The church, complaining of her small number, 1, 2, and the general corruption, 3, 4, puts her confidence not in man, but in God, 5-7. She triumphs over her enemies, 8-13. She prays to God, 14. God comforts her by promises of confusion to her enemies, 15-17, and by his mercies, 18-20.
1 Woe 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 desired the first ripe fruit.
2 The godly man has perished from the earth/
and there is no one upright among men./
They all lie in wait for blood./
They each hunt his brother with a net.
3 Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it thoroughly./
The prince and also the judge ask for a reward./
And the great man, he utters the evil desire of his soul./
Thus they weave it together.
4 The best of them is as a brier./
The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge./
The day of your watchmen and your visitation comes./
Now shall be their perplexity.
5 Do not trust in a friend./
Do not put confidence in a guide./
Keep the doors of your mouth/
from her who lies in your bosom.
6 For 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.
7 Therefore, I will look to the LORD./
I will wait for the God of my salvation./
My God will hear me.
8 Do not rejoice against me, O my enemy./
When I fall, I shall arise./
When I sit in darkness,/
the LORD will be a light to me.
9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD,/
because I have sinned against him,/
until he pleads my cause/
and executes judgment for me./
He will bring me forth to the light,/
and I shall behold his righteousness.
10 Then she who is my enemy shall see it,/
and shame shall cover her who said to me,/
"Where is the LORD your God?"/
My eyes shall behold her./
Now she shall be trodden down/
as the mire of the streets.
11 In the day that your walls are to be built,/
in that day the decree shall be far removed.
12 In that day they shall also come even to you/
from Assyria and from the fortified cities/
and from the fortress even to the river,/
from sea to sea/
and from mountain to mountain.
13 But the land shall be desolate/
because of those who dwell in it,/
for the fruit of their doings.
14 Feed your people with your rod,/
the flock of your heritage,/
who dwell solitarily in the forest,/
in the midst of Carmel./
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,/
as in the days of old.
15 "According to the days of your departure/
from the land of Egypt/
I will show to them marvelous things."
16 The nations shall see and be confounded/
at all their might./
They shall lay their hand upon their mouth./
Their ears shall be deaf.
17 They 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 you.
18 Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity/
and passes by the transgression/
of the remnant of his heritage?/
He does not retain his anger forever/
because he delights in mercy.
19 He will return. He will have compassion upon us./
He will tread our iniquities under foot./
And you will cast all their sins/
into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give the truth to Jacob/
and the mercy to Abraham,/
which you have sworn to our fathers/
from the days of old.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Micah, Chapter 7[➚]
John Gill's Chapter Summary:
This chapter begins with a lamentation of the prophet, in the name of the church and people of God, concerning the general depravity and corruption of the times in which he lived (verses 1-6); then declares what he was determined to do for his relief in such circumstances, (verse 7); comforts himself and the church with a good hope and firm belief of its being otherwise and better with them, to the shame and confusion of their enemies that now rejoiced, though without just reason for it (verses 8-10); with promises of deliverance, after a desolation of the land for some time (verses 11-13); and with the answer returned to the prayers of the prophet (verses 14-15); which would issue in the astonishment of the world, and their subjection to the church of God (verses 16-17); and the chapter is concluded with admiration at the pardoning grace and mercy of God, and his faithfulness to his promises (verses 18-20).
[v.1] - "when they have gathered the summer fruits" - Literally, "the gatherings of summer."
[v.2] - "godly" - Or, "merciful."
[v.3a] - "the great man" - That is, the rich man.
[v.3b] - "Thus they weave it together" - In other words, the rich and the judges conspired together. This collusion ties in with the beginning of the verse so that their evil, their perverted justice, would be thoroughly executed.
[v.6] - Quoted in Matthew 10:35-36.
[v.8] - Reference, Proverbs 24:16; 1st John 5:4.
[v.14] - "Feed your people with your rod" - This may also be read as, "Shepherd your people with your staff." Here, God is compared with a shepherd, as he often is (Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel, ch. 34; Amos 3:12; John 10:11-14). The same word from which rod is translated in this verse also translates to scepter when referring to kings.
[v.16a] - "They shall lay their hand upon their mouth" - That is, they will be silent.
[v.16b] - "Their ears shall be deaf" - That is, they will be astounded and desire not to hear of any new thing—which would only add to their being in shock.
[v.17a] - "They shall lick the dust like a serpent" - That is, they will lie face down on the earth, or prostrate themselves.
[v.17b] - "They shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth." - This can also be read as, "They shall come out of their lurking places like worms and reptiles."
[v.19a] - "He will return" - "Grotius, Dathius, and Henderson, consider that this verb, placed before another, without a conjunction, expresses only a reiteration; and they render it adverbially, 'again.' But, in this place, it would be better to give it its proper meaning; for as God is said to depart from his people (Hosea 9:12), so he may be said also to return." —John Owen
[v.19b] - "He will tread our iniquities under foot" - In other words, "He will trample our iniquities," or, "He will subdue (or conquer) our iniquities."
[v.20] - "You will give" - From John Calvin's Commentary: "That is, show in reality; for this, to give, is, as it were, to exhibit in effect or really. You will then give, that is, openly show, that you have not been in vain so kind to us and ours, in receiving them into favor. How so? Because the effect of your goodness and truth appears to us."