Micah 5:1-5
You can sponsor this page of The Text This Week
- Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Hebrew Interlinear Bible, WLCv, WLC5, CHES, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Hebrew text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
- Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
- Chapter XXXIV, The First Apology of Justin Martyr. (c 150)
- Chapter LXXVIII, Dialogue With Trypho, Justin Martyr. (c 160)
- Chapter XIII, Adversus Judaeos, Tertullian (c. 198)
- I.LI, Against Celsus, Origen. (c.246)
- Book I, Chapter 8, Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius of Caesarea, (c. 320).
- John Calvin's Commentary on Micah.
- From the Geneva Notes.
- "Christ's kingdom will be stable and everlasting, and his people, the Gentiles as well as the Jews, will dwell in safety."
- From
Matthew Henry's
Commentary.
- "Christ will find instruments to protect and deliver. Those that threaten ruin to the church of God, soon bring ruin on themselves."
- From Wesley's Notes.
- "Bethlehem of Judah was called Ephratah, from the fruitfulness of the land where it stood: the word whence it is derived importing fruitfulness."
- "The Incarnation and Birth of Christ; Micah 5:2," Charles H. Spurgeon, 1856.
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible
(Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
- "Messiah's generation as man coming forth unto God to do His will on earth is from Beth-lehem; but as Son of God, His goings forth are from everlasting. The promise of the Redeemer at first was vaguely general (Ge 3:15). Then the Shemitic division of mankind is declared as the quarter in which He was to be looked for (Ge 9:26, 27); then it grows clearer, defining the race and nation whence the Deliverer should come, namely, the seed of Abraham, the Jews (Ge 12:3); then the particular tribe, Judah (Ge 49:10); then the family, that of David (Ps 89:19, 20); then the very town of His birth, here. And as His coming drew nigh, the very parentage (Mt 1:1-17; Lu 1:26-35; 2:1-7); and then all the scattered rays of prophecy concentrate in Jesus, as their focus (Heb 1:1, 2)."
- Contemporary Commentary, Studies and Exegesis:
- Commentary,
Micah 5:2-5, Anne Stewart, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2015.
- "Micah's oracle speaks to a world that is caught in the bewilderment of violence, uncertainty, and economic disruption."
- Pulpit Fiction, plus podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2015.
- The Center for Excellence in Preaching, Scott Hoezee, resources from Calvin Theological Seminary: Comments & Observations, Textual Points, Illustration Ideas, 2015.
- "Who Is This Peaceful One?" John Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, 2015.
- "In the midst of warring times, we find a portrait in Micah of an ancient one who is to come who will move through the flocks of the world in peace, eschewing the ways of war and battle."
- Commentary,
Micah 5:2-5, Melinda Quivik, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2012.
- "By pondering the image that Micah sets out rather than leaping to the assumption that this coming savior is the Christian Christ, the preacher can look for the correspondence between disparate ages of human history with divergent needs, all being saved by a God who is justice, kindness, and humility itself."
- "What Did Micah Really Want?" John C. Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, 2012.
- "What Micah wanted for Israel and the nations is precisely what the early Christians believed that the coming of their Christ meant for their world: justice, unity, peace. It is the hope of every Christmas. It is the hope of this Christmas."
- "Embracing Restoration," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer.
- "Christmas is a time when the gaping holes in the fabric of our 'family ties' become painfully apparent. It is a time when we desperately need restoration and healing in those most basic human relationships. The future Micah and Mary looked forward to is a vision of the restoration of the whole human family. It is also a time to embrace the restoration and healing God has promised to the whole human family in our families by treading lightly and showing a little extra consideration."
- Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
- Commentary,
Micah 5:2-5, Kathryn Schifferdecker, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2009.
- "On this last Sunday of Advent, we come to another familiar prophetic passage, familiar at least in part because it plays a prominent role in Matthew's story of the birth of Jesus."
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
- Micah 5:2-5a, The Old Testament Readings: Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia.
