Micah 5 — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 5:4, 5:6
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Chapter 5
The ruler from Bethlehem and the purified remnant
Verse 5:1 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:1 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, small to be among Judah's clans—from you one will come out for Me to be ruler in Israel, whose goings out are from of old, from ancient days.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:1 And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are small to be among Judah's thousands; from you one will come out for Me to be a ruler in Israel, and his goings out are from the beginning, from days of old.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek explicitly adds house to Ephrathah and uses thousands for the Hebrew grouping term rendered clans. Both speak of ancient goings out; neither column inserts an otherwise unstated birth, preexistence formula or named ruler. The range of Hebrew ʿolam and Greek aiōn extends beyond a single English temporal phrase and is discussed in the terms and reception notes. Rabbinic: Rashi identifies the coming ruler as Messiah son of David, connects Bethlehem with David and invokes Psalm 72:17 for the ancient origin [RASHI-MIC5]. Saints: Matthew 2:4–6 applies the passage to the Messiah’s birthplace, but its quotation calls Bethlehem by no means least among Judah’s rulers and adds shepherding My people Israel. Those distinctive quotation words are not substituted into Micah [MAT2]. Saints: Augustine quotes the connected source 5:1–3 as prophecy of Christ; see 5:3 for scope and quotation differences [AUG-MIC].
Biblical connection — Gospel quotation: Matthew 2:5-6. Matthew's narrative cites the Bethlehem ruler prophecy in response to the inquiry about the Messiah's birthplace. This site's Micah 5:1 corresponds to 5:2 in many English Bibles.
Reception — Christological interpretation: Cyril cites Bethlehem's promised ruler as testimony concerning Christ's birthplace. St. Cyril of Jerusalem · Catechetical Lecture XII.20.
Verse 5:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:2 Therefore he will give them up until the time when she who gives birth has borne; then the rest of his brothers will return to the sons of Israel.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:2 Therefore he will give them up until the time of the woman giving birth, when she bears; then the remaining ones of their brothers will return to the sons of Israel.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew his brothers becomes Greek their brothers. Both leave the initial giver's identity unexpressed; lowercase he preserves that ambiguity rather than deciding between God and the ruler. Rabbinic: Rashi’s stated plain-sense explanation identifies the laboring woman as Zion and the return as reunion of Judah and Benjamin with the other tribes; he separately reports a rabbinic nine-month interpretation. These are distinguished from the text’s unnamed woman and unexpressed giver [RASHI-MIC5]. Saints: Augustine quotes the connected source 5:1–3 as prophecy of Christ; see 5:3 for scope and quotation differences [AUG-MIC].
Verse 5:3 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:3 He will stand and shepherd in YHWH's strength, in the majesty of the name of YHWH his God. They will dwell, for now he will be great to the ends of the earth.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:3 He will stand, see and shepherd his flock in the Lord's strength, and they will exist in the glory of the name of the Lord their God; for now he will be magnified to the ends of the earth.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds seeing and his flock. Hebrew his God becomes Greek their God, with the glory phrase attached to their existence rather than solely to the shepherd's activity. Both describe greatness reaching the earth's ends. Saints: Augustine, City of God XVIII.30, reads the Bethlehem ruler and this shepherding passage as prophecy of Christ. His quotation includes seeing and the flock, as Greek does; the accessed Dods English quotation has His God where the selected Greek has their God, and does not reproduce the they will exist clause separately. The Latin has not been collated [AUG-MIC].
Verse 5:4 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:4 This one will be peace. When Assyria comes into our land and treads in our citadels, we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:4 This will be peace: when an Assyrian comes upon your land and steps upon your country, seven shepherds and eight bites of people will rise against him.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew eight princes becomes Greek eight bites, dēgmata; the difficult Greek noun is not emended. Hebrew our land/citadels and we raise become Greek your land/country and the shepherds and bites themselves rising. Greek this is feminine with peace; it does not explicitly repeat Hebrew's masculine this one.
Verse 5:5 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:5 They will shepherd Assyria's land with the sword and Nimrod's land at its entrances. He will rescue from Assyria when it comes into our land and treads within our border.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:5 They will shepherd Assour with the sword and Nebrod's land in its ditch. He will rescue from Assour when he comes upon your land and steps upon your borders.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew entrances becomes Greek ditch, and our becomes your. Greek names Assour directly rather than the land of Assyria. Neither column supplies a named object of rescue or silently identifies the rescuing he.
Verse 5:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:6 Jacob's remnant will be among many peoples like dew from YHWH, like showers upon grass, which do not wait for a man or hope in the sons of humankind.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:6 Jacob's remnant will be among the nations, amid many peoples, like dew falling from the Lord and like lambs upon couch grass, so that no one may be gathered or stand among the sons of humankind.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew showers becomes Greek lambs, and not waiting or hoping in humans becomes a purpose clause denying gathering or standing among them. Greek also explicitly includes nations. These major changes are retained; no rain is supplied for Greek lambs.
Verse 5:7 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:7 Jacob's remnant will be among the nations, amid many peoples, like a lion among forest beasts, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which passes through, tramples and tears, with no one to rescue.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:7 Jacob's remnant will be among the nations, amid many peoples, like a lion among beasts in the forest and like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which passes through, separates and seizes, with no one to deliver.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew trampling and tearing becomes Greek separating and seizing. The remnant's lion image and the absence of a rescuer agree; the exact force of Greek diastellō, here separates, remains provisional.
Verse 5:8 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:8 Your hand will be raised above your adversaries, and all your enemies will be cut off.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:8 Your hand will be raised above those afflicting you, and all your enemies will be destroyed.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both promise ascendancy over adversaries and the complete removal of enemies.
Verse 5:9 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:9 “On that day,” declares YHWH, “I will cut off your horses from your midst and destroy your chariots.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:9 “On that day,” says the Lord, “I will destroy your horses from your midst and destroy your chariots,
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The divine removal of horses and chariots corresponds.
Verse 5:10 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:10 I will cut off the cities of your land and tear down all your fortifications.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:10 and I will destroy the cities of your land and remove all your strongholds.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both include the land's cities and all fortified defenses.
Verse 5:11 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:11 I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you will have no soothsayers.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:11 I will remove your sorceries from your hands, and there will be no utterers of oracles among you.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Greek pharmaka can include drugs or spells; sorceries fits the parallel forbidden practice. Its utterers of oracles corresponds contextually to Hebrew soothsayers without specifying an otherwise unstated technique.
Verse 5:12 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:12 I will cut off your carved images and standing stones from your midst, and you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:12 I will destroy your carved images and pillars from your midst, and you will certainly no longer bow down to the works of your hands.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both remove images and erected cultic stones and deny renewed worship of human handiwork.
Verse 5:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:13 I will uproot your Asherahs from your midst and destroy your cities.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:13 I will cut down your groves from your midst and obliterate your cities.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew names Asherahs, cultic objects; Greek says groves. Both end with cities, retained without replacing the word with an emendation to another religious object. Rabbinic: Rashi, citing Jonathan, construes the final Hebrew word as your enemies. This alternative is recorded without changing the adopted cities rendering [RASHI-MIC5].
Verse 5:14 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
5:14 I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed.”
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
5:14 I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath among the nations because they did not obey.”
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: The nations' failure to heed is the reason for the same angry judgment. Greek makes the causal relation explicit.