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John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Micah 7:17

Verse 17 He afterwards adds, They shall lick the dust as a serpent He intimates, that however the enemies of the Church may have proudly exalted themselves before, they shall then be cast down, and lie, as it were, on the ground; for to lick the dust is nothing else but to lie prostrate on the earth. They shall then be low and creeping like serpents; and then, They shall move themselves as worms and reptiles of the ground The verb רגז, regez, as it has been stated elsewhere, means to raise an... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Micah 7:18

Verse 18 The Prophet here exclaims that God ought to be glorified especially for this — that he is merciful to his people. When he says, Who is God as thou art? he does not mean that there are other gods; for this, strictly speaking, is an improper comparison. But he shows that the true and only God may be distinguished from all idols by this circumstance — that he graciously forgives the sins of his people and bears with their infirmities. It is indeed certain, that all nations entertained the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Micah 7:14-17

§ 7. The prophet in the name of the people prays for this promised salvation, and the Lord assures him that his mercies shall not fail, and that the hostile nations shall be humbled. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Micah 7:14-17

Prayer and its response. How mysteriously great is the privilege of prayer! How wonderful that finite creatures may thus draw near to the Infinite, carrying their needs into the Divine presence, breathing their desires into the ear of God, and obtaining from him all required mercy and grace! We think of the patriarch who, weary and worn with his wanderings, slept, with a stone for his pillow, and we speak of the ladder he beheld connecting the spot where he lay with the very throne of God,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Micah 7:15

According to ( as in ) the days. The Lord answers the prophet's prayer, taking up his last word, and promising even more than he asks, engaging to equal the wonders which marked the exodus from Egypt. That great deliverance was a type and foreshadowing of Messianic salvation (comp. Isaiah 43:15 , etc.; Isaiah 51:10 ; 1 Corinthians 10:1 , etc.). Unto him; unto the people of Israel ( Micah 7:14 ). Marvellous things; Septuagint, οψεσθε θαυμαστά , "Ye shall see marvellous... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Micah 7:15-17

The ultimate deliverance of man from sin. "According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their cars shall be deaf. 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." In this passage there is an answer to the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Micah 7:16

Shall see. The heathen shall see these marvellous things. Be confounded at ( ashamed of ) all their might. Hostile nations shall be ashamed when they find the impotence of their boasted power. Compare the effect of the Exodus on contiguous nations ( Exodus 15:14 , etc.; Joshua 2:9 , Joshua 2:10 ). They shall lay their hand upon their mouth. They shall be silent from awe and astonishment ( 18:19 ; Job 21:5 ; Isaiah 52:15 ). Their ears shall be deaf . Their senses shall... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Micah 7:17

They shall lick the dust like a serpent ( Genesis 3:14 ; Isaiah 65:25 ). The enemies of God's people "shall lick the dust" ( Psalms 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, Psalms 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... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Micah 7:18

In view of the many provocations and backslidings of the people, Micah is filled with wonder at the goodness and long suffering of God. Who is a God like unto thee? The question seems to recall the prophet's own name, which means, "Who is like Jehovah?" and the clause in Moses' song ( Exodus 15:11 ), "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?" Such comparisons are made from the standpoint of the nations who believe in the real existence of their false gods. That pardoneth iniquty ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Micah 7:18

The incomparableness of God illustrated in his forgiveness of sin: 1. The nature of his forgiveness. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?" The prophet here—anticipating the full deliverance, not only of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, but probably of humanity itself from the curse of sin through Jesus Christ—breaks forth in a sublime strain of praise and admiration in relation to the incomparable ... read more

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