God’s Word Translation
Micah 5:8
8The few people left from Jacob will be among the nations, among many people. They will be like a lion among animals in the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep. When a lion hunts, it tramples ⌞its victims⌟ and tears ⌞them⌟ to pieces, and there is no one to rescue them.
Micah 5:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
- New International Version (NIV)The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, and no one can rescue.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the remnant of Jacob Shall be among the Gentiles, In the midst of many peoples, Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Who, if he passes through, Both treads down and tears in pieces, And none can deliver.
Context of Micah 5:8
6They will rule Assyria with their swords and the country of Nimrod with drawn swords. They will rescue us from the Assyrians when they come into our land and walk within our territory. 7Then the few people left from Jacob will be among many people like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass. They do not put their hope in humans or wait for mortals. The few people left from Jacob will be among the nations, among many people. They will be like a lion among animals in the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep. When a lion hunts, it tramples ⌞its victims⌟ and tears ⌞them⌟ to pieces, and there is no one to rescue them. 9You will use your power against your opponents, and all your enemies will be destroyed. 10“When that day comes,” declares the Lord, “I will destroy your horses and demolish your chariots.
Read all of Micah 5Micah 5:8 word by word
וְהָיָה֩ שְׁאֵרִ֨ית יַעֲקֹ֜ב בַּגּוֹיִ֗ם בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים כְּאַרְיֵה֙ בְּבַהֲמ֣וֹת יַ֔עַר כִּכְפִ֖יר בְּעֶדְרֵי צֹ֑אן אֲשֶׁ֧ר אִם עָבַ֛ר וְרָמַ֥ס וְטָרַ֖ף וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּֽיל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the remnantשְׁאֵרִיתshe'êrîyth · remnantH7611
- of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- shall be among the Gentilesגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- in the midstקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
- of manyרַבrab · manyH7227
- peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- as a lionאַרְיֵה'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
- among the beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- of the forestיַ֫עַרya‛ar · woodH3293
- as a young lionכְּפִירkephîyr · lionH3715
- among the flocksעֵ֫דֶר‛êder · flockH5739
- of sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- who, if he go throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- both treadeth downרָמַסrâmas · to trampleH7429
- and teareth in piecesטָרַףţâraph · to tearH2963
- and none can deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
Cross-references for Micah 5:8
- Micah 4:13Get up and thresh, people of Zion. I will make your horns as hard as iron and your hoofs as hard as bronze. You will smash many nations into small pieces. You will claim their loot for the Lord, their wealth for the Lord of the whole earth.
- Psalms 2:8Ask me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your own possession.
- Psalms 110:5The Lord is at your right side. He will crush kings on the day of his anger.
- Isaiah 41:15“I am going to make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp, double-edged teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them to dust. You will turn the hills into straw.
- Obadiah 1:18The descendants of Jacob will be like a fire. The descendants of Joseph will be like a flame. But the descendants of Esau will be like straw. They will be burned and destroyed. There will be no one left among the descendants of Esau.” The Lord has spoken.
- Zechariah 9:15The Lord of Armies will defend them. They will destroy and trample the stones used in slings. They will drink and shout as if they were drunk. They will be filled like a sacrificial bowl ⌞used for sprinkling⌟ the corners of the altar.
- Zechariah 10:5Together they will be like warriors who trample the enemy in the mud on the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them. They will put to shame those who ride on horses.
- Zechariah 12:3On that day I will make Jerusalem a stone too heavy for all the nations to lift. All who try to lift it will be severely injured. All the nations in the world will gather ⌞to fight⌟ against Jerusalem.”
- Matthew 10:14If anyone doesn’t welcome you or listen to what you say, leave that house or city, and shake its dust off your feet.
- Acts 18:6But they opposed him and insulted him. So Paul shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “You’re responsible for your own death. I’m innocent. From now on I’m going to people who are not Jewish.”
- 2 Corinthians 2:15To God we are the aroma of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are dying.
- Psalms 50:22Consider this, you people who forget God. Otherwise, I will tear you to pieces, and there will be no one left to rescue you.
- Hebrews 2:3So how will we escape punishment if we reject the important message, the message that God saved us? First, the Lord told this saving message. Then those who heard him confirmed that message.
- Hebrews 12:25Be careful that you do not refuse to listen when God speaks. Your ancestors didn’t escape when they refused to listen to God, who warned them on earth. We certainly won’t escape if we turn away from God, who warns us from heaven.
Commentaries on Micah 5:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8As a lion - In this and the following verse the victories of the Maccabees are supposed to be foretold.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8And the remnant of Jacob shall be as a young lion - o“What more unlike than the sweetness of the dew and the fierceness of the lion? What so different as the gentle shower distilling on the herb, and the savageness or vehemence of a lion roaring among “the flocks of sheeps?” Yet both are ascribed to “the remnant of Jacob.” Why? Because the Apostles of Christ are both tender and severe, tender in teaching and exhorting, severe in rebuking and avenging. How…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 7-15 The remnant of Israel, converted to Christ in the primitive times, were among many nations as the drops of dew, and were made instruments in calling a large increase of spiritual worshippers. But to those who neglected or opposed this salvation, they would, as lions, cause terror, their doctrine condemning them. The Lord also declares that he would cause not only the reformation of the Jews, but the purification of the Christian church. In…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9God's people will have a special role among the world's nations (Genesis 12:3; Exodus 19:4–6). They will lead and not follow (Deuteronomy 28:13), and be as strong as a lion (compare Esther 6:13) as God grants them power over the nations. The Lord will judge their enemies (see Micah 5:15) if they keep rebelling against him. However, the Lord's ultimate wish is to bless the nations, not to curse or destroy them (Genesis 12:3; Jonah 4:11; John 3:16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. as a lion--In Mi 5:7 Israel's benignant influence on the nations is described; but here her vengeance on the godless hosts who assail her (Is 66:15, 16, 19, 24; Zec 12:3, 6, 8, 9; 14:17, 18). Judah will be "as as lion," not in respect to its cruelty, but in its power of striking terror into all opponents. Under the Maccabees, the Jews acquired Idumea, Samaria, and parts of the territory of Ammon and Moab [Grotius]. But this was only the earnest of…Read the comment
Topics related to Micah 5:8
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