Micah 7:8-13

Context

Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

7:8 My enemies,¹ do not gloat² over me!

Though I have fallen, I will get up.

Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.³

7:9 I must endure⁴ the Lord’s anger,

for I have sinned against him.

But then⁵ he will defend my cause,⁶

and accomplish justice on my behalf.

He will lead me out into the light;

I will experience firsthand⁷ his deliverance.⁸

7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.

They say⁹ to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”

I will gloat over them.¹⁰

Then they will be trampled down¹¹

like mud in the streets.

7:11 It will be a day for rebuilding your walls;

in that day your boundary will be extended.¹²

A Closing Prayer

7:12 In that day people¹³ will come to you¹⁴

from Assyria as far as¹⁵ Egypt,

from Egypt as far as the Euphrates River,¹⁶

from the seacoasts¹⁷ and the mountains.¹⁸

7:13 The earth will become desolate¹⁹

because of what its inhabitants have done.²⁰

[7:8] ¹tn The singular form is understood as collective.

[7:8] ²tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”

[7:8] ³sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The Lord is the source of the latter.

[7:9] ⁴tn Heb “lift, bear.”

[7:9] ⁵tn Heb “until.”

[7:9] ⁶tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”

[7:9] ⁷tn Heb “see.”

[7:9] ⁸tn Or “justice, vindication.”

[7:10] ⁹tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:10] ¹⁰tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”

[7:10] ¹¹tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”

[7:11] ¹²sn Personified Jerusalem declares her confidence in vv. 8-10; in this verse she is assured that she will indeed be vindicated.

[7:12] ¹³tn Heb “they.” The referent has been specified as “people,” referring either to the nations (coming to God with their tribute) or to the exiles of Israel (returning to the Lord).

[7:12] ¹⁴tn The masculine pronominal suffix suggests the Lord is addressed. Some emend to a feminine form and take Jerusalem as the addressee.

[7:12] ¹⁵tc The MT reads וְעָרֵי (vÿ’arey, “and the cities [of Egypt]”), but the parallel line indicates this is a corruption of וְעַד (vÿ’ad, “even to”).

[7:12] ¹⁶tn Heb “the River,” referring to the Euphrates River. This has been specified in the translation for clarity (so also NASB, NIV).

[7:12] ¹⁷tn Heb “and sea from sea.” Many prefer to emend this to מִיָּם עַד יָם (miyyam ’ad yam, “from sea to sea”).

[7:12] ¹⁸tn Heb “and mountain of the mountain.” Many prefer to emend this to וּמֵהַר עַד הַר (umehar ’ad har, “and mountain to mountain”).

[7:13] ¹⁹tn Or “will be ruined.”

[7:13] ²⁰tn Heb “on account of its inhabitants, because of the fruit of their deeds.”