Chapter 5 of Micha is one of the central chapters among the prophecies of redemption. The prophet opens with Beit Lechem Ephratah, the birthplace of the Davidic dynasty, and leads us toward the Messianic era: first the physical redemption led by Mashiach ben Yosef, and afterward the spiritual redemption led by Mashiach ben David. The Malbim traces a single consistent line throughout the entire chapter, and we will follow his approach from verse to verse.
וְאַתָּה בֵּית־לֶחֶם אֶפְרָתָה צָעִיר לִהְיוֹת בְּאַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה מִמְּךָ לִי יֵצֵא לִהְיוֹת מוֹשֵׁל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּמוֹצָאֹתָיו מִקֶּדֶם מִימֵי עוֹלָם׃ - "And you, Beit Lechem Ephratah, though you are small to be among the thousands of Yehudah, from you shall come forth to Me one to be a ruler in Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient days."
Rashi explains that the prophet is speaking of the one who emerged from Beit Lechem Ephratah, namely David, "your servant Yishai the Beit-hachalmite." Beit Lechem is called Ephrat, as it is written, "on the way to Ephrat, which is Beit Lechem." "Small to be among the thousands of Yehudah" - you were worthy to be the youngest and lowest among the families of Yehudah, because you carry the taint of Ruth the Moabitess. Indeed, historically, there was an extensive debate not only over whether David was fit for kingship, but whether he was even fit to enter the congregation at all, for "an Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter the assembly of Hashem." Nonetheless, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: "From you shall come forth to Me one to be a ruler in Israel" - from you shall emerge Mashiach ben David. "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone": the one who was thought to be despised and base became the head.
"Whose origins are from of old, from ancient days" - "Before the sun, his name was Yinon." Even before the Holy One, blessed be He, caused the sun to shine upon the world, Mashiach already existed; he is one of the things created before the creation of the world.
Here it is fitting to recall what the Kli Yakar notes: anyone who traces history sees that the Holy One, blessed be He, chooses the one who possesses an element of smallness, even physical smallness, like Mount Sinai compared to the other mountains. Adam HaRishon had three sons: Kayin, Hevel, and Shet - and neither Kayin nor Hevel was chosen, but rather Shet, upon whom the world was founded. Avraham had two sons: Yishmael the elder and Yitzchak the younger, and the younger carries on the heritage. Yitzchak had Esav the elder and Yaakov the younger, and the younger carries on. Yaakov had twelve tribes, and Reuven the firstborn lost the birthright, the priesthood, and the monarchy, while his younger brothers carried them on. Yosef, who received the double portion of the firstborn, had two sons, Menashe and Ephraim: "He too shall become a people and he too shall be great; yet his younger brother shall be greater than he" - and the one who received the blessing of the right hand was Ephraim, not Menashe. Aharon was older, yet Moshe was chosen for leadership; and David, the youngest of his brothers, was chosen to reign. This is precisely what the verse expresses: you who were deemed worthy to be the youngest among the thousands of Yehudah - from you shall come forth to Me one to be a ruler in Israel, whose origins are from of old, even before the world was created.
The Malbim explains that here we are dealing with the era of redemption, a principle he already outlined in Yechezkel chapter 37: during the era of redemption, the first tribes to wage the wars and assume governance will be the Ten Tribes, not Yehudah and Binyamin. Today we represent Yehudah and Binyamin; the Ten Tribes remain hidden from us. In the future, however, the reverse will occur: the Ten Tribes will wage the wars, led by Mashiach ben Yosef. The role of Mashiach ben Yosef is physical, material redemption, and he is the one who will fight initially. Only afterward will the tribe of Yehudah receive supreme power and sovereignty - through Mashiach ben David, who will bring about the spiritual redemption. It is for this reason that we pray that Mashiach ben Yosef will not be killed by the wicked Armilus, and that both messianic figures will fulfill their roles; yet the primary Mashiach for whom we yearn is without doubt Mashiach ben David, who delivers the final blow of the hammer, the culmination of the redemption.
