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6. καὶ σὺ Βηθλεέμ κ.τ.λ. Mic 5:2. The quotation (as usually in passages cited by St Matthew alone) nearly corresponds with the Hebrew text, the literal translation of which is: ‘But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little to be among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me he that is to be ruler in Israel.’
A note of interrogation in the Hebrew would entirely reconcile the quotation with the original passage. Others have conjectured the loss of a negative in the Hebrew text, which seems to have been cited by some of the fathers with the negative. See Bp Jebb, Sacr. Lit. p. 99.
The LXX. differs widely both in words and construction—an indication of a Hebrew original of this gospel; for the Greek translation of the prophecy is evidently independent of the LXX. It stands thus in A. καὶ σὺ Βηθλεέμ, οἶκος τοῦ Ἐφραθά, ὀλιγοστὸς εἶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐν χιλιάσιν Ἰοῦδα· ἐκ σοῦ μοι ἐξελεύσεται ἡγούμενος, τοῦ εἶναι εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ. Note here the greater excellence of the Gospel version and the poetical touch in ποιμανεῖ (cp. the Homeric ποιμένα λαῶν) not found in the Hebrew original or in the LXX. ὀλιγοστὸς appears to be used in the LXX. as superlative of ὀλίγος for ὀλίγιστος· the classical meaning ‘one of few,’ i.e. ‘among the mightiest,’ ‘considerable’ (see Campbell’s note on Soph. Ant. 625 and cp. πολλοστός) would bring the LXX. more nearly in accord with St Matthew’s citation. The substitution of ἡγεμόσιν for the technical word χιλιάσιν may mark the form in which the message was actually conveyed to Herod, or it may be an adaptation for the sake of clearness. ἡγούμενος, modern Greek, in this sense, see Geldart, Mod. Greek, p. 103.
A reflection of this prophecy became prevalent in the East. Accordingly the Roman historians designate the Emperor Vespasian as the Eastern Prince who was destined to rule the world: ‘Percrebuerat Oriente toto vetus et constans opinio esse in fatis ut eo tempore Judæa profecti rerum potirentur. Id de Imperatore Romano quantum postea eventu paruit prædictum Judæi ad se trahentes rebellarunt.’ Suet. Vesp. IV. Similarly Tac. Hist. Mat 2:13. Comp. Joseph. B. J. VI. 5. 4. See above, Mat 2:2.