Micah 7:17 (GNV)

Passage

They shall licke the dust like a serpent: they shall mooue out of their holes like wormes: they shalbe afraide of the Lord our God, and shall feare because of thee.

Nearby Context

Micah 7:15 According to the dayes of thy comming out of the lande of Egypt, will I shewe vnto him marueilous things.

Micah 7:16 The nations shall see, and be confounded for all their power: they shall lay their hande vpon their mouth: their eares shall be deafe.

Micah 7:17 They shall licke the dust like a serpent: they shall mooue out of their holes like wormes: they shalbe afraide of the Lord our God, and shall feare because of thee.

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like vnto thee, that taketh away iniquitie, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage! He reteineth not his wrath for euer, because mercie pleaseth him.

Micah 7:19 He will turne againe, and haue compassion vpon vs: he will subdue our iniquities, and cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "licke", "dust", "like", "serpent", "mooue", and "holes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "licke", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "The nations shall see and be confounded..." into verse 18's "Who is a God like vnto thee...", so "shall" and "licke" 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 "shall" and "licke" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.