According to this, the Malbim interprets the verse: the tribe of Yehudah is scattered among the nations, weak and few in number, and in the first stage they will merely be subordinate to the tribe of Yosef, to the Ten Tribes under the reign of Mashiach ben Yosef. "Small to be among the thousands of Yehudah" - you are still too small for the thousands of Yehudah to accompany you to such stature; you do not yet possess the power of dominion. Only after Mashiach ben Yosef and the Ten Tribes achieve the physical redemption will you be fit to rule. Then, "from you shall come forth to Me one to be a ruler in Israel" - the King Mashiach who comes from you will gather strength to become ruler over Israel, "and his origins are from of old," meaning that his kingdom will be as mighty as when it first emerged in ancient days: when the Davidic dynasty first materialized, it was the kingdom of Shlomo, who ruled over the entire known world from Tifsach to Gaza. So too, the future monarchy will be great, vast, and mighty.
לָכֵן יִתְּנֵם עַד־עֵת יוֹלֵדָה יָלָדָה וְיֶתֶר אֶחָיו יְשׁוּבוּן עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - "Therefore He shall give them over until the time that she who travails has given birth, and the rest of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel."
Rashi explains: He will deliver them into the hand of the enemies until the time arrives when Zion travails and gives birth to her children. The redemption is frequently described in terms of childbirth, and for good reason: when a woman gives birth, contractions seize her, and as the pains intensify, we know that birth is imminent. When the contractions are still minor, the nurse says, "Go take a walk and come back in fifteen minutes"; but when the pains become severe, there is no waiting - it is straight to the delivery room. Such is the hardship of exile: as it intensifies, it is a sign that the redemption is at the threshold. This is why the redemption is compared to birth pangs, and why we call this period the "pangs of Mashiach."
Chazal derived from here: The son of David does not come until the wicked empire spreads over the entire world for nine months, which is the meaning of "until the time that she who is in labor has given birth." Moshiach will come only when the wicked kingdom rules the world for nine months, and only after that will the redemption arrive.
"Then the rest of his brothers shall return unto the children of Israel" - the rest of the brothers of the king of Yehudah, the remainder of the tribe of Yehudah, will join with the rest of the tribes and become one kingdom, no longer divided. The future redemption embodies unity. There will no longer be a state like today, where Yehudah is distant and disconnected from the Ten Tribes. This division began immediately after the passing of Shlomo, Rechavam against Yerovam: the Ten Tribes against Yehudah and Binyamin, and it has continued to this day, for the Ten Tribes have not yet returned - Shomron went into exile first. When Moshiach comes, all will return to being one people.
The Malbim, in accordance with his approach, explains: Throughout the time before the ingathering of the exiles is completed (which is itself the birth, "as soon as Tzion travailed, she brought forth her children"), and until the rest of Yehudah is gathered to its land, Hashem will place the thousands of Yehudah "upon the children of Israel." Here there is a fundamental difference that we have already noted: Yehudah is scattered throughout the entire world - the Jewish diaspora is the tribe of Yehudah - whereas the Ten Tribes are concentrated in one place, in Chalach, Chavor, and the river of Gozan, and we do not know where. Therefore, it is specifically Yehudah that requires ingathering. And what is the meaning of "upon the children of Israel"? The Malbim explains that it connotes secondary status, as in "attached to him as secondary." The House of Israel, the Ten Tribes, will be the head, and Yehudah will be secondary to them. As long as the general gathering of the people of the tribe of Yehudah from all over the world is not completed, the Ten Tribes, led by Moshiach ben Yosef, will be primary; they will be the rulers and the warriors, and the House of Yehudah will be secondary to them. And so it is in Yechezkel: "Behold, I will take the stick of Yosef... and put them upon it with the stick of Yehudah" - "upon it" means secondary to it. The House of Yosef is primary at first.
