The Meaning of Micah 7:12 Explained

Micah 7:12

KJV: In 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.

YLT: That day -- even unto thee it doth come in, From Asshur and the cities of the fortress, And from the fortress even unto the river, And from sea to sea, and mount to mount.

Darby: In that day they shall come to thee from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

ASV: In that day shall they come unto thee from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt even to the River, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[In] 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. 

What does Micah 7:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Israel"s former enemies from all over the world, represented by Assyria and the Euphrates River on the northwest and Egypt on the southeast, would come to the Israelites in their land (cf. Isaiah 19:23-25; Amos 9:11-15). They would come from everywhere between the seas and the mountains, a synecdoche for everywhere on earth (cf. Psalm 72:8; Zechariah 9:10).

Context Summary

Micah 7:1-20 - God's Compassion For An Erring People
Things had come to an awful pass in the favored city. Oppression, bribery, and bloodshed, were everywhere in the ascendant. Men wrought evil with both hands. Husbands could not trust their wives. At such a time there is no refuge for God's children save in God, Micah 7:7-13.
When we have learned our lesson we find God appearing for our help. He brings forth to the light and vindicates us. Then those that hated us, and suggested that He had forsaken, will be compelled to admit that He has completely vindicated us from their reproach. Be of good cheer, believer; wait for God. He will bring out thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday, Micah 7:10-12.
Next, the prophet pleads with Israel's Shepherd to repeat the marvels of the Exodus. He knows that God will not only pardon iniquities but subdue them, trampling them beneath His feet. This anticipates the Ascension, Ephesians 1:20-23. When a stone sinks into ocean depths, it cannot be recovered; and when sin is forgiven God never recalls it either here or hereafter. [source]

Chapter Summary: Micah 7

1  The church, complaining of her small number,
3  and the general corruption,
5  puts her confidence not in man, but in God
8  She triumphs over her enemies
14  She prays to God
15  God comforts her by promises of confusion to her enemies;
18  and by his mercies

What do the individual words in Micah 7:12 mean?

[In] day that and to you they shall come from Assyria and the cities of Egypt and from Egypt and to the River and from sea to sea and mountain [to] mountain
י֥וֹם הוּא֙ וְעָדֶ֣יךָ יָב֔וֹא לְמִנִּ֥י אַשּׁ֖וּר וְעָרֵ֣י מָצ֑וֹר וּלְמִנִּ֤י מָצוֹר֙ וְעַד־ נָהָ֔ר וְיָ֥ם מִיָּ֖ם וְהַ֥ר הָהָֽר

י֥וֹם  [In]  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הוּא֙  that 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וְעָדֶ֣יךָ  and  to  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
יָב֔וֹא  they  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אַשּׁ֖וּר  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
וְעָרֵ֣י  and  the  cities 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מָצ֑וֹר  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָצֹור 
Sense: siege-enclosure, siege, entrenchment, siege works.
וּלְמִנִּ֤י  and  from 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
מָצוֹר֙  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָצֹור  
Sense: “Matsor”, a name for Egypt.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
נָהָ֔ר  the  River 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָהָר  
Sense: stream, river.
וְיָ֥ם  and  from  sea 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
מִיָּ֖ם  to  sea 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וְהַ֥ר  and  mountain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
הָהָֽר  [to]  mountain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.