- Micah 5:2-5, Commentary, Background, Insights from Literary Structure, Theological Message, Ways to Present the Text. Anna Grant-Henderson, Uniting Church in Australia.
- Micah 5:2-5a, Studies on Old Testament texts from Series C, Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
-
"House of Bread," Ron Starenko, Sabbatheology, The Crossings
Community, 2009.
- "So, across time, the eternal who is already present, the One who came out of Bethlehem, the Ruler of Israel (v. 2), lowly and despised, feeds the world, makes us into a new house, a body that lives by faith, receiving, believing the promise, as we celebrate a common meal, a sign of what can not fade or fail"
-
Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion,
Micah 5:2-5a. "A place of
conversation regarding Progressive Christianity."
- "Without asking for it or even dreaming about it, a currently insignificant spot is incorporated into an integral part of a new story. A king's birthplace will become an anti-king's birthplace."
- "Looking to the City: The Old Testament Lessons for Advent and Christmas Day (Year C)," Paul R. Sponheim, Word & World, 1994.
-
"An Unexpected Source," Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com:
A Lectionary Resource for Catholics.
- "Micah wrote the passages about Bethlehem in the midst of foreign invasion."
- Commentary,
Micah 5:2-5, Anne Stewart, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org,
2015.
- Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Begos, Kevin,
"O Jailed Town of Bethlehem: How Eerily We See Thee Lie,"
Christianity Today, 2004.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Bryant, David J., "Micah 4:14-5:14:
An Exegesis," Restoration Quarterly, 1978.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Golding, Thomas A.,
"The Imagery of Shepherding in the Bible, Part 1," Bibliotheca Sacra,
2006.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Golding, Thomas A.,
"The Imagery of Shepherding in the Bible, Part 2," Bibliotheca Sacra,
2006.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2009. (Section on this text begins on page 407)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hug, James E., S.J., "Birthing the Peace of Justice," The Living Pulpit, 1997.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Pannell, Randall J.,
"The Politics of the Messiah: A New Reading of Micah 4:14-5:5,"
Perspectives in Religious Studies, 1988.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Saleska, Timothy, "Homiletical Helps on LW Series B -
Epistles," Concordia Journal, 2007. (Section on this text begins
on p. 419.)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Siker, Judy Yates,
"Unless You Become Like Children..." The Living Pulpit, 2003.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Sponheim, Paul R.,
"Looking to the City: The Old Testament Lessons for Advent and Christmas
(Year C)," Word & World, 1994.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Willis, John T.,
"Micah 4:14-5:5 - A Unit," Vetus Testamentum, 1968.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Begos, Kevin,
"O Jailed Town of Bethlehem: How Eerily We See Thee Lie,"
Christianity Today, 2004.
- Sermons:
- "The Baby Is the Easy Part," Michael Brown, Day1, 2015.
- "The Place Where Heaven Will Touch the Earth," the Rev. Dr. Wiley Stephens, Day 1, 2009.
- With Children:
- Worshiping with Children, Advent 4, 2015, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2012.
- "Storypath Lectionary Links: Connecting Children's Literature with our Faith Story," 2015, Union Presbyterian Seminary.
- "Sermon of the Week," / "Mensajes para ninos," Sermons 4 Kids, Charles Kirkpatrick, Object Lessons & Children's Sermons, Coloring Pages, Puzzles. Sermons4Kids.com.
- "Bethlehem Ephrathath, You Are One of the Smallest Towns in the Nation of Judah," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
- Drama:
- Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Clip Art, Micah 5:2, Fr. Richard Lonsdale, Resources for Catholic Educators.
- Hymns and Music:
- “He Shall Be the One of Peace” is an original hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette celebrating Micah’s vision, that God would send one from Bethlehem to lovingly rule his people. This hymn was commissioned by The Presbyterian Outlook magazine for new Advent text-related hymns to Christmas carol tunes. Tune: HUMILITY (“See Amid the Winter's Snow”).
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Micah 5:2, 5. The Cyber Hymnal.
- Hymn Selections, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of Micah
