The Meaning of Micah 7:17 Explained

Micah 7:17

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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Micah 7:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

They will become as servile and humble as snakes. Licking the dust is a figure describing total defeat (cf. Genesis 3:14; Psalm 72:9 Isaiah 49:23; Isaiah 65:25). They will surrender to Yahweh, Israel"s God, and come before Him in fear and dread of what He will do to them (cf. Philippians 2:10).

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 7:17 mean?

They shall lick the dust like a serpent like snakes of the earth They shall crawl from their holes of Yahweh our God they shall be afraid and shall fear because of You
יְלַחֲכ֤וּ עָפָר֙ כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ כְּזֹחֲלֵ֣י אֶ֔רֶץ יִרְגְּז֖וּ מִמִּסְגְּרֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם אֶל־ יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ יִפְחָ֔דוּ וְיִֽרְא֖וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ

יְלַחֲכ֤וּ  They  shall  lick 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָחַךְ  
Sense: to lick, lick up.
עָפָר֙  the  dust 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ  like  a  serpent 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָחָשׁ  
Sense: serpent, snake.
כְּזֹחֲלֵ֣י  like  snakes 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: זָחַל 
Sense: to shrink back, crawl away.
אֶ֔רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יִרְגְּז֖וּ  They  shall  crawl 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָגַז  
Sense: tremble, quake, rage, quiver, be agitated, be excited, be perturbed.
מִמִּסְגְּרֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם  from  their  holes 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִסְגֶּרֶת  
Sense: border, fastness, rim.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִפְחָ֔דוּ  they  shall  be  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּחַד  
Sense: to fear, tremble, revere, dread, be in awe or dread.
וְיִֽרְא֖וּ  and  shall  fear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
מִמֶּֽךָּ  because  of  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.