Who is “the Breaker” of Micah 2:13?
In Micah 2:13 we read of a promise to the remnant. It states: “The breaker is come up before them.” This is a reference to Israel’s Messiah who will break forth and establish the Millennial Kingdom on the earth.
In biblical Hebrew, names of people mean much more than modern English names. When Moses asked the Lord what His name is, the Lord said Moses is to tell the people of Israel “I AM THAT I AM” has sent him (Exodus 3:14).
The name “the breaker” is a translation of the Hebrew word poretz, which literally means “one who breaks through.” The significance of this name can be seen in a story recorded in Genesis 38. Tamar gave birth to twin boys. One of the boys, Zarah, put forth his hand first. The midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it to the boy’s wrist. When Zarah drew his hand back his brother came forth. The midwife exclaimed, “How hast thou broken forth? this breach [pharez, which is related to the word poretz] be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez,” which literally means “breach.” This name has messianic significance, as can be seen from the context of Micah 2:13, and also from the fact that the name Pharez is included in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:3).
The concept of “breaking through” or “breaking forth” is found in several messianic prophecies. In Genesis 28, for example, we read that the Lord spoke to Jacob and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac … And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad [or “break through”] to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
In Isaiah 52 we read of the Lord’s miraculous deliverance of His people. Verse 12 states: “For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you”—or, “break through before you”—“and the God of Israel will be your reward.”
The Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, is of the seed of David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3). On one occasion David was being sought by the Philistine armies. However, God promised David deliverance. In 1 Chronicles 14:11 the Scripture says: “So they came up to Baal-perazim; and David smote them there. Then David said, God hath broken in”—literally “broken through” [paratz]—“upon mine enemies.”
“The breaker” of Micah 2:13 is clearly Israel’s Messiah, whom we believe is the Lord Jesus Christ. He will break through all of the enemies of the people of God and secure a glorious reign of peace upon the earth, something which no human organization has ever, or will ever, be able to do.