Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 2:6

"And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah: For out of thee shall come forth a governor, Who shall be shepherd of my people Israel." — Matthew 2:6 (ASV)

And you, Bethlehem... — The Evangelist is not quoting the prophecy of Micah himself but is recording it as it was quoted by the scribes. This in part explains why he does not give the version of the Septuagint or a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew, but a free paraphrase. As the Targum, which belongs to this period, also contains a Messianic reference to this passage, it is perfectly possible that its writer may have been one of the council.

The chief difference for the English reader to note is that the Hebrew says, you are little among the thousands of Judah (that is, the families or clans, as in Judges 6:15); the version given by Matthew, however, says, you are by no means the least among the princes of Judah. The prophet contrasts the town's outward insignificance with its spiritual greatness, while the paraphrast sees the outward transfigured by the glory of the spiritual.

Similarly, the simpler phrase from the prophet, out of you he shall come forth for me, who is to be ruler in Israel, is paraphrased into, out of you shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel (meaning, to feed them as a shepherd).

The fact that the scribes stopped and did not continue with the words describing the Ruler as one whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting may have arisen from two possibilities. They may have been unwilling to bring that aspect of the expected Christ to Herod's attention, or perhaps they were equally unwilling to face it themselves.