Micah 5 · Verse 3

Micah 5:3

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.

Micah 5:3, King James Version

Micah 5:3 in other translations

BSB	Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.
WEB	Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.
ASV	Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
YLT	Therefore he doth give them out till the time She who bringeth forth hath brought forth, And the remnant of his brethren return to the sons of Israel.
DARBY	Therefore will he give them up, until the time when she which travaileth shall have brought forth: and the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
BBE	For this cause he will give them up till the time when she who is with child has given birth: then the rest of his brothers will come back to the children of Israel.
Webster	Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.

What does Micah 5:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. "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 Church's spiritual deliverance synchronized with the virgin's giving birth to Him at His first advent. The ancient Church's travail-like waiting for Messiah is represented by the virgin's travail. Hence, both may be meant. It cannot be restricted to the Virgin Mary: for Israel is still "given up," though Messiah has been "brought forth" eighteen and a half centuries ago. But the Church's throes are included, which are only to be ended when Christ, having been preached for a witness to all nations, shall at last appear as the Deliverer of Jacob, and when the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, and Israel as a nation shall be born in a day (Is 66:7-11; Lu 21:24; Re 12:1, 2, 4; compare Ro 8:22). the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel--(Compare Mi 4:7). The remainder of the Israelites dispersed in foreign lands shall return to join their countrymen in Canaan. The Hebrew for "unto" is, literally, "upon," implying superaddition to those already gathered.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 Therefore 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 Rev 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 Israel shall be saved according to Rom 11:26. Unto the children of Israel - Taking in both families, that of Judah and that of Israel. The remnant of the ten tribes, wherever they are, shall be brought in under Christ; and though now lost among the nations of the earth, they will then not only be brought in among the fullness of the Gentiles, but most probably be distinguished as Jews. On this verse Abp. Newcome says, "The sense is, God will not fully vindicate and exalt his people, till the virgin mother shall have brought forth her Son; and till Judah and Israel, and all the true sons of Abraham among their brethren the Gentiles, be converted to Christianity.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Micah 5:1-6

Having showed how low the house of David would be brought, a prediction of the Messiah and his kingdom is added to encourage the faith of God's people. His existence from eternity as God, and his office as Mediator, are noticed. Here is foretold that Bethlehem should be his birthplace. Hence it was universally known among the Jews, Mt 2:5. Christ's government shall be very happy for his subjects; they shall be safe…

Read the full comment on Micah 5:1-6 →

Micah 5:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לָכֵ֣ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651

יִתְּנֵ֔םyi.te.Nemhe will deliver up themH5414

עַד\־'ad-untilH5704

עֵ֥ת'eta timeH6256

יוֹלֵדָ֖הyo.le.Dah[when one who is] about to give birthH3205

יָלָ֑דָהya.La.dahshe has given birthH3205

וְיֶ֣תֶרve.Ye.terand [the] rest ofH3499

אֶחָ֔יו'e.Chavbrothers hisH251

יְשׁוּב֖וּןye.shu.Vunthey will return !H7725

עַל\־'al-withH5921

בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] people ofH1121

יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Micah 5:3

Revelation 12:1-2
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Micah 4:7
And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
Romans 9:27-28
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
Matthew 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Isaiah 10:20-21
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
Micah 4:9-10
Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
Hosea 11:8
How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
Hosea 2:9
Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
Hebrews 1:11-12
They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
Micah 7:13
Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.
Hosea 2:14
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
Romans 11:4-6
But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Therefore.
7:13; Ho 2:9,14
give.
6:14; 1Ki 14:16; 2Ch 30:7; Ho 11:8
she.
4:10; Isa 66:7,8; Mt 1:21; Re 12:1,2
then.
4:7; Isa 10:20,21; 11:11; Jer 31:1,7-9; Ro 9:27,28; 11:4-6
his.
Mt 12:50; 25:40; Ro 8:29; Heb 1:11,12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Micah 5:2
But thou, Beth–lehem 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.
Micah 5:3
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.
Micah 5:4
And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

Read all of Micah 5

Micah 5:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Empero los dejará hasta el tiempo que para la que ha de parir; y el resto de sus hermanos se tornará con los hijos de Israel.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il se tiendra et paîtra son troupeau avec la force de l’ Éternel, dans la majesté du nom de l’ Éternel, son Dieu. Et ils habiteront en sûreté, car maintenant il sera grand jusqu’aux bouts de la terre.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er wird dastehen und seine Herde weiden in der Kraft Jehovas, in der Hoheit des Namens Jehovas, seines Gottes. Und sie werden wohnen denn nun wird er groß sein bis an die Enden der Erde.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Propter hoc dabit eos usque ad tempus in quo parturiens pariet, et reliquiæ fratrum ejus convertentur ad filios Israël.