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.
Ver. 6. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least] "Thou art the least," saith Micah, Micah 5:2, via in comparison of greater cities, yet "not the least," saith Matthew, because "out of thee shall come a Governor," &c. In Scripture, the place of holy men's birth is remembered and registered: God loves the very ground his servants tread on. "The Lord shall count, when he numbereth up the people, that this man was born there:" Psa 67:6-7 how much more the man Christ Jesus? Any interest or relation to him ennobleth whatsoever place or person, and may justly comfort us against whatsoever troubles. The prophet Micah, whose words are here cited, opposeth the birth of this babe of Bethlehem to all the troops and troubles of Assyria, Micah 5:1,2 .
For out of thee shall come a Governor] No sooner is this Child born, this Son given to us, bug the "government is laid upon his shoulder," Isaiah 9:6, as the key of the house of David was upon Eliakim's, Isaiah 22:22. Send ye therefore a lamb to this ruler of the land, Isaiah 16:1; do him all hearty homage and fealty.
That shall rule my people] Or feed them; a for the art of feeding and ruling are sisters. David was taken from following the ewes to feed God's people; so was Moses, in whose absence, how soon was Israel, as silly sheep, gone out of the way! Christ is the arch-Shepherd, that feeds his people daily, daintily, plentifully, pleasantly, among the lilies,Song of Solomon 2:16; yea, in his garden of spices, in green pastures of his word, and by the still waters of his sacraments, where we go in and out, and find pasture, John 10:9, such as breeds life, and life in more abundance, Matthew 2:10. We lie down in peace,Jeremiah 23:4, and need not fear the spiritual Assyrian, Micah 5:5, while we keep us within the hedge, and run to the foddering places; submitting to the ministers, those under-shepherds, Song of Solomon 1:7,8, who are charged to feed Christ's sheep, his sheep with golden fleeces; yea, to do it (לי, as the Syriac hath it) for me, for my sake (saith our Saviour), to whom Peter cannot better seal up his love than by taking care of his cure. I know how Bellarmine glosseth that text, Joh 21:16 "Feed my sheep," that is, Regio more impera, Rule like an emperor: Supremum in Ecclesia dominlum tibi assere, saith Baronius, Domineer over the Church, because the word here used (ποιμαινω, -and so in John) signifieth as well to govern as to feed. But what will they say to βοσκω, the other word there twice used by our Saviour, which always signifieth to feed, and not at all to govern? But these men seize at government, stop feeding, although the Fathers took the text only of feeding by doctrine, and that they beat upon, and urged altogether.
a ποιμανει. Psalms 78:71. Αγαμεμνονα ποιμενα λαων. Homer. 1 Peter 5:4; Song of Solomon 8:14; Psalms 23:2,3 .