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Micah 7:17

They shall lick the dust like a serpent; Like crawling things of the earth They shall come trembling out of their fortresses and hiding places. They shall turn and come with fear and dread to the LORD our God And they shall be afraid and stand in awe before You [O LORD].

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Conviction;   Fear of God;   Serpent;   Thompson Chain Reference - Courage-Fear;   Fear;   Guilty Fear;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Insects;   Serpents;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Exodus;   Fear;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Atonement;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Worm;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Micah;   Serpent;   Water of Jealousy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Crawling Things;   Dust;   Insects;   Micah, Book of;   Remnant;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Micah, Book of;   Serpent;   Worm;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Serpent;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Heritage;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Adoration;   Serpent;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Lick;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Dust;   Micah (2);   Reptile;   Serpent;   Worm;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Adam;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Kiss and Kissing;   Serpent;   Worm;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They will lick the dust like a snake;they will come trembling out of their hiding placeslike reptiles slithering on the ground.They will tremble in the presence of the Lord our God;they will stand in awe of you.
Hebrew Names Version
They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the eretz they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to the LORD our God, And will be afraid because of you.
King James Version (1611)
They shall licke the dust like a serpent, they shall moue out of their holes like wormes of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall feare because of thee.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
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 American Standard Bible
They will lick up dust like a snake, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in trepidation, And they will be afraid of You.
New Century Version
They will crawl in the dust like a snake, like insects crawling on the ground. They will come trembling from their holes to the Lord our God and will turn in fear before you.
Geneva Bible (1587)
They shall licke the dust like a serpent: they shall mooue out of their holes like wormes: they shalbe afraide of the Lord our God, & shall feare because of thee.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They will lick the dust like a serpent, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in dread And they will be afraid before You.
Legacy Standard Bible
They will lick the dust like a serpent,Like crawling things of the earth.They will come trembling out of their fortresses;To Yahweh our God they will come in dread,And they will be afraid before You.
Berean Standard Bible
They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will crawl from their holes in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of you.
Contemporary English Version
because of their fear of me, your Lord and God. Then they will come trembling, crawling out of their fortresses like insects or snakes, lapping up the dust.
Complete Jewish Bible
They will lick the dust like snakes; they will emerge from their fortresses trembling like reptiles that crawl about on the earth; they will come with fear to Adonai our God, afraid because of you.
Darby Translation
They shall lick dust like the serpent; like crawling things of the earth, they shall come trembling forth from their close places. They shall turn with fear to Jehovah our God, and shall be afraid because of thee.
Easy-to-Read Version
They will crawl in the dust like a snake. They will shake with fear. They will be like insects crawling from their holes in the ground and coming to the Lord our God. God, they will fear and respect you!
George Lamsa Translation
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth; they shall tremble and be afraid of the LORD our God.
Good News Translation
They will crawl in the dust like snakes; they will come from their fortresses, trembling and afraid. They will turn in fear to the Lord our God.
Lexham English Bible
They will lick the dust like the serpent, like the crawling things of the earth. They will come trembling from their strongholds to Yahweh our God. Let them fear and be afraid of you.
Literal Translation
They shall lick the dust like a snake; they shall tremble out of their holes like crawlers of the earth; they shall dread Jehovah our God; they shall fear from You.
American Standard Version
They 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.
Bible in Basic English
They will take dust as their food like a snake, like the things which go flat on the earth; they will come shaking with fear out of their secret places: they will come with fear to the Lord our God, full of fear because of you.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
They 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 the LORD our God, and shall be afraid because of Thee.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They shal licke the dust like a serpente, and as the wormes of the earth that tremble in their holes: they shalbe afrayde of the Lorde our God, and they shall feare thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
They shall lick the dust as serpents crawling on the earth, they shall be confounded in their holes; they shall be amazed at the Lord our God, and will be afraid of thee.
English Revised Version
They 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 the LORD our God, and shall be afraid because of thee.
World English Bible
They 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
thei schulen licke dust as a serpent; as crepynge thingis of erthe thei schulen be disturblid of her housis; thei schulen not desire oure Lord God, and thei schulen drede thee.
Update Bible Version
They 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 to Yahweh our God, and shall be afraid because of you.
Webster's Bible Translation
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 English Translation
They 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.
New King James Version
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.
New Living Translation
Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.
New Life Bible
They will eat the dust like a snake, like animals that move along the ground. They will come out of their strong-places shaking with fear. They will come in much fear to the Lord our God, and they will be afraid of You.
New Revised Standard
they shall lick dust like a snake, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their fortresses; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall stand in fear of you.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They shall lick the dust like the serpent, Like the crawlers of the earth, shall they come quaking out of their fastnesses, - Towards Yahweh our God, shall they pay adoration, and shall fear because of thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
They shall lick the dust like serpents, as the creeping things of the earth, they shall be disturbed in their houses: they shall dread the Lord, our God, and shall fear thee.
Revised Standard Version
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 fear because of thee.
Young's Literal Translation
They lick dust as a serpent, as fearful things of earth, They tremble from their enclosures, Of Jehovah our God they are afraid, Yea, they are afraid of Thee.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They shal licke the dust like a serpent, & as the wormes of the earth, yt tremble in their holes. They shalbe afrayed of the LORDE oure God, & they shal feare ye.

