The Meaning of Micah 7:16 Explained

Micah 7:16

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

YLT: See 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.

ASV: The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth; their ears shall be deaf.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The 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?

Verse Meaning

The Gentile nations will observe this miracle and feel ashamed because they will realize that all their might is inferior to God"s power demonstrated in bringing Israel home (cf. Micah 7:7; Micah 3:7). They will not want to speak out against Yahweh or Israel because of reverence and awe or hear any more about what God is doing for His people, apparently because His power will be so overwhelming.

Context Summary

Micah 7:1-20 - God's Compassion For An Erring People
Things had come to an awful pass in the favored city. Oppression, bribery, and bloodshed, were everywhere in the ascendant. Men wrought evil with both hands. Husbands could not trust their wives. At such a time there is no refuge for God's children save in God, Micah 7:7-13.
When we have learned our lesson we find God appearing for our help. He brings forth to the light and vindicates us. Then those that hated us, and suggested that He had forsaken, will be compelled to admit that He has completely vindicated us from their reproach. Be of good cheer, believer; wait for God. He will bring out thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday, Micah 7:10-12.
Next, the prophet pleads with Israel's Shepherd to repeat the marvels of the Exodus. He knows that God will not only pardon iniquities but subdue them, trampling them beneath His feet. This anticipates the Ascension, Ephesians 1:20-23. When a stone sinks into ocean depths, it cannot be recovered; and when sin is forgiven God never recalls it either here or hereafter. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Micah 7:16 mean?

Shall see the nations and be ashamed of all their might They shall put [their] hand over [their] mouth their ears shall be deaf
יִרְא֤וּ גוֹיִם֙ וְיֵבֹ֔שׁוּ מִכֹּ֖ל גְּבֽוּרָתָ֑ם יָשִׂ֤ימוּ יָד֙ עַל־ פֶּ֔ה אָזְנֵיהֶ֖ם תֶּחֱרַֽשְׁנָה

יִרְא֤וּ  Shall  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
גוֹיִם֙  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וְיֵבֹ֔שׁוּ  and  be  ashamed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
מִכֹּ֖ל  of  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
גְּבֽוּרָתָ֑ם  their  might 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גְּבוּרָה  
Sense: strength, might.
יָשִׂ֤ימוּ  They  shall  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
יָד֙  [their]  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פֶּ֔ה  [their]  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
אָזְנֵיהֶ֖ם  their  ears 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
תֶּחֱרַֽשְׁנָה  shall  be  deaf 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: חָרַשׁ 
Sense: to cut in, plough, engrave, devise.