Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel—the ruler's appearance will come after a period of abandonment and suffering, following the birth pangs described earlier, suggesting a divine patience that allows judgment to accomplish its purpose. The reference to 'she who is in travail' recalls the earlier labor pain imagery and connects the birth of the messiah to the birth of the renewed people. The gathering of His brethren suggests the messianic ruler will lead or reunite scattered Israel, fulfilling the scattered-remnant theme throughout Micah. The period of separation ('he shall give them up') emphasizes that judgment must run its course before restoration arrives. This verse establishes the messianic ruler as the culmination of the judgment-and-restoration narrative Micah has developed.

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