Does Micah 5:2 Teach the Trinity or Deity of Christ?


Micah 5:2

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Argument

Jesus is said to be "from everlasting", which means He is eternal, and had no beginning.

Response

This verse has a contested translation in a few ways. Firstly, many modern versions render what is translated "goings forth" in the KJV above as "origins". Additionally, many render the last part of the verse as something like, "from ancient days", instead of "from everlasting". Either alteration significantly diminishes the plausibility of the Trinitarian interpretation of the passage, which has traditionally been construed as an ontological statement about the Son, supporting the doctrine of eternal generation.

Additionally, in context, the figure being discussed in this passage is placed under God, and the text says of Him, "he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God" (Micah 5:4). Therefore, this figure has a God, and is a separate subject from God, which cannot be said of God.

Yet, if the KJV readings are chosen, there are still ways of understanding Jesus being said to be "from everlasting", such as that He is the central figure in the whole plan of God from eternity past, or that "everlasting" refers to before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).