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5. A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

¹ In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.

    ² “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
   though you are small among the clans Or rulers of Judah,
out of you will come for me
   one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
   from ancient times.”

    ³ 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.

    ⁴ He will stand and shepherd his flock
   in the strength of the LORD,
   in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
   will reach to the ends of the earth.

    ⁵ And he will be our peace
   when the Assyrians invade our land
   and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
   even eight commanders,
⁶ who will rule Or crush the land of Assyria with the sword,
   the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. Or Nimrod in its gates
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
   when they invade our land
   and march across our borders.

    ⁷ The remnant of Jacob will be
   in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the LORD,
   like showers on the grass,
which do not wait for anyone
   or depend on man.
⁸ 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.
⁹ Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies,
   and all your foes will be destroyed.

¹⁰ “In that day,” declares the LORD,

   “I will destroy your horses from among you
   and demolish your chariots.
¹¹ I will destroy the cities of your land
   and tear down all your strongholds.
¹² I will destroy your witchcraft
   and you will no longer cast spells.
¹³ I will destroy your idols
   and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
   to the work of your hands.
¹⁴ I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
   when I demolish your cities.
¹⁵ I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
   on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

At last he adds, And I will execute vengeance in wrath and in fury He goes on with what I have just said of enemies; “I will then execute vengeance in wrath and in fury on the nations”. Here God mentions his wrath and his fury, that the faithful might feel greater confidence, that though now their enemies poured forth grievous threatening, yet this could not prevent God from aiding his people. — How so? Because if we compare the wrath and fury of God with all the terrors of men, doubtless the threats of men would appear as nothing but smoke. We now perceive the Prophet’s meaning in these words. And he says in the last place, I will execute vengeance on the nations who have not heard. Almost all interpreters join the relative, אשר, asher with the preceding word, גוים, guim, — I will then take vengeance on the nations who have not heard, that is, who have been rebellious against God: not to hear, as they explain, is obstinately to despise the power of God, and not to be moved by his promises or by his threatenings. But a fitter sense may perhaps be elicited, if we refer אשר, asher, to vengeance, — I will then execute vengeance on the nations which they have not heard, that is, I will take vengeance on all the nations in a manner unheard of and incredible: and by nations, he understands indiscriminately all the enemies of the Church, as we have elsewhere seen.