A Prayer for Restoration and God's Forgiving Mercy
Micah 7:14-20
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Mic.7.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2m
- בשבטך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- צאן: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נחלתך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m
- שכני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- לבדד: PREP+ADJ,m,sg
- יער: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בתוך: PREP
- כרמל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ירעו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- בשן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וגלעד: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כימי: NOUN,m,pl,cs+sim
- עולם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 23:1-4 (structural): Central shepherd motif — God as shepherd who leads, feeds, and restores the flock, paralleling Micah’s plea to shepherd and feed the heritage.
- Isaiah 40:11 (verbal): Uses the same language of feeding and gathering: 'He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs,' echoing Micah’s imagery of pastoral care and restoration.
- Ezekiel 34:11-16 (allusion): God’s promise to seek out, gather, feed, and bind up his scattered sheep closely parallels Micah’s call to shepherd and restore those dwelling solitary.
- Jeremiah 31:10 (verbal): 'He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock' — a direct verbal/thematic echo of God’s gathering and shepherding of the scattered people.
- Matthew 9:36 (thematic): Jesus’ compassion for the crowds 'scattered and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd' reflects Micah’s depiction of solitary/scattered communities in need of shepherding.
Alternative generated candidates
- Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage; let those who live alone graze in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days of old.
- Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage; let them dwell alone, the remnant, in the midst of the wood of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
Mic.7.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כימי: NOUN,m,pl,cs+sim
- צאתך: NOUN,f,sg,cons,poss:2ms
- מארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אראנו: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- נפלאות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 15:11 (verbal): Exodus song celebrates God's 'wondrous' deeds in delivering Israel from Egypt (shares the נפלאות/wonders vocabulary and the Exodus-wonders motif).
- Deuteronomy 4:34 (verbal): Deuteronomy recalls God’s unique acts of deliverance—'signs and wonders' performed when he brought Israel out of Egypt, directly paralleling Micah's promise to show wonders as in Egypt.
- Psalm 78:43 (thematic): Psalm 78 retells the Exodus, noting God's signs and wonders performed in Egypt; it functions as a historical parallel to Micah’s appeal to the Exodus as the model for future wonders.
- Isaiah 63:11-12 (allusion): Isaiah recalls God’s mighty acts 'in the days of Moses,' leading Israel through the sea and exhibiting divine power—an allusionary echo of Micah’s promise to repeat Exodus‑style wonders.
Alternative generated candidates
- As in the days when you brought them out of the land of Egypt, show us wonders.
- As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, show us wonders.
Mic.7.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יראו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- גוים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ויבשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- מכל: PREP
- גבורתם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- ישימו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- יד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- פה: ADV
- אזניהם: NOUN,f,pl,abs+3,mp
- תחרשנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 2:11, 17 (thematic): Isaiah depicts the humbling of human pride and the downfall of the lofty—people and nations are put to shame and humbled before the LORD, paralleling Micah’s image of nations ashamed of their might.
- Habakkuk 2:20 (structural): “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” — a direct prophetic call to silence before God that echoes Micah’s motif of nations struck silent.
- Romans 3:19 (verbal): Paul’s phrase that the law speaks “so that every mouth may be stopped” (Greek: ἐσφραγίσθη πᾶσα χείρ) parallels Micah’s image of peoples putting a hand over their mouths—both convey enforced silence/conviction.
- Psalm 46:10 (thematic): “Be still, and know that I am God” expresses the same theological move: silence and awe in the presence of God’s power, resonant with Micah’s portrayal of humbled, silent nations.
Alternative generated candidates
- Nations shall see and be put to shame for all their might; they shall put their hand over their mouths, and their ears shall be stopped.
- Nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall put their hand upon their mouth; their ears shall be deaf.
Mic.7.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ילחכו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- עפר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כנחש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כזחלי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ירגזו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ממסגרתיהם: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs,3,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהינו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:1,pl
- יפחדו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ויראו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ממך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 3:14 (verbal): God tells the serpent it will 'eat dust' (זָֽעַף־תֹּאכַל־עָ֑פָר); Micah uses serpent/dust imagery—enemies 'lick the dust like a snake'—echoing the serpent-eats-dust motif.
- Isaiah 49:23 (verbal): Isaiah says nations 'shall lick the dust' (יִלְחֲכוּ עָפָ֑ר) of the servant's feet; Micah similarly depicts humbled enemies licking dust before the LORD—very close verbal parallel.
- Psalm 72:9 (verbal): The psalm prays that 'the desert tribes will bow down before him; his enemies lick the dust'—the same image of defeated foes licking dust before God's king, matching Micah's language and theme.
