Tree of Life Version
Micah 7:17
17They will lick dust like a snake. Like crawling things of the land, they will come trembling out of their hiding places. To Adonai Eloheinu they will submit in awe—in awe of You.
Micah 7:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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 thee.
- New International Version (NIV)They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God, And shall fear because of You.
Context of Micah 7:17
15As in the days of your coming out from the land of Egypt I will show him wonders. 16Nations will see and be put to shame despite all their might. They will put a hand on their mouth, their ears will be deaf. They will lick dust like a snake. Like crawling things of the land, they will come trembling out of their hiding places. To Adonai Eloheinu they will submit in awe—in awe of You. 18Who is a God like You pardoning iniquity, overlooking transgression, for the remnant of His heritage? He will not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. 19He will again have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities, and You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Read all of Micah 7Micah 7:17 word by word
יְלַחֲכ֤וּ עָפָר֙ כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ כְּזֹחֲלֵ֣י אֶ֔רֶץ יִרְגְּז֖וּ מִמִּסְגְּרֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם אֶל־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ יִפְחָ֔דוּ וְיִֽרְא֖וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They shall lickלָחַךְlâchak · to lickH3897
- the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
- like a serpentנָחָשׁnâchâsh · serpentH5175
- they shall moveרָגַזrâgaz · to trembleH7264
- out of their holesמִסְגֶּ֫רֶתmisgereth · perimeterH4526
- like wormsזָחַלzâchal · to crawlH2119
- of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- they shall be afraidפָּחַדpâchad · to dreadH6342
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and shall fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
Cross-references for Micah 7:17
- Genesis 3:14Adonai Elohim said to the serpent, “Because you did this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and above every animal of the field. On your belly will you go, and dust will you eat all the days of your life.
- Psalms 72:9Let desert dwellers bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust.
- Isaiah 49:23Kings will be your guardians, their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their face to the ground, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am Adonai— those hoping in Me will not be ashamed.”
- Isaiah 60:14The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, and all those who despised you will fall at the soles of your feet. They will call you the city of Adonai, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 65:25The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,” says Adonai.
- Lamentations 3:29Let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope.
- Revelation 3:9Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of satan—who say they are Jewish and are not, but lie—behold, I will cause them to come and bow down before your feet, so that they acknowledge that I have loved you!
- 1 Samuel 14:11So they both let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison. “Look, some Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they were hiding,” the Philistines said.
- Psalms 18:45As soon as they hear, they obey me. Children of foreigners cringe before me.
- Jeremiah 16:16“Behold, I will send for many fishers,” says Adonai, “and they will fish for them. After that, I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down from every mountain and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.
- Exodus 15:14When the peoples hear, they will tremble—anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
- Joshua 2:9and she said to the men: “I know that Adonai has given you the land—dread of you has fallen on us and all the inhabitants of the land are melting in fear before you.
- Joshua 9:24So they answered Joshua and said: “It was because your servants were clearly told that Adonai your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and so we did this.
- Psalms 9:20Arise, Adonai, do not let man triumph. Let the nations be judged before You.
- Isaiah 2:19People will go into the caves of the rocks and into the holes of the earth, because of the fear of Adonai and the splendor of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth.
- Isaiah 64:2When You did awesome things that we were not expecting, You came down— the mountains shook at Your presence!
Commentaries on Micah 7:17
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17They shall lick the dust like a (the) serpent - To lick the dust, by itself, pictures the extreme humility of persons who east themselves down to the very earth (as in Psalm 72:9; Isaiah 49:23). To lick it “like the serpent” seems rather to represent the condition of those who share the serpent‘s doom Genesis 3:14; Isaiah 65:25, whose lot, viz. earth and things of earth, they had chosen (Rup.): “They shall move out of their holes”, or, better, shall…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-20Verses 14-20 When God is about to deliver his people, he stirs up their friends to pray for them. Apply spiritually the prophet's prayer to Christ, to take care of his church, as the great Shepherd of the sheep, and to go before them, while they are here in this world as in a wood, in this world but not of it. God promises in answer to this prayer, he will do that for them which shall be repeating the miracles of former ages. As their sin brought them…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Like snakes, the nations had attacked Israel's heel (compare Genesis 3:14–15). The prophets often described foreign nations as deceitful, poisonous serpents (Isaiah 14:29; Jeremiah 8:17; Ezekiel 29:1–3). Now these nations would face humiliation (compare Psalm 72:9). Crawling and "licking dust" were metaphors for defeat and humiliation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. lick the dust--in abject prostration as suppliants (Psa 72:9; compare Is 49:23; 65:25). move out of their holes--As reptiles from their holes, they shall come forth from their hiding-places, or fortresses (Psa 18:45), to give themselves up to the conquerors. More literally, "they shall tremble from," that is, tremblingly come forth from their coverts. like worms--reptiles or crawlers (De 32:24). they shall be afraid of the Lord--or, they shall in fear…Read the comment
Topics related to Micah 7:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Micah 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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