Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
And they said unto him (oi de eipan autw). Whether the ecclesiastics had to search their scriptures or not, they give the answer that is in accord with the common Jewish opinion that the Messiah was to come from Bethlehem and of the seed of David (John 7:42). So they quote Micah 5:2, "a free paraphrase" Alford calls it, for it is not precisely like the Hebrew text or like the Septuagint. It may have come from a collection of testimonia with which J. Rendel Harris has made the world familiar. He had consulted the experts and now he has their answer. Bethlehem of Judah is the place. The use of the perfect passive indicative (gegraptai) is the common form in quoting scripture. It stands written.
Shall be shepherd (poimanei). The Authorized Version had "shall rule," but "shepherd" is correct. "Homer calls kings 'the shepherds of the people'" (Vincent). In Hebrews 13:20 Jesus is called "the great shepherd of the sheep." Jesus calls himself "the good shepherd" (John 10:11). Peter calls Christ "the chief shepherd" (I Peter 2:25). "The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd" (Revelation 7:17). Jesus told Peter to "shepherd" the lambs (John 21:16). Our word pastor means shepherd.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Matthew 2:5:
Luke 2:39
John 7:27
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