Micah 7:17

¹⁵ According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things.

¹⁶ The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears 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.

¹⁸ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

¹⁹ He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: 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.
KJV: 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.
WEB: 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 the LORD our God, and will be afraid because of you.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: 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.
BLB: They will lick the dust like a snake, like the crawling [things] of the earth; they will come trembling from their enclosures to YHWH our God they will tremble, and they will be afraid of You.

ÅB: De skal slikke støv som ormen,
som kryp på jorden
skal de komme skjelvende ut av borgene sine.
Til Herren vår Gud skal de komme skjelvende
og frykte for deg.
OTB: De vil slikke støvet som en slange,
Som krypdyr på jorden.
De vil komme skjelvende ut av sine festninger;
Til Herren vår Gud vil de komme i frykt,
Og de vil være redde for Deg.
B1930: De skal slikke støv som ormen; som jordens kryp skal de gå bevende frem av sine borger; til Herren vår Gud skal de komme skjelvende og frykte for dig.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

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.
Read in context
Psalms 72:9
They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
Read in context
Psalms 18:45
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
Read in context
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:
Read in context
Revelation 6:15–17
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Read in context
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.
Read in context
Revelation 3:9
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Read in context
Psalms 9:20
Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
Read in context