The Book of Micah with Brit-Am/Hebrew Awareness Commentary
Continued from Micah ch.4. part 2.
ch. 5, Part One. Overview
The Book of Micah with Brit-Am/Hebrew Awareness Commentary. Chapter 5.
Micah chapter 5 encompasses a description of the Lost Ten Tribes who joined with the Cimmerians and Scythians, overcame the Empire of Assyria, and then moved to the north into Southern Russia and southeastern Europe whence they continued to the west.
See:
The Lions of Judah and Ephraim
Micah chapters 5 & 6.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/micah/micah5v6.html
Book of Micah Commentary
https://www.britam.org/micah.html
Extract:
The events of the Scythian-Assyrian epoch were also echoed in Biblical Prophecy. The prophets largely predicted events that in their fullness will occur in the Messianic era. Nevertheless, they often presented their account of the future in the description of events happening in their own time or not so long afterwards and thus history may be considered to repeat itself. There are a few Biblical passages concerning the fall of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, which are also apposite to the Scythian-Judean symbiosis in the reign of King Josiah. The fifth chapter of Micah, for instance, speaks of a ruler coming out of Beth Lehem and King Josiah was a descendant of David, who came from Beth Lehem. "The remnant of his brethren" returning unto the Children of Israelis is spoken of (v 5; 3) and refers to the partial (and temporary -then) re-settlement of Israelite Scythians in the former Land of northern Israel. The important verses, for our consideration, are verses 5: 5-8:
"And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and he [i.e. Assyria] shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him [i.e. against Assyria] seven shepherds, and eight principal men."
"And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrud in the entrances thereof "....
"And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD..."
"And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the GENTILES in the midst of many people as a lion among the flocks of sheep..."
Again, the main point of these passages of Micah may be applicable only to the Messianic era yet it is also descriptive of our explanation of the Israelite-Scythian equation. The Assyrians, at first, came into the land of Israel and trod it down, including the Royal palaces, as archaeological excavations of Samaria have proven. They then exiled all of the surviving inhabitants. From their places of exile, the Israelite-Scythians made peace with Assyria, then became "Shepherds" i.e. allies and protectors of Assyria, and after that graduated to be the effective rulers of the Assyrian Empire, i.e. "eight principal men". Finally the Israelite-Scythians destroyed the Assyrian cities and wasted "the land of Assyria with the sword", just as Micah describes.
The Biblical Book of Nahum revolves largely around a description of Ninveh, the capital of Assyria, and of the Assyrian Empire in general.
The Assyrian had destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel and exiled the Ten Tribes. In their places of exile a portion of the Israelites became attached to the Cimmerians and Scythians and identified with them.
The Scythians and Israelites rebelled against the Assyrians. Meanwhile the Medes and Babylonians had waged war against Assyria. The Assyrians were haed pressed. The Scythians at first became allied with Assyria, At one stage they gained control of the Empire but adter that lost it and were demoted. In the course of the ongoing conflict with the enemies of Assyria the Scythians changed sides and allied themselves to the Medes. Together they attacked and destroyed Nineveh and the major Assyrian cities with the Scythians playing the major role.
Our understanding from other sources is that the Scythians were largely Israelites or at least Israelites were part of them.
It follows that the Ten Tribes were destroying the Assyrians who previously had destroyed them.
This accords with a passage in the Book of Nahum.
This is how an important verse of the Book of Nahum is translated in a conventionally accepted translation into English:
Nahum (KJB) 2:3 For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.
In Hebrew however the verse could be rendered differently. This is how we would have understood it from the original Hebrew:
Nahum (Yair) 2:3 For the LORD has returned the Pride of Jacob, as the Pride of Israel: for they who emptied them out are being emptied out [by them], and they [i.e. Israel] will destroy their vines [i.e. the vines of the enemy].
Here again are the verses of Micah. They may be re-consuidered in light of the above:
Micah (ESV) 5:
1 Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops;
siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel
on the cheek.
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 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.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.
When the Assyrian comes into our land
and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds
and eight princes of men;
6 they shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
and the land of Nimrod at its entrances;
and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian
when he comes into our land
and treads within our border.
7 Then the remnant of Jacob shall be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the LORD,
like showers on the grass,
which delay not for a man
nor wait for the children of man.
8 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.
9 Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
and all your enemies shall be cut off.
10 And in that day, declares the LORD,
I will cut off your horses from among you
and will destroy your chariots;
11 and I will cut off the cities of your land
and throw down all your strongholds;
12 and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;
13 and I will cut off your carved images
and your pillars from among you,
and you shall bow down no more
to the work of your hands;
14 and I will root out your Asherah images from among you
and destroy your cities.
15 And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
on the nations that did not obey.
Continued at Michah 5 part 2.