וְעָמַד וְרָעָה בְּעֹז יְהֹוָה בִּגְאוֹן שֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו וְיָשָׁבוּ כִּי־עַתָּה יִגְדַּל עַד־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ׃ - And he shall stand and feed in the strength of Hashem, in the majesty of the name of Hashem his God; and they shall abide, for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
The Malbim says: Afterward, the Moshiach from Beit Lechem Efratah will arise, namely Moshiach ben David, and he will prevail over the nations and shepherd Israel. "In the strength of Hashem" - he will stand against the nations with the power of Hashem; "in the majesty of the name of Hashem his God" - with the holiness of the name of Hashem he will shepherd Israel. That is to say, not a natural monarchy, but a spiritual kingdom, as it is written, "And his delight shall be in the fear of Hashem, and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes." Moshiach will be able to discern by spiritual scent who speaks truth and who speaks falsehood. Today, a judge has only what his eyes see, but regarding Moshiach, "and his delight shall be in the fear of Hashem."
"And they shall abide, for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth" - from the time King Moshiach reigns, there will be no more wars; rather, they will dwell serenely in their place. Moshiach ben Yosef, who is the first Moshiach, will have already completed the wars. And this is the meaning of "and his rest shall be glorious."
וְהָיָה זֶה שָׁלוֹם אַשּׁוּר כִּי־יָבוֹא בְאַרְצֵנוּ וְכִי יִדְרֹךְ בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵינוּ וַהֲקֵמֹנוּ עָלָיו שִׁבְעָה רֹעִים וּשְׁמֹנָה נְסִיכֵי אָדָם׃ - And this shall be peace: when Ashur shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes among men.
וְרָעוּ אֶת־אֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר בַּחֶרֶב וְאֶת־אֶרֶץ נִמְרֹד בִּפְתָחֶיהָ וְהִצִּיל מֵאַשּׁוּר כִּי־יָבוֹא בְאַרְצֵנוּ וְכִי יִדְרֹךְ בִּגְבוּלֵנוּ׃ - And they shall waste the land of Ashur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof; and he shall deliver us from Ashur, when he comes into our land, and when he treads in our borders.
The Malbim explains: That greatness "unto the ends of the earth" will come about through peace. The greatness of Moshiach ben David differs from the greatness of Moshiach ben Yosef: ben Yosef will fight the wars of Israel and achieve dominion by the power of the sword, whereas Moshiach ben David will extend unto the ends of the earth by the power of peace. "And this shall be peace" - through this power, through the power of peace. And this itself is his greatness: to subdue through military battle is not extraordinary valor, but to subdue through the power of peace means that all recognize King Moshiach as the true king, the supreme authority before whom all bow their heads. All the nations will accept his Torah, his faith, and his reign.
"And he shall deliver us from Ashur, when he comes into our land" - this very peace will serve as the wall and the barrier. We will not need to battle against Ashur; the peace will cause everyone to be subject to him, and no one will come to wage war. Ashur will submit under us and come pleading that we make peace with him as well.
As for what is written, "Assyria, when he comes into our land... and the land of Nimrod at its gates" - the Malbim explains that this is a parenthetical statement. The prophet describes the state of affairs prior to the arrival of Mashiach ben David, during the days of Mashiach ben Yosef - the physical redemption, when wars are still required, for the War of Gog and Magog will be decided by the power of the sword. At that time, if Assyria comes into our land to wage war, an army must be arrayed against him: "then we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men." "And they shall waste [vero'u] the land of Assyria with the sword" - ro'u is from the root meaning to break and subdue by the force of the sword. "And the land of Nimrod" - that is Babylonia, of which Nimrod was the first king - "at its gates," meaning they will advance to the gates of their land and break them there through warfare and siege. All this belongs to the stage of Mashiach ben Yosef. But under Mashiach ben David it will not be so; rather, "and he shall deliver from Assyria when he comes into our land" - through the peace he will forge with all the nations, even if Assyria comes into our land, he will deliver us from him, because he will make peace with them and they will submit to him.
On this, the commentators offer many explanations. The Malbim first explains that this alludes to the past: from when the enemy began to fight us, in the time of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu (in II Kings 13), until the king of Assyria came and exiled them in the days of Hoshea the son of Elah. The kings of the Ten Tribes are called "princes," and the Malbim counts eight: Jehoahaz, his son Joash, his son Jeroboam, his son Zechariah, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea. He does not count Shallum, the father of Zechariah, because he reigned for only a very brief period. Corresponding to them in Judah and Benjamin, who continued the Davidic monarchy, there were seven shepherds: Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah. Thus, in the past there were those who were needed to fight against Assyria and Babylonia, but in the future, it speaks of a reality where everyone will be subordinate to the King Mashiach through peace.