Contextual Overview

14Shepherd and rule Your people with Your scepter [of blessing], The flock of Your inheritance and Your possession Which dwells alone [separate and secure from attack] in the forest, In the midst of a garden land. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead As in the days of old [the days of Moses and Elijah]. 15"As in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt, I shall show you marvelous and miraculous things." 16The [pagan] nations shall see [God's omnipotence in delivering Israel] and be ashamed Of all their might [which cannot be compared to His]. They shall put their hand on their mouth [in silent astonishment]; 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 fortresses and hiding places. They shall turn and come with fear and dread to the LORD our God And they shall be afraid and stand in awe before You [O LORD]. 18Who is a God like You, who forgives wickedness And passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He [constantly] delights in mercy and lovingkindness. 19He shall again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our wickedness [destroying sin's power]. Yes, You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. 20You shall give truth to Jacob And lovingkindness and mercy to Abraham, As You have sworn to our forefathers From the days of old.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lick: Genesis 3:14, Genesis 3:15, Psalms 72:9, Isaiah 49:23, Isaiah 60:14, Isaiah 65:25, Lamentations 3:29, Revelation 3:9

move: 1 Samuel 14:11, Psalms 18:45, Jeremiah 16:16

worms: or, creeping things

they shall be: Exodus 15:14-16, Joshua 2:9-11, Joshua 9:24, Psalms 9:20, Isaiah 2:19-21, Isaiah 64:2, Jeremiah 33:9, Zechariah 14:5, Revelation 6:15-17, Revelation 18:9, Revelation 18:10

Reciprocal: Leviticus 11:42 - goeth upon the belly Joshua 10:16 - in a cave 2 Samuel 22:46 - out Nehemiah 2:10 - it grieved Psalms 102:9 - I Have Proverbs 14:19 - General Proverbs 30:32 - lay Isaiah 7:19 - in the holes Isaiah 52:15 - kings Micah 4:3 - and rebuke Nahum 3:11 - thou shalt be hid Zephaniah 3:15 - he hath Zechariah 14:12 - the plague wherewith

Cross-References

Genesis 7:4
"For in seven days I am going to cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and I will destroy (blot out, wipe away) every living thing that I have made from the surface of the earth."
Genesis 7:12
It rained on the earth for forty days and forty nights.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They shall lick the dust like a serpent,.... Whose food is the dust of the earth, according to the curse pronounced on it, Genesis 3:14; and which is either its, natural food it chooses to live on, as some serpents however are said o to do; or, going upon its belly, it cannot but take in a good deal of the dust of the earth along with its food; and hereby is signified the low, mean, abject, and cursed estate and condition of the seed of the serpent, wicked and ungodly men, the enemies of Christ and his people; who wilt be forced to yield subjection to him and his church, and will pretend the most profound respect for them, and the highest veneration of them. The allusion seems to be to the manner of the eastern nations, who, in complimenting their kings and great men, bowed so low to the ground with their faces, as to take up with their mouths the very dust of it. Particularly it is said of the Persians, that they first kiss the pavement on which the king treads, before they speak unto him, as Quistorpius on the place relates; and Valerius Maximus p says, that when Darius Hystaspis was declared king by the neighing of his horse, the rest of the six candidates alighted from their horses, and prostrated their bodies to the ground, as is the manner of the Persians, and saluted him king; and Herodotus q observes the same, custom among the Persians; and to this custom the poet Martial r refers; and Drusius says it is a custom in Asia to this day, that, when any go into the presence of a king, they kiss the ground, which is a token of the great veneration they have for him. The phrase is used of the enemies of the, Messiah, and of the converted Jews and Gentiles at the latter day, and is expressive of their great submission to them; see Psalms 72:9;

they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth; who put out their heads and draw them in again upon the least notice or approach of danger; or like serpents, as Jarchi and Kimchi, which lurk in holes, and creep out of them oft their bellies, or any other creeping things. The word s here used signifies a tremulous and tumultuous motion, like the wriggling of a worm out of the earth; or the hurry of ants, when their nests are kicked or thrown up: this is expressive of the confusion and perturbation of the enemies of the Lord and his people; of the Babylonians, who were obliged in a hurry to leave their palaces, as the Targum and Aben Ezra interpret their holes, and their fortresses and towers, and deliver them to the Medes and Persians; and of Gog and Magog, and the antichristian states, who will be obliged to abandon their places of abode, and creep out of sight, and be reduced to the lowest and meanest condition;

they shall be afraid of the Lord our God: because of the glory of his majesty, the greatness of his power, and for fear of his judgments:

and shall fear because of thee; O God, or Israel, as Kimchi; the church of God, whom they despised and reproached before; but now shall be seized with a panic, and live in the utmost dread of, because of the power and glory of God in the midst of them, and lest they should fall a sacrifice to them.

o Vid. Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 1. c. 44. col. 27. p L. 7. c. 3. sect. 2. q Polymnia, sive l. 7. c. 12. r "Et turpes humilesque, supplicesque, Pictorum sola basiate regum". Epigram. l. 10. Ep. 71. s ירגזו "contremiscent", Munster, Tigurine version, Cocceius; "frement, sive tumultuabuntur", Calvin; "trepide prorepent", Burkius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They 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 Psalms 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 tremble, (that is, “come tremblingly,”) out of their close places , whether these be strong places or prisons, as the word, varied in one vowel means. If it be strong places, it means, that “the enemies of God’s people should, in confusion and tumltuously with fear, leave their strongholds, wherein they thought to be secure, not able to lift themselves up against God and those by Him sent against them.” “Like worms of the earth”, literally, creeping things, or, as we say, reptiles, contemptuously. “They shall be afraid of”, or rather come trembling to, the Lord our God; it is uot said their, but our God, who hath done so great things for us. And shall fear because of (literally, from) Thee, O Lord, of whom they had before said, Where is the Lord thy God?

It is doubtful, whether these last words express a “servile tear,” whereby a man turns away and flees from the person or thing which he fears, or whether they simply describe fear of God, the first step toward repentance. In Hosea’s words, “they shall fear toward the Lord and His goodness” Hosea 3:5, the addition, and His goodness, determines the character of the fear. In Micah, it is not said that the fear brings them into any relation to God. lie is not spoken of; as becoming, any how, their God, and Micah closes by a thanksgiving, for God’s pardoning mercy, not to them but to His people.

And so the prophet ends, as he began, with the judgments of God; to those who would repent, chastisement, to the impenitent, punishment: “sentencing Samaria, guilty and not repenting” (Rup.), to perpetual captivity; to Jerusalem, guilty but repenting, promising restoration. So from the beginning of the world did God; so doth He; so shall He unto the end. So did He show Himself to Cain and Abel, who both, as we all, sinned in Adam. Cain, being impenitent, lie wholly cast away; Abel, being penitent,” and through faith offering a better sacrifice than Cain, and “bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance, He accepted.” So He hath foreshown as to the end Matthew 25:0. Rup.: “And that we may know how uniformly our Judge so distinguisheth, at the very moment of His own death while hanging between the two thieves, the one, impenitent and blaspheming, He left; to the other, penitent and confessing, He opened the gate of paradise; and, soon after, leaving the Jewish people unrepentant, He received the repentance of the Gentiles.” Thus the prophet parts with both out of sight; the people of God, feeding on the rich. bounty and abundance of God, and His marvelous gifts of grace above and beyond nature, multiplied to them above all the wonders of old time; the enemies of God’s people looking on, not to, admire, but to be ashamed, not to be healthfully ashamed, but to be willfully deaf to the voice of God. For, however to lay the hand on the mouth might be a token of reverent silence, the deafness of the ears can hardly be other than the emblem of hardened obstinacy.

What follows, then, seems more like the unwilling creeping-forth into the Presence of God, when they cannot keep away, than conversion. It seems to picture the reprobate, who would not “hear the Voice of the Son of God and live” John 5:25, but who, in the end, shall be forced to hear it out of their close places or prisons, that is, the grave, and come forth in fear, when they shall “say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us” Luke 23:30; Revelation 6:16. Thus the prophet brings us to the close of all things, the gladness and joy of God’s people, the terror of His enemies, and adds only the song of thanksgiving of all the redeemed.


 
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