph, which ie merely enemies : this is the way in which the honse a further description of Messiah's kingdom. of David she.11 come to low estate. She whioh travaileth hath brought forth. Many Ver. 5.-And this Man shall be the Peaoe • commentators have taken the travailing and he shall be Peace; Vulgate, et erit ial.e woman to be the afflicted community of Paz,. This so.me Ruler will not only bring lsre.el, or Zion; but we may not altogether peace, and be the Author of peace, but be reject the old interpretation which regards himself Peace; as Isaiah (ix. 5) ce.lle him this as a prophecy of the birth of Christ "Prince of Pee.cc," e.nd St. Paul (Eph. ii.14) from the Virgin, in accords.nee with the "our Peace." Peace personified (comp. received Messianic exposition of Ise.ie.h's Zech. ix. 9). It is best to put a full stop great prediction, " Behold, the virgin she.ll here, and remove the colon at "le.nd" conceive" (Isa. vii 14). Such an announce- in the next clause. There me.y be an ment comes in naturally after the announce- allusion to Solomon, the pee.cefnl king, who ment of the Ruler coming forth from erected the temple and whose reign exhibited Bethlehem. Israel shall be oppressed until the ideal of happy times, Septuagint, "'" the time ordained when "she who is to fo.-a., a.~.-ii ,lp,)1111, "and to her shall be 0
bear" shall bring forth. Then (rather, and, peace." When the ABByrian shall oome. i.e. until) the remna.nt of hill brethren shall The prophet, in this and the following .return UILto (with) the ohildren of Israel verses, shows whe.t is that peace which The remnant of hie brethren are the rescued Messiah she.ll bring. Asshur is named as of the Judtea.ns, who are the brethren of the type of Israel's deadliest foe, and e.e that Messiah according to the tlesh : these in a which even then we.e three.tening the kiog-- litere.l sense shall return from exile together dom: witness Sennacherib's invasion in with the others, and in a spiritual sense Hezekiab's time, when the angel of the 11hall be converted e.nd be joined with the Lord smote the alien army with sudden true Lira.elites, the true seed of Abraham. destruction (2 Kings xix.). The prophecy Ver. 4.-B.e shall stand. The Ruler, looks forward to a far-diste.nt future, when. 'IIH. V, 1-15.] 'l'HE BOOK OF MICAH. 69