Micah — Chapter 7

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1Woe is me! For I am like one gathering summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster to eat, no early fig that I crave.

2The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.

3Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.

4The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion.

5Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.

6For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

7But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

8Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.

9Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the rage of the LORD, until He argues my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me into the light; I will see His righteousness.

10Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame—she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.

11The day for rebuilding your walls will come—the day for extending your boundary.

12On that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, even from Egypt to the Euphrates, from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.

13Then the earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the fruit of their deeds.

14Shepherd with Your staff Your people, the flock of Your inheritance. They live alone in a woodland, surrounded by pastures. Let them graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

15As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show My wonders.

16Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might. They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf.

17They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You.

18Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?

19He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.

20You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.

1Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.

2The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

3That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

4The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.

5Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

6For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.

7Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.

9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

10Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

11In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed.

12In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

13Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

14Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

15According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.

16The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

17They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.

18Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

19He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

1Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-ripe fig.

2The godly man is perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.

3Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge [is ready] for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul: thus they weave it together.

4The best of them is as a brier; the most upright is [worse] than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen, even thy visitation, is come; now shall be their perplexity.

5Trust ye not in a neighbor; put ye not confidence in a friend; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

6For the son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man`s enemies are the men of his own house.

7But as for me, I will look unto Jehovah; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, Jehovah will be a light unto me.

9I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, [and] I shall behold his righteousness.

10Then mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her who said unto me, Where is Jehovah thy God? Mine eyes shall see [my desire] upon her; now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

11A day for building thy walls! in that day shall the decree be far removed.

12In that day shall they come unto thee from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and [from] mountain to mountain.

13Yet shall the land be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

14Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thy heritage, which dwell solitarily, in the forest in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

15As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt will I show unto them marvellous things.

16The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth; their ears shall be deaf.

17They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their close places; they shall come with fear unto Jehovah our God, and shall be afraid because of thee.

18Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in lovingkindness.

19He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the lovingkindness to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

1Woe is me! For I am like those gathering fruit and those harvesting grapes, when there is no grape cluster to eat and no fresh figs that my stomach craves.

2Faithful men have disappeared from the land; there are no godly men left. They all wait in ambush to shed blood; they hunt their own brother with a net.

3They are experts at doing evil; government officials and judges take bribes, prominent men announce what they wish, and then they plan it out.

4The best of them is like a thorn; their godly are like a thornbush. Woe to your watchmen; your appointed punishment is on the way. The time of their confusion is now.

5Do not rely on a friend; do not trust a companion! Even with the one who lies in your arms, do not share secrets!

6For a son thinks his father is a fool, a daughter challenges her mother, and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are his own family.

7But I will keep watching for the Lord; I will wait for the God who delivers me. My God will listen to me.

8My enemies, do not gloat over me! Though I have fallen, I will get up. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

9I must endure the Lord’s fury, for I have sinned against him. But then he will defend my cause and accomplish justice on my behalf. He will lead me out into the light; I will witness his deliverance.

10When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame. They say to me, “Where is the Lord your God?” I will gloat over them; then they will be trampled down like mud in the streets.

11It will be a day for rebuilding your walls; in that day your boundary will be extended.

12In that day people will come to you from Assyria as far as Egypt, from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River, from the seacoasts and the mountains.

13The earth will become desolate because of what its inhabitants have done.

14Shepherd your people with your rod, the flock that belongs to you, the one that lives alone in a thicket, in the midst of a pastureland. Allow them to graze in Bashan and Gilead, as they did in the old days.

15“As in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt, I will show you miraculous deeds.”

16Nations will see this and be disappointed by all their strength; they will put their hands over their mouths and act as if they were deaf.

17They will lick the dust like a snake, like serpents crawling on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds to the Lord our God; they will be terrified of you.

18Who is a God like you? Who forgives sin and pardons the rebellion of those who remain among his people? Who does not stay angry forever, but delights in showing loyal love?

19Who will once again have mercy on us? Who will conquer our evil deeds? Who will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea?

20You will be loyal to Jacob and extend your loyal love to Abraham, which you promised on oath to our ancestors in ancient times.

1Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard: There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig.

2The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.

3Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

4The best of them is like a brier. The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, even your visitation, has come; now is the time of their confusion.

