Hebrew word links and definitions: (Strong numbers inserted)

Micah 5:2-3 But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth³³¹⁸ for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth⁴¹⁶³ are from long ago, From the days of eternity. Therefore, He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne³²⁰⁵ a child.

1. If the Holy Spirit wanted to say Jesus was a creature with a beginning, He would have personally chosen to use any of the words like the one's below. This is powerful evidence against any notion that Micah 5:2 is teaching Jesus is a creature. But the irrefutable truth, is that the very word "yalad" Jehovah's Witnesses WISH TO GOD, was used in Micah 5:2 IS USED in Micah 5:3! (3205 "yalad" in the next verse!) If God wanted to say Jesus was a creature, He skipped over they key word and surely picked an obscure word, when several very clear and direct words were available. Even worse for Jehovah's Witnesses is the fact that [3318 yatsa'] "Let the earth bring forth [3318 yatsa']" used in Gen 1:24 , was used in Micah 5:2, but instead of referring to the "origin/creation of Jesus in ages past" the word is applied to the incarnation, where Jesus had pre-existence! This is a virtual Knock Out!

-"in the beginning God created [1254 bara]" Gen 1:1

-"Let us make [6213 asah] man in our own image" Gen 1:26

-"And God created [1254 bara] man in His own image" Gen 1:27

-Gen 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth [3318 yatsa'] living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.

-Micah 5:3 "she who is in labor has borne^3205" (3205 yalad a primitive root: "to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail")

2. Notice the plural "goings forth" [4163 mowtsa'ah]. Even the NIV translates it as plural "origins" not "origin". Does Jesus have multiple origins? If a single creation point was meant, it would have to be non-plural! Hosea 6:3 uses the "singular/non-plural" [4161 mowtsa'] in reference to God, making it more likely, according to Jehovah's Witness logic, that God had a single origin/creation point. "So let us know, let us press on to know Jehovah. His going forth [4161 mowtsa'] is as certain as the dawn." Of course, we know God is not a creature, but then neither is Jesus Christ according to Micah 5:2! But the use of the plural "goings forth" is irrefutable proof, that the text means, "His activities date back to all eternity, without beginning" rather than, "He was created [singular] long ago".
3. Even if we granted that the word [4163 mowtsa'ah] meant "origin" in the sense of "beginning point", we could easily say of Jehovah, "Jehovah's origin (beginning point) is from long ago, from the days of eternity." We would not think it meant the Father was a creature! We would clearly understand that God's origin dates back to all eternity, beginningless! If you began in past eternity, YOU HAVE NO BEGINNING! If Jesus' starting point was past eternity, that means he did not have a beginning! When anti-Trinitarians attempt to define the Hebrew word, "OLAM" here to mean less than "forever" it cuts both ways! For every verse Jehovah's Witnesses use to prove the earth will "last forever" also used the word "OLAM". But having no intellectual integrity, and forbidden from the origination to think for themselves, they cannot comprehend that when they "prove" OLAM means less than eternity, they also prove the earth will be destroyed just like 2 Pet 3:10 and Rev 20:11 says it will! The truth is, the word "OLAM" means "age lasting" and the context always tells you usage. For example, Passover feast (Ex 12:14), circumcision (Gen 17:10-14) and the weekly Sabbath day (Exodus 31:16-17) are all described as an (OLAM) "eternal ordinance", yet all are abolished (Col 2:16) for they were bound to the "Jewish age and law" and we are in the "age of Christ and grace". But OLAM also refers to God and Micah 5:2 is exactly parallel to several other places where the context demands OLAM be unlimited!
4. Jehovah's Witnesses completely fail to observe that the expression, "go forth" is used TWO TIMES in Micah 5:2! Notice the following etymological connection between the two different Hebrew words rendered, "going forth" in Micah 5:2! The irrefutable point is that NEITHER uses of the phrase "going forth" denote actual origin! The first use of "going forth" refers to the incarnation, yet Jesus existed before this! The second use of "goings forth" is plural and means, "activity" not origin.

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth [3318 yatsa'] for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth [4163 mowtsa'ah] are from long ago, From the days of eternity."
Word #1 "goings forth"				Word #2 "go forth"
His goings forth4163 are from long ago (Micah 5:2) 4163 mowtsa'ah (derived from 4161), origin, place of going out from		4161 mowtsa' (derived from 3318), "issue, export, source, spring, act or place of going out or forth"		From you One will go forth3318 (Micah 5:2) 3318 yatsa' a primitive root: "to go out, come out, exit, go forth"

5. There are only two times that the Hebrew word, "4163 mowtsa'ah" is used in the Bible:

-Micah 5:2 "His goings forth [4163 mowtsa'ah] are from long ago, From the days of eternity."

