King James Version

Micah 5:2

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

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Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

In the Hebrew text this line is Micah 5:1.

וְאַתָּ֞הveatahand theeאַתָּהconjunction, pronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.בֵּֽיתbeytBethlehemבֵּית לֶחֶםnoun, proper name — “Bethlehem”H1035Beth-Lechem, a place in PalestineBethlehem.לֶ֣חֶםlechemBethlehemבֵּית לֶחֶםnoun, proper name — “Bethlehem”H1035Beth-Lechem, a place in PalestineBethlehem.אֶפְרָ֗תָהefratahEphratahאֶפְרָתnoun, proper name — “Ephratah”H672Ephrath, another name for Bethlehem;once (Psalm 132:6) perhaps for Ephraim; also of an Israelitish woman; Ephrath, Ephratah.צָעִיר֙tsairlittleצָעִירadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “little”, the ordinary formH6810little; (in number) few; (in age) young, (in value) ignobleleast, little (one), small (one), [phrase] young(-er, -est).לִֽהְיוֹת֙lihyotto beהָיָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to be”, the to-form of the verbH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בְּאַלְפֵ֣יbealfein thousandאֶלֶףpreposition, adjective, cardinal, both genders, plural, construct — “in thousand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH505hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousandthousand.יְהוּדָ֔הyehudahJudahיְהוּדָהnoun, proper name — “Judah”H3063Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territoryJudah.מִמְּךָ֙mimkhafromמִןpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.לִ֣יlitoלִ֣יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toיֵצֵ֔אyetsebring forthיָצָאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bring forth”, an unfinished actionH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…לִֽהְי֥וֹתlihyotto beהָיָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to be”, the to-form of the verbH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.מוֹשֵׁ֖לmoshelruleמָשַׁלverb, qal, participle, absolute — “rule”, a verb used as a describing wordH4910to rule(have, make to have) dominion, governor, [idiom] indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule(-ing, -r), have power.בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לbeyisraelin Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלpreposition, noun, proper name — “in Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.וּמוֹצָאֹתָ֥יוumotsaotayvand a family descentמוֹצָאָהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and a family descent”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4163a family descent; also a sewerdraught house; going forth.מִקֶּ֖דֶםmiqedemfrom beforeקֶדֶםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “from before”, the ordinary formH6924the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward)aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, [idiom] ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare H6926 (קִדְמָה).מִימֵ֥יmimefrom as long asיוֹםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “from as long as”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…עוֹלָֽםolamalwayעוֹלָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “alway”, the ordinary formH5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) alwaysalway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare H5331 (נֶצַח), H5…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(5-1) But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days.

Translation Note

In the Hebrew text this line is Micah 5:1. The King James reads “from of old, from everlasting.” The 1917 Jewish Publication Society reads “from of old, from ancient days.” Brenton reads “from the beginning, even from eternity,” and names “Bethleem, house of Ephratha.” The Jewish Publication Society names “Beth-lehem Ephrathah.”

“Ancient days” and “everlasting” are both readings of עוֹלָם. The Jewish Publication Society does not say the ruler is God. Christians say the ruler from Bethlehem is Jesus, whose goings forth are from everlasting because he is God the Son.

King James Version. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Jewish Publication Society (1917). “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days.”

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English. “And thou, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity.”

Septuagint, Brenton’s Greek (1851). Καὶ σὺ Βηθλεὲμ οἶκος Ἐφραθὰ, ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐν χιλιάσιν Ἰούδα· καὶ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος.

Why don’t Jews believe Jesus is the Messiah? What Does Messiah Mean?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.

Young’s Literal Translation

And thou, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh forth — to be ruler in Israel, And his comings forth [are] of old, From the days of antiquity.

World English Bible

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

Darby Translation

(And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall he come forth unto me [who is] to be Ruler in Israel: whose goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity.)

Douay-Rheims

AND THOU, BETHLEHEM Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And thou, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ σὺ Βηθλεὲμ οἶκος Ἐφραθὰ, ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐν χιλιάσιν Ἰούδα· ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐξελεύσεται, τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος.

Fulfilled in

John 7:42 John 7:42 · King James VersionHath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?John 7:42 · King James VersionOpen the Source
born in Bethlehem · NT explicit, early church, Edersheim’s rabbinic list
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Matthew 2:6 Matthew 2:6 · King James VersionAnd thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.Matthew 2:6 · King James VersionOpen the Source
it is written · born in Bethlehem · NT explicit, early church, Edersheim’s rabbinic list
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.