- Isaiah 2:10–11 (thematic): Speaks of hiding 'in the dust' and trembling 'from the terror of the LORD'—connects the themes of terror/fear of Yahweh and dust/humbling found in Micah's depiction of enemies fearing the LORD.
Alternative generated candidates
- They shall lick dust like a snake and crawl like the crawling things of the earth; they shall tremble from their strongholds. They shall turn to the LORD our God; they shall fear and be afraid of you.
- They shall lick the dust like a snake; like the crawlers of the earth they shall writhe from their lairs; they shall hasten trembling to the LORD our God—they shall fear and be afraid of you.
Mic.7.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- אל: NEG
- כמוך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- נשא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועבר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- פשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לשארית: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נחלתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs,suff:3,m
- לא: PART_NEG
- החזיק: VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg
- לעד: ADV
- אפו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,suff3ms
- כי: CONJ
- חפץ: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- חסד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 34:6-7 (verbal): Uses the same divine mercy-forgiveness formula—'The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious… forgiving iniquity and transgression'—which Micah echoes in language and theology.
- Psalm 103:8-10 (thematic): Affirms God's compassion, mercy, and refusal to repay according to sins—'The LORD is merciful and gracious… he will not always chide'—resonating with Micah's emphasis on pardoning and not retaining anger.
- Joel 2:13 (thematic): Calls for repentance because 'the LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,' paralleling Micah's portrayal of God's disposition toward sin and mercy.
- Isaiah 55:7 (thematic): Promises that the wicked who return will be pardoned—'for he will abundantly pardon'—echoing Micah's assurance that God pardons iniquity and delights in mercy.
Alternative generated candidates
- Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his heritage? He does not keep his anger forever, for he delights in steadfast love.
- Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, for he delights in steadfast love.
Mic.7.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ישוב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ירחמנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יכבש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עונתינו: NOUN,f,pl,suff1,pl
- ותשליך: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- במצלות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ים: NOUN,m,sg,cs
- כל: DET
- חטאותם: NOUN,f,pl,abs,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 38:17 (verbal): Hezekiah speaks of God casting his sins 'behind your back'—a close verbal/imagery parallel to Micah's language of casting sins away into the sea.
- Psalm 103:12 (thematic): Both verses use spatial imagery to express complete removal of sin—'as far as the east is from the west' parallels 'cast... into the depths of the sea.'
- Jeremiah 31:34 (thematic): God's promise 'I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more' echoes Micah's themes of mercy, forgiveness and the ending of guilt.
- Colossians 2:13–14 (thematic): Paul describes God cancelling the record of debt and forgiving trespasses—New Testament theological parallel to Micah's depiction of God removing and disposing of sin.
- Hebrews 8:12 (quotation): Hebrews explicitly cites Jeremiah's promise ('I will remember their sins no more')—this New Testament citation parallels Micah's assurance that God will remit and no longer reckon sin.
Alternative generated candidates
- He will again have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities, and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
- He will again have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Mic.7.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תתן: VERB,qal,imprf,2,_,sg
- אמת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ליעקב: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg
- חסד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאברהם: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נשבעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- לאבתינו: NOUN,m,pl,poss,1,pl
- מימי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- קדם: NOUN,m,sg,cons
Parallels
- Genesis 17:7 (thematic): God’s covenant promise to Abraham and his descendants—establishing an enduring relationship—parallels Micah’s assurance of faithfulness to Jacob and mercy to Abraham.
- Genesis 22:16-18 (quotation): God’s sworn oath to Abraham (’by myself have I sworn…’) echoes Micah’s reference to what God ‘swore to our fathers,’ linking divine oath and blessing.
- Psalm 105:8-10 (verbal): Explicit language about God remembering his covenant and the oath made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob closely mirrors Micah’s wording about truth/faithfulness to Jacob and mercy to Abraham.
- Hebrews 6:13-18 (allusion): The New Testament cites God’s oath to Abraham as grounds for divine faithfulness and hope—an interpretive echo of Micah’s claim that God will be true to his sworn promise to the patriarchs.
Alternative generated candidates
- You will give faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you swore to our fathers in days of old.
- You will give faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you swore to our fathers from days of old.
Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance; let those who dwell alone pasture in the midst of Carmel. Let them graze on Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
As in the days when you came forth from the land of Egypt, I will make them see wonders.
The nations shall see and be put to shame; they shall be confounded of all their might. They shall put their hand upon their mouth; their ears shall be deaf.
They shall lick the dust like a snake; like creeping things of the earth they shall writhe. They shall tremble from their strongholds; they shall fear the LORD our God and be afraid because of you.
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
He will turn again and have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities, and he will cast into the depths of the sea all their sins.
You will give faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you swore to our fathers long ago.