Another explanation of the Malbim is that the verse refers to the future, to the wars of Gog and Magog. According to the prophecy regarding the war, Assyria will come against the Land of Israel to wage war with Edom, and then seven shepherds will come - and according to this interpretation, these shepherds are not ours, but the shepherds of the nations: Egypt, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom, the princes of the north, and the Sidonians. These are seven shepherds who will come to fight against us in the days of Gog and Magog. And in the war prophesied by Ezekiel in chapter 38, there are eight princes: Gog, the prince of the land of Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah. There, the Malbim explains that the first time they come to the Land, they will not enter Jerusalem; therefore it says, "and when he treads in our palaces" - he will only tread upon the land, but will not penetrate inside.
There are additional explanations as well. The Radak cites the Sages: Who are the seven shepherds? David in the center; Seth, Enoch, and Methuselah to his right; Abraham, Jacob, and Moses to his left. And the eight princes of men: Jesse, Saul, Samuel, Amos, Zephaniah, Hezekiah, Elijah, and Mashiach. Rashi already noted: "And I do not know from where they derived this." That is to say, so the Gemara states, but the scriptural basis upon which it rests is not known.
וְהָיָה שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים כְּטַל מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה כִּרְבִיבִים עֲלֵי־עֵשֶׂב אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יְקַוֶּה לְאִישׁ וְלֹא יְיַחֵל לִבְנֵי אָדָם׃ - And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from Hashem, like showers upon the grass, which hopes not for man and waits not for the sons of men.
"And the remnant of Jacob shall be" - even the remnant that remains among the nations at that time, those who do not ascend to the Land of Israel, will be like dew from Hashem. Today, whoever receives divine sustenance in the lands of the nations receives it through the nations and through the celestial ministers. One who dwells in the Land of Israel receives his sustenance directly from Hashem, as it is written, "a land which the eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year," whereas sustenance in all the lands of the nations comes via celestial ministers, the patron angels of the nations. But here the prophet states: even the remnant of Jacob who remain there, their sustenance will be like dew coming from Hashem - not from the patron angels of the nations, but directly from Him, blessed be He.
"Like showers upon the grass" - the Malbim explains: Showers, which are fine rain, make the grass grow and saturate it, without receiving anything in return from it. So too will be the remnant of Jacob among the nations: they will bestow goodness and kindness upon the nations among whom they reside, while receiving nothing from them. The nations will not bestow anything upon us, neither physically and certainly not spiritually. All sustenance will come to us directly from Hashem, and we will bestow influence upon them like showers that fall upon the grass and cause it to grow, without receiving anything in return.
Here the Malbim focuses on the linguistic nuance, for as is well known, he maintains that there is no mere repetition in different words; each distinct word conveys a different concept. What is the difference between mekaveh (hoping) and meyachel (longing or waiting)? A meyachel waits for something that is certain to come, merely anticipating its arrival, like one waiting for daylight - daylight is guaranteed to arrive, but one longs for it to shine already; or like one who was promised something and yearns for its fulfillment. In contrast, mekaveh is used for something uncertain: Will so-and-so arrive? What can I tell you, I hope so. Perhaps he will, perhaps he will not. Thus Job says, "When I hoped for good... and I waited for light" - no one had promised good, therefore "I hoped"; but light is certain to come, therefore "and I waited for light."