-2 Kings 10:27 They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine [4163 mowtsa'ah] to this day. (Also translated: "refuse dump" and "draught house")

6. The word [4163 mowtsa'ah] is rare in this exact form and its definition is most obviously very different both times it is used. For Jehovah's Witnesses to be dogmatic about the definition of the word, is therefore unscholarly. In fact, it is a rather imprecise Hebrew word that certainly DOES NOT need to indicate the "origin" in the sense of "creation point of a creature". If the word [4163 mowtsa'ah] was used only one other time outside of Micah 5:2 to denote an act of God creating in Genesis 1, that would be good evidence, but still not conclusive.
7. The word [4163 mowtsa'ah] is derived from another Hebrew word [4161 mowtsa']. The Hebrew word [4161 mowtsa'], is derived from the primitive root Hebrew word [3318 yatsa'] which is used over 1000 times in the Bible including Micah 5:2! So now we come full circle!
8. [4163 mowtsa'ah] is defined as "origin, place of going out from". Yet the word [4161 mowtsa'] is used of Jehovah in Hosea 6:3! According to Jehovah's Witness logic, if Jesus is a creature, because the word, [4163 mowtsa'ah] can mean "origin" then Jehovah is a creature because the word, [4161 mowtsa'] can mean, "issue, source, spring". The truth is neither word must mean Jesus or the Father are creatures with origins!

4163 mowtsa'ah (from 4161, mowtsa') "origin, place of going out from" Strong's 4163	4161 mowtsa' (from 3318 yatsa') "issue, export, source, spring, act or place of going out or forth" Strong's 3318	3318 yatsa' (primitive root) "to go out, come out, exit, go forth"
Mic 5:2 "His goings forth [4163 mowtsa'ah] are from long ago, From the days of eternity."	Hosea 6:3 "So let us know, let us press on to know Jehovah. His going forth [4161 mowtsa'] is as certain as the dawn."	Gen 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth [3318 yatsa'] living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
If the Hebrew word, [4163 mowtsa'ah] proves Jesus is a creature with an origin then...	Then the Hebrew word, [4161 mowtsa'] proves God "issued" (birth), had a "source", "sprang forth", is a creature with an origin and beginning point? Further, this verse says, according to Jehovah's Witness logic, that the fact God is a creature with an origin "is as certain as the dawn".	Denotes actual creation, but not when used in Micah 5:2, for there it refers to the incarnation where Jesus had pre-existence!

 

9. Varied use of [3318 yatsa', "to go out, come out, exit, go forth"]. Micah 5:2 But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth [3318 yatsa'] for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth [4163 mowtsa'ah] are from long ago, From the days of eternity.

Mic 5:2 From you One will go forth [3318 yatsa'] for Me to be ruler in Israel.	Gen 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth [3318 yatsa'] living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.	Isa 43:13 "Even from [3318 yatsa'] eternity I am He; And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?"
This is speaking about Christ's incarnation! Cannot denote creation point, for Jehovah's Witnesses agree Jesus pre-existed his incarnation.	Here the word denotes actual beginning point of created origin.	Is God a creature? Did he "come forth" from eternity? Does this denote God had an "origin". Then neither does the rare, weaker and more obscure word, [4163 mowtsa'ah] necessarily infer Jesus had an "origin" as a creature.

 

10. Christadelphians will argue that the "incarnation" of Jesus was his actual created beginning point. Unlike Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians deny Jesus had any pre-human existence but teach that Jesus only existed in the mind of God from all eternity, but not actually until his conception. Christadelphians reject the doctrine of incarnation. They are delighted that the word [3318 yatsa'] is used in Micah 5:2 to denote his conception. "From you One will go forth [3318 yatsa'] for Me to be ruler in Israel." They use this word as proof that Jesus was "created" at conception with no prior existence. They then interpret Mic 5:2 "His goings forth [4163 mowtsa'ah] are from long ago, From the days of eternity." to mean that Jesus existed as an idea in the mind of God before creation. Such views are easily refuted through a simple study of the incarnation and pre-existence passages of Jesus! For example, John was 6 months older by conception than Jesus yet John said, "he existed before me". Also Jesus said he had seen the father being from the Father. The whole point of Micah 5:2 is to teach the pre-existence of Jesus, otherwise the verse is nonsense!
11. Both [3318 yatsa'] and [4161 mowtsa'] are used in 2 Kings 2:21 and neither mean origin. Every Jew understood that water existed before it came out the of spring! "And he went out [3318 yatsa'] to the spring [4161 mowtsa'] of water, and threw salt in it and said, "Thus says the Lord, 'I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.'" 2 Kings 2:21
12. The use of the phrase Micah 5:2 "His goings forth [4163 mowtsa'ah] are from long ago, From the days of eternity." means "His activities date back to all eternity, without beginning". "Goings forth" means, "activity" not origin as seen in the following passages where the same expression is translated from the more common "went out [3318 yatsa']"

• 1 Samuel 29:6 Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out [3318 yatsa'] and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords.
• 2 Samuel 3:25 "You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to learn of your going out and coming in, and to find out all that you are doing." When Joab came out [3318 yatsa'] from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it.
• 2 Samuel 5:2 "Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out [3318 yatsa'] and in. And the Lord said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel.'"
• 2 Samuel 10:16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out [3318 yatsa'] the Arameans who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer led them.
• 2 Kings 19:31 'For out of Jerusalem shall go forth [3318 yatsa'] a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the Lord shall perform this.
• Isaiah 37:28 "But I know your sitting down, And your going out [3318 yatsa'] and your coming in, And your raging against Me.