5Don’t trust in a neighbor. Don’t put confidence in a friend. With the woman lying in your embrace, be careful of the words of your mouth!

6For the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.

7But as for me, I will look to Yahweh. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

8Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me.

9I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I will see his righteousness.

10Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, where is Yahweh your God? Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.

11A day to build your walls— In that day, he will extend your boundary.

12In that day they will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and mountain to mountain.

13Yet the land will be desolate because of those who dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings.

14Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the middle of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

15“As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.”

16The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.

17They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you.

18Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.

19He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20You will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Micah laments that Israel is like a picked-over vineyard with no good fruit left — the godly have vanished and people hunt one another for gain, with even judges and rulers demanding bribes (vv. 1-4). No one can be trusted, not even close family, yet Micah chooses to wait on the Lord, confident God will hear him (vv. 5-7). He tells his enemy not to gloat, for though he falls he will rise, and the Lord will be his light in the darkness until God vindicates him and shames those who mocked his faith (vv. 8-10). A day of rebuilding is coming for Israel even as the land now suffers for its sin, and Micah prays for God to shepherd His people again as in days of old, with wonders like those at the Exodus (vv. 11-15). The nations will watch in fear and humiliation before the Lord (vv. 16-17). The chapter closes in praise of a God unlike any other, who delights to forgive, casts sins into the depths of the sea, and keeps His ancient promises to Abraham and Jacob (vv. 18-20).

Authorship & Background

Author: Micah of Moresheth. Prophesied approximately 735-700 BC to both Israel and Judah. Contemporary with Isaiah. Key theme: social justice, true religion, and Messianic hope. Famous verses: 'But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah... out of thee shall he come forth' (5:2) and 'What doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?' (6:8).
Classification: Lament and Doxology — From Darkness to Triumphant Hope
Key Themes: Moral collapse of society, personal faith amid corruption, hope in God's faithfulness, forgiveness of sin, covenant faithfulness, incomparable God
Historical Context: Chapter 7 concludes the book of Micah with a dramatic emotional arc—from the depths of lament over social and moral collapse to the heights of doxological praise for God's incomparable mercy. The prophet surveys his society and finds it utterly corrupt: no godly person remains, every relationship is poisoned by distrust, and even family bonds have disintegrated. The description of societal breakdown (vv. 1-6) paints a picture so dark that Jesus Himself quoted verse 6 when describing the cost of discipleship (Matthew 10:35-36). In a world where no human can be trusted, the prophet makes his decisive turn: "Therefore I will look unto the LORD" (v. 7). This is the pivot point of the entire chapter—and arguably of the entire book. The final section (vv. 18-20) is one of the most beautiful passages on God's forgiving character in all of Scripture. The rhetorical question "Who is a God like unto thee?" is a wordplay on Micah's own name (which means "Who is like the LORD?"). The prophet's very identity is wrapped up in the answer: there is no God like YHWH—a God who pardons iniquity, delights in mercy, and casts sins into the depths of the sea.
Woe Is Me: No Upright Man Remains (vv.1-6): The prophet compares himself to someone gleaning after the harvest and finding no cluster to eat. What he cannot find is a good man: the best of them is as a brier, the prince asks for a bribe, the judge is for reward. Then the breakdown reaches the household — trust no friend, put no confidence in a guide, the son dishonours the father, a man's enemies are the men of his own house. Jesus quotes v.6 in Matthew 10 when describing what following him will cost.
Therefore I Will Look unto the LORD (v.7): The turn of the whole book, and it is a decision rather than a change of circumstances: therefore I will look unto the LORD, I will wait for the God of my salvation, my God will hear me. Nothing in vv.1-6 has improved. The word “therefore” reasons from the collapse to the looking, which is the opposite of what it should do.
Rejoice Not Against Me, O Mine Enemy (vv.8-10): The voice becomes the city's, addressing a gloating enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. The confession in v.9 is unusual in that it accepts the sentence as deserved — I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him — while still expecting vindication. Both at once, rather than one instead of the other.
The Day for Building Thy Walls (vv.11-13): A short passage on reversal of scale: the day for building the walls, the decree far removed, and people coming from Assyria, Egypt, the river and the sea. Boundaries that had shut Judah in are described as widening. Verse 13 keeps it honest by leaving the land desolate in the meantime, for the fruit of their doings, so the promise does not cancel the judgment already pronounced.
Feed Thy People with Thy Rod (vv.14-17): A prayer rather than an oracle: feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage. The request is for shepherding in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old, and the answer promises marvels as in the day of coming out of Egypt. The nations are described licking the dust and coming with fear, which is the counter to the enemy gloating in v.8.
Who Is a God Like unto Thee? (vv.18-20): The book ends in a question that is also a pun. Micah's own name means who is like the LORD, so the closing doxology plays on it — his identity and his last words are the same claim. What follows is the reason: a God who pardons iniquity, does not retain his anger for ever, delights in mercy, subdues iniquities and casts all their sins into the depths of the sea. A book that opened with mountains melting closes with sins sunk out of reach.

