Micah 7:17 They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will crawl from their holes in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You.

◄ Micah 7:17 ►

New International Version
They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the LORD our God and will be afraid of you.

New Living Translation
Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the LORD our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.

English Standard Version
they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, and they shall be in fear of you.

Berean Standard Bible
They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
They shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, And shall fear because of You.

New American Standard Bible
They will lick up dust like a snake, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in trepidation, And they will be afraid of You.

NASB 1995
They will lick the dust like a serpent, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in dread And they will be afraid before You.

NASB 1977
They will lick the dust like a serpent, Like reptiles of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To the LORD our God they will come in dread, And they will be afraid before Thee.

Legacy Standard Bible
They will lick the dust like a serpent, Like crawling things of the earth. They will come trembling out of their fortresses; To Yahweh our God they will come in dread, And they will be afraid before You.

Amplified Bible
They shall lick the dust like a serpent; Like crawling things of the earth They shall come trembling out of their fortresses and hiding places. They shall turn and come with fear and dread to the LORD our God And they shall be afraid and stand in awe before You [O LORD].

Christian Standard Bible
They will lick the dust like a snake; they will come trembling out of their hiding places like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will tremble in the presence of the LORD our God; they will stand in awe of you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They will lick the dust like a snake; they will come trembling out of their hiding places like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will tremble in the presence of Yahweh our God; they will stand in awe of You.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
because of their fear of me, your LORD and God. Then they will come trembling, crawling out of their fortresses like insects or snakes, lapping up the dust.

English Revised Version
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 the LORD our God, and shall be afraid because of thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They will lick dust like snakes, like animals that crawl on the ground. They will come out of their hiding places trembling. They will turn away from your presence in fear, O LORD our God. They will be afraid of you.

Good News Translation
They will crawl in the dust like snakes; they will come from their fortresses, trembling and afraid. They will turn in fear to the LORD our God.

International Standard Version
They will lick the dust like a serpent; they will crawl from their strongholds like snakes. They will fear the LORD our God. They will be terrified because of you.

Majority Standard Bible
They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You.

NET Bible
They will lick the dust like a snake, like serpents crawling on the ground. They will come trembling from their strongholds to the LORD our God; they will be terrified of you.

New Heart English Bible
They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling creatures of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to the LORD our God, and will be afraid because of you.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth, they will come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
They lick dust as a serpent, as fearful things of earth, "" They tremble from their enclosures, "" They are afraid of our God YHWH, "" Indeed, they are afraid of You.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Smith's Literal Translation
They shall lick the dust as the serpent, as crawlers of the earth they shall move out of their close places: for Jehovah our God they shall tremble and they shall fear from thee.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
They shall lick the dust like serpents, as the creeping things of the earth, they shall be disturbed in their houses: they shall dread the Lord our God, and shall fear thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They will lick the dust like serpents, and, like the creeping things of the earth, they will be disturbed in their houses. They will dread the Lord our God, and they will fear you.

New American Bible
They will lick the dust like a snake, like crawling things on the ground; They will come quaking from their strongholds; they will tremble in fear of you, the LORD, our God.

New Revised Standard Version
they shall lick dust like a snake, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their fortresses; they shall turn in dread to the LORD our God, and they shall stand in fear of you.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth; they shall tremble and be afraid of the LORD our God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they shall lick the dust like a serpent and like worms of the Earth they shall be provoked from their paths, and by LORD JEHOVAH our God they shall be shaken and they shall be afraid

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 the LORD our God, And shall be afraid because of Thee.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They shall lick the dust as serpents crawling on the earth, they shall be confounded in their holes; they shall be amazed at the Lord our God, and will be afraid of thee.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

God's Compassion on Israel
…16Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might. They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf. 17They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will crawl from their holes in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of You. 18Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”

Isaiah 60:14
The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall facedown at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 72:9
May the nomads bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust.

Isaiah 45:14
This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you; they will come over in chains and bow down to you. They will confess to you: ‘God is indeed with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’”

Isaiah 49:7
Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”

Isaiah 2:19
Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

Isaiah 2:21
They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.

Revelation 3:9
As for those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead, I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you.

Revelation 6:15-16
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. / And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

Exodus 15:15-16
Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; those who dwell in Canaan will melt away, / and terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of Your arm they will be as still as a stone until Your people pass by, O LORD, until the people You have bought pass by.

Deuteronomy 33:29
Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is the shield that protects you, the sword in which you boast. Your enemies will cower before you, and you shall trample their high places.”

Psalm 18:44-45
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me. / Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.

Psalm 66:3
Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.

Isaiah 64:2
as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, so that the nations will tremble at Your presence!

Jeremiah 33:9
So this city will bring Me renown, joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I do for it. They will tremble in awe because of all the goodness and prosperity that I will provide for it.

Treasury of Scripture

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 you.

lick.

Genesis 3:14,15
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: …

Psalm 72:9
They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

Isaiah 49:23
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

move.

