Bethlehem-Ephratah
Micah 5:2
5:2 Bethlehem-Ephratah. This remarkable prophecy of the birthplace of the coming Messiah was fully accepted as such by the Jewish scribes at the time of Christ (Matthew 2:4-6). Bethlehem, as indicated, was an insignificant village, hardly the place for a king to be born; there were numerous more likely cities in the land of Judah, especially Jerusalem. Yet the prophet foresaw, over five hundred years in advance, the unlikely village of Bethlehem as His birthplace.