Map & Geography

  • Assyria (v.12): Empire to the northeast that conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (722 BC).
  • Carmel (v.14): Mountain range along the Mediterranean coast; site of Elijah's contest with Baal.
  • Bashan (v.14): Fertile region east of the Sea of Galilee.
  • Gilead (v.14): Mountainous region east of the Jordan River.
  • Egypt (v.15): Land to the southwest; place of Israel's bondage and exodus.

Places on this map

  • Assyrianorthern IraqThe upper Tigris heartland around Nineveh, Calah and Asshur. Its armies reached Israel by following the Fertile Crescent north-west and then south down the coast, so the threat always arrived from the north even though Assyria lay to the east. Wikipedia
  • Mediterranean SeaCalled simply the Great Sea, and treated as the western edge of the world. Israel's coast has almost no natural harbours, so for most of its history the sea was a boundary rather than a road, and seafaring was left to the Phoenicians. Wikipedia
  • BashanGolan and Hauran, SyriaThe volcanic tableland north-east of the Sea of Galilee, deep in basalt soil and famous for cattle and oak. The bulls of Bashan in the Psalms are a compliment to the pasture before they are an insult to anyone. Wikipedia
  • Sea of GalileeLake Kinneret, IsraelA freshwater lake 13 miles by 8, sunk 700 feet below sea level in a bowl of hills. Cold air spilling over the rim onto warm water is what produces the sudden violent squalls the Gospels keep describing. Wikipedia
  • Gileadnorthern JordanThe wooded highlands east of the Jordan between the Yarmuk and the Arnon, good grazing country and a source of the resin traded as balm. Being across the river left its tribes perpetually worried about being written out of Israel. Wikipedia
  • Jordan RiverIsrael / Jordan borderRuns about 65 miles as the crow flies from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, dropping from 700 to 1,400 feet below sea level. Narrow enough to wade at most fords, it was still the boundary that divided wilderness from inheritance. Wikipedia
  • EgyptEgyptA ribbon of irrigated land along the Nile, ending in the Delta where Israel settled in Goshen. Rain-fed Canaan depended on weather; Egypt depended on a river that flooded on schedule, which made it the place everyone went when the harvest failed. Wikipedia
  • Mount CarmelHaifa, IsraelA wooded limestone ridge that runs 15 miles from the coast inland, reaching about 1,700 feet and forcing the main north-south road through the passes at Megiddo. Rain clouds break on it first, which is why Elijah's contest over rain was staged here. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Micah 6-7 | Do Justice, Love Mercy | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Who Is A God Like You? - Micah 7:18-20
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Micah -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • When Trust Disappears From Society (v.2) — Micah laments a culture where no godly person remains and even brothers hunt each other. When the people around you seem untrustworthy, does that drive you toward cynicism or toward a deeper reliance on God?
  • A Deliberate Choice to Look to God (v.7) — in the middle of total moral collapse, Micah makes a decision rather than waits for a feeling: he will look to the LORD. In your own discouraging seasons, are you waiting to feel like trusting God, or choosing to look to Him regardless?
  • Falling Is Not Final (v.8) — Micah tells his gloating enemy that even though he falls, he will rise, because the LORD will be his light in the darkness. When you fail, do you stay down out of shame, or get up because you know where your light comes from?
  • A God Who Delights to Forgive (vv.18-19) — the chapter closes marveling that God doesn't just tolerate sin but delights in mercy, casting iniquity into the depths of the sea. Are you still carrying guilt for something God has already thrown into the deep?