“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.”
And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. The citation blends Micah 5:2 with 2 Samuel 5:2, adding the shepherd imagery to the ruler imagery and changing Micah's you are too little to you are by no means least. The combination communicates both humility and greatness: the smallest place produces the greatest king, the shepherd-king of Israel anticipated since God called David from tending sheep to tending a people. Ezekiel 34 had promised a future shepherd-king to care for the flock that the failed shepherds of Israel had neglected. The shepherd from Bethlehem is the fulfillment of the shepherd promise — one who leads and feeds and protects rather than exploiting the flock.
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