God’s Word Translation
Micah 5:3
3That is why the Lord will abandon Israel until the time a mother has a child. Then the rest of the Lord’s people will return to the people of Israel.
Micah 5:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel.
Context of Micah 5:3
1Now, gather your troops, you city of troops. We are under attack. Enemies will strike the judge of Israel on the cheek with a stick. 2You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are too small to be included among Judah’s cities. Yet, from you Israel’s future ruler will come for me. His origins go back to the distant past, to days long ago. That is why the Lord will abandon Israel until the time a mother has a child. Then the rest of the Lord’s people will return to the people of Israel. 4The child will become the shepherd of his flock. ⌞He will lead them⌟ with the strength of the Lord, with the majestic name of the Lord his God. They will live in safety because his greatness will reach the ends of the earth. 5This man will be their peace. When the Assyrians invade our land and trample our palaces, we will attack them with seven shepherds and eight leaders.
Read all of Micah 5Micah 5:3 word by word
לָכֵ֣ן יִתְּנֵ֔ם עַד־עֵ֥ת יוֹלֵדָ֖ה יָלָ֑דָה וְיֶ֣תֶר אֶחָ֔יו יְשׁוּב֖וּן עַל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore will he give them upנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- until the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- she which travailethיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- then the remnantיֶ֫תֶרyether · remainderH3499
- of his brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- shall returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Micah 5:3
- Micah 7:13The earth will become a wasteland for those who live on it because of what the people living there have done.
- Hosea 2:9That is why I will take back my grain when it has ripened and my new wine when it’s in season. I will take away the wool and the linen that I gave her to cover her naked body.
- Micah 6:14You will eat, but you won’t be full. So you will always be hungry. You will put things away, but you won’t save them. Anything you save I will destroy.
- 1 Kings 14:16So the Lord will desert Israel because of Jeroboam’s sins, the sins which he led Israel to commit.”
- 2 Chronicles 30:7Don’t be like your ancestors and your relatives who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors. He made them something that shocks people, as you have seen.
- Hosea 11:8“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboim? I have changed my mind. I am deeply moved.
- Micah 4:10Daughter of Zion, writhe in pain and groan like a woman in labor. Now you will leave the city, live in the open fields, and go to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There the Lord will reclaim you from your enemies.
- Isaiah 66:7Before a woman goes into labor, she gives birth. Before she has labor pains, she delivers a child.
- Matthew 1:21She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus [He Saves], because he will save his people from their sins.”
- Revelation 12:1A spectacular sign appeared in the sky: There was a woman who was dressed in the sun, who had the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head.
- Micah 4:7I will change those who are lame into a faithful people. I will change those who are forced away into a strong nation.” The Lord will rule them on Mount Zion now and forever.
- Isaiah 10:20At that time the remaining few Israelites, the survivors of Jacob’s descendants will no longer depend on the one who struck them. They will only depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 11:11At that time the Lord will use his power again to recover what remains of his people in Assyria, Upper and Lower Egypt, Sudan, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and the islands of the sea.
- Jeremiah 31:1“At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
- Romans 9:27Isaiah also says about Israel: “Although the descendants of Israel are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, only a few will be saved.
- Romans 11:4But what was God’s reply? God said, “I’ve kept 7,000 people for myself who have not knelt to worship Baal.”
Commentaries on Micah 5:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Therefore wilt he give them up - Jesus Christ shall give up the disobedient and rebellious Jews into the hands of all the nations of the earth, till she who travaileth hath brought forth; that is, till the Christian Church, represented Revelation 12:1, under the notion of a woman in travail, shall have had the fullness of the Gentiles brought in. Then the remnant of his brethren shall return; the Jews also shall be converted unto the Lord; and thus all…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Therefore - Since God has so appointed both to punish and to redeem, He, God, or the Ruler “whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting,” who is God with God, “shall give them up, that is, withdraw His protection and the nearness of His Presence, “giving them up:” (1) into the hands of their enemies. And indeed the far greater part never returned from the captivity, but remained, although willingly, in the enemy‘s land, outwardly shut out…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-15This section urges Israel to prepare for the fierce attack by Assyria, Israel's enemy (Micah 5:5b–6). This terrifying siege will not destroy Israel, because God will provide a leader (Micah 5:2–5a) to guide the people back from exile. God will preserve and purify the remaining people (Micah 5:7–14), completing their restoration as God's victorious people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. "Therefore (because of His settled plan) will God give up to their foes His people Israel, until," &c. she which travaileth hath brought forth--namely, "the virgin" mother, mentioned by Micah's contemporary, Is 7:14. Zion "in travail" (Mi 4:9, 10) answers to the virgin in travail of Messiah. Israel's deliverance from her long travail-pains of sorrow will synchronize with the appearance of the Messiah as her Redeemer (Ro 11:26) in the last days, as the…Read the comment
Topics related to Micah 5:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Micah 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries