The big picture
Micah 7 opens in verse 1 with “Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 10 with “Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me…”, and closes in verse 20 with “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, days, asketh, daughter, dwell. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Micah · King James Version · 20Micah 7:1-7
1–7: Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the…
Micah 7:1–7 opens with “Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the…” and reaches “Therefore I will look unto the LORD ; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A shepherd gathering the flock and sins cast into the sea as covenant mercy closes the book, with particular weight carried by asketh, daughter, mother.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no…” Naming Woe keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they…” The line’s distinctive content terms include blood, brother, earth. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.
Micah 7:1-7
King James Version1Woe 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.
Micah 7:8-14
8–14: Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I…
Micah 7:8–14 opens with “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the…” and reaches “Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A shepherd gathering the flock and sins cast into the sea as covenant mercy closes the book, with particular weight carried by LORD, dwell, enemy.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“I will bear the indignation of the LORD , because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Micah 7:8-14
King James Version8Rejoice 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.
Micah 7:15-20
15–20: According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew…
Micah 7:15–20 opens with “According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous…” and reaches “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on A shepherd gathering the flock and sins cast into the sea as covenant mercy closes the book, with particular weight carried by days, mercy, Abraham.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.” Naming According and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Micah 7:15-20
King James Version15According 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Micah 7:1 begins with “Woe 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…”
Where the chapter turns
Micah 7:10 forms a natural hinge: “Then 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…”
The final note
Micah 7:20 leaves the reader with “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, days, asketh, daughter, dwell, earth help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What links this event with creation?
Waters overwhelm the inhabited world, reversing the separations that made life possible.
What details show continuity rather than total abandonment?
The named household and preserved kinds of living creatures survive within the ark.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.