Micah 7:2-12

2 1The godly has perished from the earth, and 2there is no one upright among mankind; 3they all lie in wait for blood, and 4each hunts the other with a net.
3 5Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; 6the prince and 7the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.
4 The best of them is 8like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of 9your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; 10now their confusion is at hand.
5 11Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard 12the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms;[a]
6 for 13the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 14a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
7 But as for me, I will look to the LORD; 15I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
8 16Rejoice not over me, O 17my enemy; 18when I fall, I shall rise; 19when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.
9 20I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until 21he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. 22He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.
10 Then 23my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who 24said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" 25My eyes will look upon her; now she will be trampled down 26like the mire of the streets.
11 27A day for the building of your walls! In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
12 In that day they[b] will come to you, 28from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to 29the River, 30from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.

Micah 7:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MICAH 7

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, Mic 7:1-6; then declares what he was determined to do for his relief in such circumstances, Mic 7:7; 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, Mic 7:8-10; with promises of deliverance, after a desolation of the land for some time, Mic 7:11-13; and with the answer returned to the prayers of the prophet, Mic 7:14,15; which would issue in the astonishment of the world, and their subjection to the church of God, Mic 7:16,17; and the chapter is concluded with admiration at the pardoning grace and mercy of God, and his faithfulness to his promises, Mic 7:18-20.

Cross References 30

  • 1. [Psalms 12:1; Isaiah 57:1]
  • 2. Psalms 14:1, 3
  • 3. [Psalms 10:9; Hosea 6:8, 9]
  • 4. Isaiah 9:19
  • 5. [Zephaniah 3:7]
  • 6. [Psalms 82:1, 2]
  • 7. Micah 3:11
  • 8. [2 Samuel 23:6, 7; Nahum 1:10]; See Ezekiel 2:6
  • 9. See Ezekiel 33:2
  • 10. [Micah 3:6, 7; Isaiah 22:5]
  • 11. Jeremiah 9:4
  • 12. [Psalms 141:3]
  • 13. Ezekiel 22:7; [Matthew 10:21, 35; Luke 12:53]
  • 14. Cited Matthew 10:36
  • 15. [Lamentations 3:26]
  • 16. [Jeremiah 50:11; Lamentations 4:21]
  • 17. ver. 10
  • 18. Psalms 37:24
  • 19. Psalms 112:4
  • 20. [Jeremiah 10:19]
  • 21. See 1 Samuel 24:15
  • 22. Psalms 37:6
  • 23. ver. 8
  • 24. See Joel 2:17
  • 25. Micah 4:11
  • 26. Psalms 18:42; See 2 Samuel 22:43
  • 27. [Psalms 102:13]
  • 28. [Isaiah 11:11, 16; Isaiah 19:23, 24; Isaiah 27:13; Hosea 11:11; Zechariah 10:10]
  • 29. See Genesis 31:21
  • 30. Zechariah 9:10

Footnotes 2

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.