The Meaning of Micah 7:19 Explained

Micah 7:19

KJV: 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.

YLT: He doth turn back, He pitieth us, He doth subdue our iniquities, And Thou castest into the depths of the sea all their sins.

Darby: He will yet again have compassion on us, he will tread under foot our iniquities: and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

ASV: He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Micah 7:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh would again have compassion (tender, heartfelt concern, Heb. rehem) on the Israelites, as He had done so often in their history (cf. Psalm 102:13; Psalm 103:4; Psalm 103:13; Psalm 116:5; Psalm 119:156; Hosea 14:4; Zechariah 10:6). He would subdue their iniquities as though they were insects that He stepped on and obliterated. He would do away with their sins as surely as someone gets rid of something permanently by throwing it into the sea (cf. Psalm 103:12). The use of three words for sin in Micah 7:18-19 (iniquity, rebellious Acts , and sins) gives added assurance of forgiveness. God will forgive all types of Israel"s sins.

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 7:19 mean?

He will again have compassion on us will subdue our iniquities and You will cast Into the depths of the sea all our sins
יָשׁ֣וּב יְרַֽחֲמֵ֔נוּ יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ עֲוֺֽנֹתֵ֑ינוּ וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ בִּמְצֻל֥וֹת יָ֖ם כָּל־ חַטֹּאותָֽם

יָשׁ֣וּב  He  will  again 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יְרַֽחֲמֵ֔נוּ  have  compassion  on  us 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: רָחַם  
Sense: to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.
יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ  will  subdue 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּבַשׁ  
Sense: to subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage.
עֲוֺֽנֹתֵ֑ינוּ  our  iniquities 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, first person common plural
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ  and  You  will  cast 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
בִּמְצֻל֥וֹת  Into  the  depths 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מְצֹולָה 
Sense: depth, the deep, the deep sea.
יָ֖ם  of  the  sea 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
חַטֹּאותָֽם  our  sins 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.