Micah 7 · Verse 16

Micah 7:16

The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
Micah 7:16, King James Version

Micah 7:16 in other translations

BSBNations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might. They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf.
WEBThe nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.
ASVThe nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth; their ears shall be deaf.
YLTSee do nations, and they are ashamed of all their might, They lay a hand on the mouth, their ears are deaf.
DARBY— The nations shall see, and be ashamed for all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
BBEThe nations will see and be shamed because of all their strength; they will put their hands on their mouths, their ears will be stopped.
WebsterThe nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

What does Micah 7:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. shall see--the "marvellous things" (Mi 7:15; Is 26:11). confounded at all their might--having so suddenly proved unavailing: that might wherewith they had thought that there is nothing which they could not effect against God's people. lay ... hand upon ... mouth--the gesture of silence (Job 21:5; 40:4; Psa 107:42; Is 52:15). They shall be struck dumb at Israel's marvellous deliverance, and no longer boast that God's people is destroyed. ears ... deaf--They shall stand astounded so as not to hear what shall be said [Grotius]. Once they had eagerly drunk in all rumors as so many messages of victories; but then they shall be afraid of hearing them, because they continually fear new disasters, when they see the God of Israel to be so powerful [Calvin]. They shall close their ears so as not to be compelled to hear of Israel's successes.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 The nations shall see and be confounded - Whether the words in these verses (Mic 7:15-17) be applied to the return from the Babylonish captivity, or to the prosperity of the Jews under the Maccabees, they may be understood as ultimately applicable to the final restoration of this people, and their lasting prosperity under the Gospel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Micah 7:14-20

When God is about to deliver his people, he stirs up their friends to pray for them. Apply spiritually the prophet's prayer to Christ, to take care of his church, as the great Shepherd of the sheep, and to go before them, while they are here in this world as in a wood, in this world but not of it. God promises in answer to this prayer, he will do that for them which shall be repeating the miracles of former ages. As…

Read the full comment on Micah 7:14-20 →

Micah 7:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יִרְא֤וּyir.'Uthey will seeH7200
גוֹיִם֙go.YimnationsH1471
וְיֵבֹ֔שׁוּve.ye.Vo.shuso they may be ashamedH954
מִכֹּ֖לmi.Kolfrom allH3605
גְּבֽוּרָתָ֑םge.vu.ra.Tamstrength theirH1369
יָשִׂ֤ימוּya.Si.muthey will putH7760
יָד֙yada handH3027
עַל\־'al-onH5921
פֶּ֔הPeha mouthH6310
אָזְנֵיהֶ֖ם'a.ze.nei.Hemears theirH241
תֶּחֱרַֽשְׁנָה\׃te.che.Rash.nahthey will be deafH2790

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Micah 7:16

  • Isaiah 26:11

    Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

  • Isaiah 52:15

    So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

  • Job 40:4

    Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

  • Job 29:9-10

    The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

  • Romans 3:19

    Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

  • Psalms 126:2

    Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

  • Isaiah 66:18

    For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

  • Zechariah 8:20-23

    Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

  • Micah 5:8

    And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

  • Ezekiel 38:23

    Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

  • Revelation 11:18

    And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

  • Zechariah 12:9

    And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
nations.
5:8; Ps 126:2; Isa 26:11; 66:18; Eze 38:23; 39:17-21; Zec 8:20-23
Zec 12:9; Re 11:18
lay.
Job 21:5; 29:9,10; 40:4; Isa 52:15; Ro 3:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Micah 7:15

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

  • Micah 7:16

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

  • Micah 7:17

    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.

Read all of Micah 7

Micah 7:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Las gentes verán, y se avergonzarán de todas sus valentías; pondrán la mano sobre su boca, ensordecerán sus oídos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Les nations verront et seront confondues à cause de toute leur puissance; elles mettront la main sur la bouche, leurs oreilles seront sourdes.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Nationen werden es sehen und beschämt werden über all ihre Macht: sie werden die Hand auf den Mund legen, ihre Ohren werden taub werden;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Videbunt gentes, et confundentur super omni fortitudine sua. Ponent manum super os, aures eorum surdæ erunt.