Micah 7:16 (DBY)

Passage

The nations shall see, and be ashamed for all their might: they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

Nearby Context

Micah 7:14 Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine inheritance, dwelling alone in the forest, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

Micah 7:15 As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt, will I shew them marvellous things.

Micah 7:16 The nations shall see, and be ashamed for all their might: they shall lay [their] hand upon [their] mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

Micah 7:17 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.

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that forgiveth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in loving-kindness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nations", "shall", "ashamed", "might", "hand", "upon", and "mouth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nations" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "As in the days of thy coming..." into verse 17's "They shall lick dust like the serpent...", so "nations" and "shall" belong inside that flow. In Micah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "nations" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.