1 Samuel 14:11
And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

Psalm 18:45
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

Jeremiah 16:16
Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

worms.

Exodus 15:14-16
The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina…

Joshua 2:9-11
And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you…

Joshua 9:24
And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

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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.

Berean Study Bible

They will lick the dust
This phrase evokes imagery of utter humiliation and defeat. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, to "lick the dust" was a metaphor for complete subjugation and disgrace. The Hebrew root word here, "עָפָר" (ʿāfār), often refers to dust or dry earth, symbolizing mortality and lowliness. This imagery is reminiscent of the curse upon the serpent in Genesis 3:14, where the serpent is condemned to crawl on its belly and eat dust. It signifies the humbling of nations or enemies before God's power and justice.

like a snake
The comparison to a snake further emphasizes the theme of humiliation and defeat. Snakes, often seen as symbols of deceit and danger in biblical texts, are here depicted in a position of vulnerability. The Hebrew word "נָחָשׁ" (nāḥāš) for snake can also remind readers of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, reinforcing the idea of a fallen state. This imagery suggests that those who oppose God will be brought low, just as the serpent was.

like reptiles slithering on the ground
This phrase continues the imagery of abasement. Reptiles, or "זֹחֲלֵי" (zōḥălē), are creatures that move close to the earth, emphasizing a position of lowliness and submission. The act of slithering on the ground is a vivid picture of defeat and disgrace. In the biblical context, it underscores the idea that those who defy God will be reduced to a state of powerlessness and shame.

They will come trembling out of their dens
The image of coming "trembling" suggests fear and reverence. The Hebrew word "חָרַד" (ḥārad) conveys a sense of quaking or shaking, often associated with awe or terror. Emerging from "dens" implies leaving a place of hiding or false security. This phrase indicates a recognition of God's supreme authority, prompting even the most defiant to acknowledge His power.

to the LORD our God
This phrase centers the focus on Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. The use of "LORD" (יהוה, YHWH) emphasizes His personal and relational nature with His people. "Our God" signifies a communal relationship, highlighting the special bond between God and His chosen people. This acknowledgment by the nations or enemies underscores the universal recognition of God's sovereignty.

they will fear and dread You
The words "fear" and "dread" reflect a profound respect and acknowledgment of God's might and holiness. The Hebrew words "יָרֵא" (yārēʾ) for fear and "פָּחַד" (pāḥad) for dread convey a deep sense of awe and reverence. This response is not merely terror but a recognition of God's rightful place as the supreme ruler. It suggests a turning point where even those who once opposed God will come to honor and revere Him.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) They shall lick the dust like a serpent.--The doom of the determined enemies of the Lord and His people recalls that of Satan, the great enemy, as personified by the serpent. "Dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life" (Genesis 3:14).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - They shall lick the dust like a serpent (Genesis 3:14; Isaiah 65:25). The enemies of God's people "shall lick the dust" (Psalm 72:9), shall be reduced to the utmost degradation (Isaiah 49:23). They shall move out of their holes, etc.; rather, they come trembling out of their close places (or, fastnesses, Psalm 18:46), like crawling things of the earth. They who prided themselves on their security shall come forth from their strongholds in utter fear, driven out like snakes from their lairs (comp. Psalm 2:11; Hosea 11:10, etc.). They shall be afraid of (whine with fear unto) the Lord our God. They shall be driven by terror to acknowledge the God of Israel. The expression is ambiguous, and may mean servile fear, which makes a man shrink from God. or that fear. which is one step towards repentance; the latter seems intended here, as in Hosea 3:5, where, as Pusey says, the words, "and his goodness," determine the character of the fear. Because of (or, before) thee. It is the heathen who are still the subject, not the Israelites (Jeremiah 10:7). The sudden change of persons is quite in the prophet's style.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

They will lick
יְלַחֲכ֤וּ (yə·la·ḥă·ḵū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3897: To lick

the dust
עָפָר֙ (‘ā·p̄ār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

like a snake,
כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ (kan·nā·ḥāš)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5175: A serpent

like reptiles slithering
כְּזֹחֲלֵ֣י (kə·zō·ḥă·lê)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2119: To shrink back, crawl away

on the ground.
אֶ֔רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

They will crawl
יִרְגְּז֖וּ (yir·gə·zū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7264: To be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited, perturbed

from their holes
מִמִּסְגְּרֹֽתֵיהֶ֑ם (mim·mis·gə·rō·ṯê·hem)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4526: Something enclosing, a margin, a stronghold

in the presence of
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the LORD
יְהוָ֤ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

our God;
אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

they will tremble
יִפְחָ֔דוּ (yip̄·ḥā·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6342: To dread, be in dread or in awe

in fear
וְיִֽרְא֖וּ (wə·yir·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

of you.
מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ (mim·me·kā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

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OT Prophets: Micah 7:17 They will lick the dust like (Mc Mic. Mi)