And what is the difference between ish (man or entity) and adam (human being)? This, too, is a systematic principle of the Malbim throughout Tanakh. Ish encompasses any created entity that possesses substantial existence (yesh); this is why it is said that Noah brought into the Ark "a male and his mate" [literally ish ve'ishto], even though it refers to animals, because they have substantial existence. Adam, on the other hand, is a designation unique to human beings alone, and animals are never referred to by the name adam. According to this: The yearning (yichul) we will experience then will be like one who waits for the sun to rise in the morning, or like one who waits for rain to fall - a certainty, yet not dependent upon human beings. We will not need the assistance of an adam for this. And as for hope (tikvah), which concerns something not guaranteed - "it hopes not for any entity [ish]": we will not place our hope in any existing entity in the world, but rather, "In You, Hashem, have we hoped." The closeness of the Holy One, blessed be He, to us will be so profound that we will not hope in any entity nor wait upon any human being, but solely upon the Creator, blessed be He.
וְהָיָה שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב בַּגּוֹיִם בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים כְּאַרְיֵה בְּבַהֲמוֹת יַעַר כִּכְפִיר בְּעֶדְרֵי־צֹאן אֲשֶׁר אִם־עָבַר וְרָמַס וְטָרַף וְאֵין מַצִּיל׃ - And the remnant of Yaakov shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which, if it passes through, tramples and tears to pieces, and there is none to rescue.
Here the prophet speaks of the might we will possess against our enemies, against all those who oppressed us throughout world history until the coming of Mashiach. Today we are like a scattered sheep among lions - "Israel is a scattered sheep, lions have driven him away" - constantly pursued; but then we will become a lion.
The Malbim notes: What is the difference between goyim (nations) and amim (peoples)? As we saw in the previous chapters, goyim are on a lower level than amim. The goyim have no king; there may be someone outwardly wearing a royal robe, but in reality he is a mere figurehead. These are like third-world countries. The amim, by contrast, are distinguished: they have a king, leadership, and an orderly legal system, like the nations of Europe. Quantitatively, the goyim are very numerous but lack orderly governance, while the amim are fewer in number but possess structured leadership.
And what is the difference between an aryeh (a mature lion) and a kefir (a young lion)? The aryeh is mature and powerful, unafraid to venture out into the forest to hunt prey. The kefir is younger and smaller, and he "lurks in his lair": he lies in wait near his den, and when a weak animal passes by, he pounces upon it and devours it. However, he lacks the strength to go out to another place to wage battle, and he preys only on small, weak beasts.
Accordingly: against the goyim, who are numerous in quantity but lower in status, we will be like a lion among the beasts of the forest - the lion ventures out into the forest among many animals and fights them; so too, we will go out to the lands of the goyim to wage war against them. And against the amim, who are fewer but more distinguished, we will be like a young lion among flocks of sheep: the kefir does not venture out, but lies in wait in its own place. We will not need to go out to them, because their orderly governance will bring them to us - they will come to draw close and accept the faith of our religion.
One can clearly see this even today: among less organized nations, belief in Hashem is less prevalent, whereas among the more orderly nations of Europe, belief in Hashem is more widespread. They adopted Christianity, and although it is not the true religion, the Rambam explains that Christianity is a preparatory stage toward the coming of Mashiach, and Islam is an additional stage. For if one considers what existed beforehand, one understands that Christianity was already significant progress: prior to it, people were pagan idolaters who took a piece of wood, carved it, and said to it, "You are my god," "Half of it he burns in the fire to bake bread, and of the rest he makes a god" - an exceptionally shallow spiritual perception. Christianity already believes in one supreme power governing the world, albeit through the impure concept of the trinity; nonetheless, there are not countless deities, nor is there pagan idol worship. Afterwards came further progress with Islam, which abandoned the flawed notion of the trinity and believes solely in one supreme spiritual Power, and that Muhammad is his prophet (even though he never uttered a single true prophecy; but they have a theory, so do not confuse them with facts).
Nevertheless, a distinction must be made: a Jew who enters a church enters a house of avodah zarah (idolatry), and a Jew who believes in Christianity is an idol worshiper. This is shituf (associating another entity with Hashem), which is permitted to a non-Jew according to some authorities, but strictly forbidden to a Jew; a Gentile is permitted to serve Hashem alongside something else, but a Jew must serve only his Creator. By contrast, if a Jew enters a mosque, there is no Halachic prohibition involved - it is certainly not a great mitzvah, and it is uncertain how he might emerge from there, if at all, but there is no formal prohibition, as a mosque is not a house of avodah zarah and they believe in one God. Thus, we see a progression.
