7:16–17
In these verses, Micah was again the speaker. He prayed that the LORD would show these marvelous things both to the people of Israel and to the people of other nations. He also prayed that the people in those nations would respond by acknowledging the greatness of the LORD.
7:16a–c
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
16a The nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might.
16b They will put their hands over their mouths,
16c and their ears will become deaf.
In these lines, Micah prayed that the marvelous things, which the LORD would show the nations, would have strong impact on them.
Some versions translate these lines in a way that more clearly indicates a prayer. For example:
Let nations behold and be ashamed despite all their might; let them put hand to mouth; let their ears be deafened! (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
7:16a
Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might: In this line, Micah prayed that the people of the nations would feel shame as a result of seeing the power of the LORD. The phrase be ashamed, deprived of all their might implies a comparison to the might of the LORD. The nations would feel shame because the power of the LORD showed how weak they really were.
Here are some other ways to translate this line:
When the nations see those miracles, they will no longer brag about their power. (New Century Version)
-or-
Nations will see this and be ashamed because of their helpless armies. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The nations will see this and be frustrated in spite of all their strength. (Good News Translation)
Nations: This phrase refers to nations other than Israel. They were nations of people who did not follow the LORD. They included Israel’s enemies.
see: In Hebrew, this word means “see” or “realize.” In this context the word probably had both meanings. The word see had a literal meaning because they would see miracles of the LORD with their own eyes. The word also had a figurative meaning because they would realize how weak they were by comparison.
7:16b
They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf: In Hebrew, it is common to refer to attitudes and emotions by mentioning parts of the body (mouths, ears) that are associated with those attitudes and emotions.
The gesture of laying a hand over a mouth and the description of deaf ears are probably two ways of indicating the emotional effect that the power of the LORD had on the nations. This would include humiliation, shock, awe, and other emotions that the nations felt.
The gesture of a person covering their mouth probably describes a literal action with symbolic meaning. However, the description of their ears being deaf was probably not meant literally.
In some languages these references to parts of the body may not have the same meaning as they do in Hebrew. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate 7:16b–c:
• Make the meaning of the references to body parts more explicit. For example:
They will cover their mouths in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
In dismay they will close their mouths and cover their ears. (Good News Translation)
• Substitute different body part expressions that have the same meaning in your language. Make the meaning explicit if helpful. Include a footnote that describes the Hebrew gesture. For example:
May their livers fail and their kidneys be in dismay because of their great shame
footnote: In Hebrew: “they will lay their hands on their mouths, their ears will be deaf.”
• Translate the meaning directly. For example:
Let them be struck with shock and awe.
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