Micah 7:1 kjv
Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.
Micah 7:1 nkjv
Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires.
Micah 7:1 niv
What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave.
Micah 7:1 esv
Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
Micah 7:1 nlt
How miserable I am!
I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest
who can find nothing to eat.
Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig
can be found to satisfy my hunger.
Micah 7 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Micah 7:1 | "Woe is me! For I am like those gathering summer fruits, like gleanings of the vineyard." | Micah 7:1 |
| Psalm 143:2 | "Enter not into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no living thing is justified." | Parallel lament and acknowledgment of sin |
| Isaiah 6:5 | "Then I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”" | Prophet's personal distress over unholiness |
| Jeremiah 8:21 | "When I think of the affliction of my people I am afflicted; I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me." | Prophet sharing in the people's suffering |
| Lamentations 1:1 | "How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she that was great among the nations!" | Imagery of desolation and loss |
| Romans 3:23 | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" | Universal sinfulness |
| Jeremiah 9:19 | "Let them learn to chant this lamentation: 'We are utterly destroyed! God has turned away; he has covered the land with his tent; he has rejoiced over us.'" | Expression of national destruction |
| Lamentations 3:39 | "Why should any living man complain, any man on account of his sins?" | Questioning suffering due to sin |
| Habakkuk 3:2 | "O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. To you I will sing. Your work, O LORD, do I fear." | Fear mixed with awe of God's actions |
| Genesis 3:15 | "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." | The entrance of sin into the world |
| 1 Corinthians 15:26 | "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." | God's ultimate victory over evil |
| Psalm 51:17 | "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." | Proper response to spiritual crisis |
| Matthew 10:26 | "So do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known." | Implication of exposed sin |
| Ephesians 5:11 | "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." | Call to reveal corrupt practices |
| Revelation 18:5 | "for her sins are heaped high and have reached the heavens, and God has remembered her iniquities." | Ultimate judgment for sin |
| Joel 1:15 | "Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty." | Coming judgment |
| Zephaniah 1:14 | "The great day of the LORD is near, it is near and hastening fast." | Imminence of divine judgment |
| Isaiah 24:16 | "From the ends of the earth we hear songs: 'Glory to the righteous one!' But I say, 'Woe to me! Treachery! Treachery!'" | Personal lament amidst general ungodliness |
| Amos 5:2 | "Fallen is the virgin Israel; she will not rise again. She lies forgotten on her land, with no one to raise her up." | Israel's fallen state |
| Psalm 107:34 | "He turns a fruitful land into a wasteland, and all its people because of the wickedness of those who dwell there." | Consequences of wickedness |
| Revelation 2:4 | "But I have this against you, that you have left your first love." | Loss of initial devotion |
Micah 7 verses
Micah 7 1 Meaning
"Woe is me!" declares the prophet, marking a profound expression of distress. This opening statement signifies a personal lamentation over a deeply sorrowful situation, implying widespread corruption and desolation within the community. The prophet's utterance reflects a collective grief and despair brought on by the moral decay and the subsequent consequences.
Micah 7 1 Context
Micah chapter 7 describes a period of severe spiritual and social decline in Israel. The prophet Micah laments the pervasive corruption, the absence of justice, and the moral decay that has infiltrated every level of society, from rulers to common people. The opening verse, "Woe is me!", sets a tone of profound distress for the prophet as he observes this desolation. It highlights a general state of affairs where righteousness seems to have vanished, leaving behind a society ripe for judgment. The surrounding verses will elaborate on specific instances of this corruption and the impending consequences. Historically, this prophecy likely addresses the period leading up to the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, a time when unfaithfulness to God brought severe repercussions upon the nation.
Micah 7 1 Word Analysis
- Woe (הוֹי): (Hoy) - An exclamation of grief, pain, or calamity. It is a strong expression of suffering and misfortune, often used to preface a declaration of judgment or a lament.
- is (אֲנִי): (Ani) - Literally "I" or "I am". In this context, it connects the exclamation of woe to the speaker's state.
- me: Refers to the prophet himself.
- For: Indicates the reason or cause for the prophet's lament.
- I am like: The prophet compares himself to certain objects or situations, illustrating the severity of the crisis.
- one (implied in the construction): Referring to a singular entity.
- gathering: The act of collecting or harvesting.
- summer fruits (קַיִץ - Qayitz): Represents the harvest season, typically times of abundance and blessing. Here, the "gathering" seems to suggest a desperate, fruitless search, or a scene of depletion.
- like (כְּמְלֹקֵשׁ - Ke-me'loqesh): Again, a comparison.
- gleaning (מְלֹקֵשׁ - Me'loqesh): The act of picking up leftover fruits or grains after the main harvest. This signifies scarcity and what remains after something valuable has been taken.
- of the vineyard: Specifically referring to the grapes left after the harvest.
Words Group Analysis:
- "Woe is me!": This is a common expression of intense grief and despair found throughout the Old Testament prophets (e.g., Isaiah 6:5). It signifies personal distress, but in Micah's case, it reflects a collective lament over the state of his nation.
- "For I am like one gathering summer fruits, like gleanings of the vineyard": This simile conveys a sense of futility and depletion. The prophet feels as if he is in a time that should be bountiful (summer fruits) but finds only the sparse remains (gleanings) left after the harvest. This suggests that righteousness, justice, and goodness have been gathered away by the wicked, leaving little for the righteous to find. It implies a devastated spiritual landscape.
Micah 7 1 Bonus Section
The imagery of the "summer fruits" and "gleanings" evokes the concept of a spiritual famine. When a society turns away from God, the usual blessings and spiritual nourishment become scarce. The prophet's lament can be understood as a response to witnessing the absence of divine favor due to widespread sin, making genuine spiritual sustenance difficult to find. It’s a poignant reflection on how unrighteousness depletes a community’s spiritual vitality, leaving it with only the barest, most insignificant vestiges of what was once promised. The prophet is essentially observing a people who have consumed or corrupted what God intended for blessing, leaving behind only the worthless residue.
Micah 7 1 Commentary
Micah expresses deep sorrow, feeling like a solitary figure sifting through the remnants of a spiritual harvest. The abundance that should characterize God's people is gone, replaced by scarcity. This signifies the pervasiveness of sin and the departure of God's favor. The prophet feels he is searching for truth and justice, but only finds the leftover fragments, a desolate remnant, because the whole "harvest" has been corrupted or stolen by wickedness. It's a profound expression of the consequences of societal sin and the resulting desolation.