Thus, the amim - who are orderly nations and whose religion is more structured - will take upon themselves the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who come to wage war against us, the peoples who will gather against Mount Zion, the army of Gog and Magog, will be devoured like a young lion devouring prey in its den, and they will be as weak as flocks of sheep before the young lion. This is the meaning of "which, if it passes through, tramples" - the mature lion traverses the forest outside its den and tramples everything in its path; "and tears to pieces, and there is none to rescue" - and the young lion devours within its lair, and none can rescue from its grasp. The prophet is therefore speaking both of victory over the goyim, the numerous and uncivilized, and over the amim, the fewer and more civilized.
תָּרֹם יָדְךָ עַל־צָרֶיךָ וְכׇל־אֹיְבֶיךָ יִכָּרֵתוּ׃ - Your hand shall be lifted up against your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.
The Malbim explains: they will not need to fight the enemies with both hands; rather, with a single hand they will subdue them. And what is the difference between a tzar (adversary) and an oyeiv (enemy)? As the Malbim also explained on the verse, "An adversary and an enemy" in Megillat Esther: a tzar causes distress in practice, actively harassing and harming; an oyeiv may be an enemy at heart, wishing our downfall without actively afflicting us. One might say, for example, that Hamas is a tzar - carrying out terrorist attacks and inflicting distress in practice; whereas Iran is an oyeiv - not afflicting us directly on a daily basis, yet harboring ill will and intending to come against us. Concerning this, the verse says: "Your hand shall be lifted up against your adversaries" - against those oppressors who come to fight you, your hand will prevail over them, and one hand alone will suffice; "and all your enemies shall be cut off" - those who do not come to actively oppress, but are enemies in their hearts, will be cut off on their own.
וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְהִכְרַתִּי סוּסֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי מַרְכְּבֹתֶיךָ׃ - "And it shall come to pass on that day, says Hashem, that I will cut off your horses from your midst, and I will destroy your chariots."
Rashi explains that this refers to the aid of Egypt: Egypt was the reservoir of horses, the place where all the finest horses were gathered, and you leaned upon them. The Malbim, in contrast, explains that this refers to the era preceding the coming of Mashiach. At first there will be the war of Gog and Magog, at which point "Your hand will be lifted over your adversaries," and we will have to take up arms and fight. But "it shall come to pass on that day," after the war of Gog, we will have no need for war at all. To wage war one needs horses and chariots, and the prophet speaks in the terminology of his generation; today we would translate this into tanks and motorized weaponry. If he had spoken of "tanks" to the people of his generation, they would not have understood what he was talking about, and every generation is addressed according to its grasp. Hashem says: You will no longer need wars - "I will cut off your horses from your midst," "and I will destroy your chariots."
וְהִכְרַתִּי עָרֵי אַרְצֶךָ וְהָרַסְתִּי כׇּל־מִבְצָרֶיךָ׃ - "And I will cut off the cities of your land, and tear down all your strongholds."
The Malbim explains that there is a distinction between cities belonging to the people and cities belonging to the land: the cities of the people are where the populace resides, whereas "the cities of your land" are the cities where weapons and chariots were kept - what today would be called state property. You will no longer need those cities. "And tear down all your strongholds" - you will not need fortifications, defensive walls, or any of the defenses designed to prevent enemy incursions.
וְהִכְרַתִּי כְשָׁפִים מִיָּדֶךָ וּמְעוֹנְנִים לֹא יִהְיוּ־לָךְ׃ - "And I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no soothsayers."
וְהִכְרַתִּי פְסִילֶיךָ וּמַצֵּבוֹתֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְלֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה עוֹד לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ׃ - "And I will cut off your graven images and your monuments from your midst, and you shall no longer bow down to the work of your hands."
The Malbim notes that another common practice before setting out to battle was to inquire through spiritual or occult means whether the campaign would succeed and what the chances were, as the nations "listen to soothsayers and diviners." Hashem says: You will have no need for this. "I will cut off sorceries from your hand" - you will not need sorceries to know whether to march against the enemy and whether you will prevail in battle. In contemporary terms, one might say: you will not need military intelligence assessments and appraisals from various experts regarding the odds against the enemy and troop strengths. The worship of graven images, monuments, and asherah trees will cease as well.
