Matthew 2:6

“And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda, etc.] This prophecy, which the chief priests and scribes produced, as pointing at the place of Christ’s birth, is owned by both ancient and later Jews f95 to be a prophecy of the Messiah. The difference between Micah and Matthew is easily reconciled. Bethlehem is called by Micah, Bethlehem Ephratah, and by Matthew, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, and both were one and the same place. Bethlehem Ephratah was in the land of Juda, as appears from the prophecy of Micah itself, from (<080102>Ruth 1:2) and the Septuagint version of (<061560>Joshua 15:60) and is described in this manner by Matthew, partly to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in the land of…”

“And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Juda--the "in" being familiarly left out, as we say, "London, Middlesex." art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, &c.--This quotation, though differing verbally, agrees substantially with the Hebrew and the Septuagint. For says the prophet, "Though thou be little, yet out of thee shall come the Ruler"--this honor more than compensating for its natural insignificance; while our Evangelist, by a lively turn, makes him say, "Thou art not the least: for out of thee shall come a Governor"--this distinction lifting it from the lowest to the highest rank. The "thousands of Juda," in the prophet, mean the subordinate…”

“By the prophet - The Sanhedrin answered without hesitation. The question where he would be born had been settled by prophecy. This prophecy is found in Micah 5:2. In that prophecy both the place of his birth and the character of the Messiah are so clearly set forth that there was no room to doubt. It will be observed that there is a considerable difference between the passage as quoted by the Sanhedrin and as it stands in Micah. The main point, however, is retained - the place of his birth. We are not concerned, therefore, in showing how these passages can be reconciled. Matthew, moreover, is not responsible for the correctness of the quotation. He affirms only that the chief priests and…”

“Thou art in nowise the least among the princes of Judah - That is, among the cities belonging to the princes or heads of thousands in Judah. When this and several other quotations from the Old Testament are compared with the original, it plainly appears, the apostles did not always think it necessary exactly to transcribe the passages they cited, but contented themselves with giving the general sense, though with some diversity of language. The words of Micah, which we render, Though thou be little, may be rendered, Art thou little? And then the difference which seems to be here between the prophet and the evangelist vanishes away. Mic 5:2. Matthew 2:8”

“2:6 Bethlehem, a small village, had a privileged status as the birthplace of King David. The religious leaders knew from the prophets (1:22) that the Messiah would be born there. • King David had been a shepherd in his youth, and as king he became the shepherd of Israel (2 Sam 5:2). Micah 5:2-4 foresees the Messiah as a shepherd (cp. Ps 23:1).”

“thou: Mat 2:1; Mic 5:2; Joh 7:42 a Governor: Mat 28:18; Gen 49:10; Num 24:19; Ch1 5:2; Psa 2:1-6; Isa 9:6, Isa 9:7; Eph 1:22; Col 1:18; Rev 2:27, Rev 11:15 rule: or, feed, Psa 78:71, Psa 78:72; Isa 40:11; Jer 23:4-6; Eze 34:23-25, Eze 37:24-26 Matthew 2:7”