Micah 5:6
in Micah 5And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn. So He will deliver us when Assyria invades our land and marches into our borders.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: and he shall deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our border.
KJV
And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
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This verse in Micah 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe land of Nimrod - Assyria, and Nineveh its capital; and Babylon, which was also built by Nimrod, who was its first king, Gen 10:11, Gen 10:12, in the margin. In the entrances thereof - At its posts or watergates; for it was by rendering themselves masters of the Euphrates that the Medes and Persians took the city, according to the prediction of Jeremiah, Jer 51:32, Jer 51:
This site's exposition
this man shall be the peace
on Micah 5:5-6
The ruler is called this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian invades, the deliverer identified with the deliverance itself rather than merely bringing it. Seven shepherds and eight principal men are raised up against the invader, a number the bench reads as more than sufficient rather than a fixed roster, some tying it to historical leaders of Hezekiah's own resistance and others to the general promise that help will never be lacking. Assyria and the land of Nimrod, the ancient kingdom founded in Assyria's own territory (Genesis 10:8-11), are wasted in return, the aggressor made to suffer what he intended to inflict.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 6.) And we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight principal men, and they will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with their spears; and he will deliver from Assyria when it comes into our land and when it treads within our borders.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The entrance - The fortified frontiers. In this manner shall he, the Messiah, deliver the Jews, his people. The Assyrian - The type of all other enemies, to the people of God.
And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword,....
Note, Those that threaten ruin to the church of God hasten ruin to themselves; and their destruction is the church's salvation: Thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian. When Satan fell as lightning from heaven before the preaching of the gospel, and Christ's enemies, that would not have him to reign over them, were slain before him, then this was fulfilled.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Jer 6:3). land of Nimrod--Babylon (Mic 4:10; Ge 10:10); or, including Assyria also, to which he extended his borders (Ge 10:11). in the entrances--the passes into Assyria (2Ki 3:21). The Margin and JEROME, misled by a needless attention to the parallelism, "with the sword," translate, "with her own naked swords"; as in Ps 55:21 the Hebrew is translated.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And they shall waste - Literally, feed on, and so eat up. They who were shepherds of their own people, should consume their enemies. Jeremiah uses the same image. “The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch tents against her round about; they shall feed, each his space” Jer 6:3. So Joshua and Caleb say, “They, (the inhabitants of Canaan,) are bread for us” Num 14:9. So it was said to Peter, “arise, Peter, kill and eat” Act 10:13; and what once was common, defiled and unclean, shall turn to the nourishment and growth of the Church, and be incorporated into Christ, being made part of His Body. And the land of Nimrod - Babylon, which should displace Assyria, but should carry on its work of chastising God’s people, is joined by Micah, as by Isaiah Isa. 10:5-34; 13–14:27, as an object of His judgment. In Isaiah, they are the actual Assyria Isa 10:12-15 and Babylon Isa 14:13-15 whose destruction is foretold, yet so as to shadow out rebellion against God in its intensest form, making itself independent of, or measuring itself against, God. Hence, probably, here alone in holy Scripture, Babylon is called “the land of Nimrod,” as indeed he founded it Gen 10:10, but therewith was the author of the tower of Babel also, which was built in rebellion against God, whence his own name was derived . Assyria then, and the world-empire which should succeed it, stand as representing the God-opposed world. In the entrances thereof - (Literally, in the gates thereof.) The shepherds of Israel shall not act on the defensive only, but shall have victory over the world and Satan, carrying back the battle into his own dominions, and overthrowing him there. Satan’s malice, so far from hurting the Church, shall turn to its good. Wherein he hoped to waste it, he shall be wasted; wherein he seemed to triumph, he shall be foiled. […]
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְרָע֞וּ | verau | and they will shepherd | H7462 → | 177 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶ֤רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אַשּׁוּר֙ | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| בַּחֶ֔רֶב | bacherev | with the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶ֥רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| נִמְרֹ֖ד | nimrod | Nimrod | H5248 → | |
| בִּפְתָחֶ֑יהָ | biftacheiha | at entrances its | H6607 → | |
| וְהִצִּיל֙ | vehitzil | and he will deliver [us] | H5337 → | 212 times |
| מֵֽאַשּׁ֔וּר | meashur | from Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָב֣וֹא | yavo' | it will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בְאַרְצֵ֔נוּ | veartzenu | in land our | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְכִ֥י | vekhi | and for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִדְרֹ֖ךְ | yidrokh | it will tread | H1869 → | 62 times |
| בִּגְבוּלֵֽנוּ׃ ס | bigvulenu | in territory our | H1366 → |
וְרָע֞וּand they will shepherd
verauH7462 →177 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֶ֤רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
אַשּׁוּר֙Assyria
ʾashurH804 →151 times
בַּחֶ֔רֶבwith the sword
bacherevH2719 →413 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אֶ֥רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
נִמְרֹ֖דNimrod
nimrodH5248 →
בִּפְתָחֶ֑יהָat entrances its
biftacheihaH6607 →
וְהִצִּיל֙and he will deliver [us]
vehitzilH5337 →212 times
מֵֽאַשּׁ֔וּרfrom Assyria
meashurH804 →151 times
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יָב֣וֹאit will come
yavo'H935 →2568 times
בְאַרְצֵ֔נוּin land our
veartzenuH776 →2504 times
וְכִ֥יand for
vekhiH3588 →4482 times
יִדְרֹ֖ךְit will tread
yidrokhH1869 →62 times
בִּגְבוּלֵֽנוּ׃ סin territory our
bigvulenuH1366 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 1:74deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,
it leads to
- Zephaniah 3:15–17
The LORD has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you; no longer will you fear any harm.
- 2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
- Isaiah 54:13–14
Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.
- Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
- Zephaniah 3:15–17
Through
2 Kings 15:29In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 5:26
So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And…
- 1 Chronicles 5:26
Through
Isaiah 14:25I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 9:4
For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.
- Isaiah 9:4
Through
Zephaniah 2:13And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.
it leads to
- Nahum 3:7
Then all who see you will recoil from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated; who will grieve for her?’ Where can I find comforters for you?”
- Nahum 3:7
Where this verse is studied
About Micah

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPrimevalNimrod“The mighty hunter before the LORD” and first empire-builder — founder of Babel and Nineveh, the seed of the world-city that oppos…
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Micah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