And what are me'onenim (soothsayers)? There are three interpretations. The Radak cites Chazal that it derives from ochaz et ha'einayim (illusionists) - one who performs sleight of hand; he does not alter reality, but merely deceives your eyes into thinking it has changed. Rabbi Akiva says it does not derive from eyes (ayin), but from seasons and times (onot) - one who says, "This time is favorable, this time is unfavorable: do not travel today, there is danger on the road; travel tomorrow between nine and ten, that is an auspicious hour." Ibn Ezra explains that me'onenim refers to cloud-gazers who discern the future from clouds (ananim) - they would observe which clouds were arriving, from which direction, and what shapes they assumed, and based on this predict what was to come.
וְנָתַשְׁתִּי אֲשֵׁירֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּי עָרֶיךָ׃ - "And I will uproot your asherah poles from your midst, and I will destroy your cities."
"And I will destroy your cities" is interpreted in two ways. First: your actual cities - those mentioned earlier, "the cities of your land," the garrison cities housing weapons, which will no longer be needed because weapons will no longer be necessary. Furthermore, cities where idolatry was practiced will become like subverted cities (ir hanidachat), and places of heresy against Hashem will not endure. Another explanation: arecha is an expression denoting enemies, as was said to Shaul when Hashem departed from him and "became your adversary" (vayehi arecha), which the Targum renders as "your enemy" - as if Hashem had become an adversary to you, Rachmana litzlan. According to this: those who hate and oppress you, them I will destroy.
וְעָשִׂיתִי בְּאַף וּבְחֵמָה נָקָם אֶת־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמֵעוּ׃ - "And I will execute vengeance in anger and in wrath upon the nations that did not listen."
"That did not listen" - those who did not accept the teaching of the Torah, as Targum Yonatan renders it; upon them I will execute vengeance. The Malbim explains: since they will not listen to return to the true faith and will not accept upon themselves the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, as described at the end of Zechariah, Hashem says that He will exact punishment from them.
And what is the difference between af (anger) and chemah (wrath)? As the Malbim has explained several times, af is outward anger - the nose flares with heat and the anger is outwardly visible; whereas chemah is internal, "and his wrath burned within him," and remains concealed within. Hashem says: first I will act with af, an outward anger that does not yet contain chemah, and af alone is not inherently lethal; afterwards I will act with chemah, and here there is grave danger, for it is an internal, consuming rage. Through this, I will execute vengeance upon the nations that are unwilling to listen and accept upon themselves the service of Hashem.
The chapter opens with Beit Lechem Ephratah, the birthplace of the Davidic dynasty, teaching that specifically the youngest and most overlooked is chosen for kingship, and that the origins of Mashiach are from of old, from ancient days. According to the Malbim, the chapter outlines two stages in the Redemption: first, Mashiach ben Yosef and the Ten Tribes, who will fight the wars and bring about the physical redemption, with the House of Judah subordinate to them until the ingathering of the exiles is complete; and afterwards, Mashiach ben David will arise and shepherd "in the strength of Hashem, in the majesty of the name of Hashem his God" - a spiritual monarchy that will extend to the ends of the earth, not by the sword, but through the power of peace, which constitutes its true greatness. In those days, the remnant of Jacob will be like dew from Hashem, receiving direct divine bounty without the mediation of heavenly princes, and bestowing influence upon the nations like showers upon the grass without needing anything from them, neither waiting for man nor hoping for the sons of men, but trusting solely in the Creator. Against the multitude of disorganized nations it will be like a lion, and against the organized peoples like a young lion lurking in its lair, until all foes and adversaries are cut off. Then Hashem will eliminate horses and chariots, fortified cities and armories, sorceries and soothsayers, carved idols and sacred trees - a world devoid of any need for warfare and free from any hold of idolatry; and upon the nations that will not listen and will not accept the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, Hashem will execute vengeance in anger and in wrath.