-eminently the means of representing the idea of the
heavy oppression and deep abasement of Israel, and of the cessation of
its political independence, although it must not upon any account be
overlooked, that the natural form of the representation is, at the same
time, the natural form of the realization of the idea that Judah could
not be destroyed without the siege and capture of Jerusalem, its
centre.

Footnote 1: We must not by any means suppose, as has been done last of
all by _Caspari_, that the mountains are here regarded as places of
worship.

Footnote 2: Thus does _Calvin_, who says: "He speaks after the manner
of the prophets, who under the term 'law' used to comprehend the whole
doctrine of God."

Footnote 3: _Caspari_, indeed, is of opinion, that the walking in the
name of the Lord is not to be considered as a merit, on account of
which the salvation is granted, but as a mercy which has been bestowed
upon Israel, and which forms the ground of the salvation. But this
feature is not at all intimated; and we are the less at liberty to
introduce it, as the walking in the name of the gods is parallel to the
walking in the name of the Lord.

Footnote 4: _Caspari_ very properly refers here to v. 3 (4), where the
Messiah, in whom the former dominion is to come to the Tower of the
flock, is represented as a shepherd.

Footnote 5: Micah's references to the Pentateuch are made the subject
of a most thorough disquisition by _Caspari_, S. 419 ff.

CHAP. V. 1.

"_And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of
Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me_ (one) [Pg 480] _to be
Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of
eternity._"

The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes
(_Caspari_ is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident,
not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the
near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of
disaster in the preceding verse (for if the connection with ver. 14 be
overlooked, the announcement of disaster contained in it remains
without a corresponding consolation,--and this would be against the
analogy of vers. 9, 10, 11-13); but more strikingly so from the
contrast of the [Hebrew: mvwl biwral] with the [Hebrew: wpT iwral]. The
_Judge_ of Israel in his deepest abasement, is here contrasted with the
_Ruler_ of Israel in H