And you, O Beit Lechem of Efrat, Least among the clans of Yehuda, From you one shall come forth To rule Yisrael for Me— One whose origin is from of old, From ancient timesMicah 5:1 (The Israel Bible™)וְאַתָּה בֵּית־לֶחֶם אֶפְרָתָה צָעִיר לִהְיוֹת בְּאַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה מִמְּךָ לִי יֵצֵא לִהְיוֹת מוֹשֵׁל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּמוֹצָאֹתָיו מִקֶּדֶם מִימֵי עוֹלָםHear the verse in Hebrewv’-a-TAH bayt LE-khem ef-RA-tah tza-EER lih-YOT b’-al-FAY y’-hu-DAH mi-m’-KHA lEE yay-TZAY lih-YOT mo-SHAYL b’-yis-ra-AYL u-mo-tza-o-TAV mi-KE-dem mee-MAY o-LAM
The Biblical City of Efrat
At the beginning of Micha 5, a young child appears who will lead the People of Israel to victory. He is born in Beit Lechem of Efrat in Yehuda. In this verse,Efrat is either another name for Beit Lechem or refers to the larger district in which it is found. The present day city of Efrat, pictured above, was established in 1983, adjacent to the Beit Lechem, and is home to over 8,000 residents. The young one is described as “Least among the clans of Yehuda,” but nevertheless, “he will deliver us from Assyria” (verse 5). Micha’s allusion to King David, the youngest of all his brothers who nevertheless brought salvation from Israel’s enemies, is unmistakable. Indeed, this young lad will be a descendant of King David, son of “Yishai of Beit Lechem” (I Samuel 16:1).
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