Section 7:1–7

Micah lamented about the wickedness of God’s people

This section is a lament of Micah that expresses his sorrow about the lack of righteous people in the land. In 7:1–6, he talked about the wickedness of the people using a combination of figures of speech and direct speech. In 7:7, he concluded the lament by expressing his own hope in the LORD.

Some scholars and versions place 7:7 in the next section. However, expressions of both sorrow and hope are features in some other laments, such as in the Psalms. Also, both 7:1 and 7:7 have first-person pronouns and verbs that enclose third-person descriptions in 7:2–6. This change of word forms probably indicates the start and end of the lament.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

The Total Corruption of the People (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Israel’s Misery (New International Version)
-or-
Misery Turned to Hope (New Living Translation (2004))

Paragraph 7:1–7

7:1

This verse begins Micah’s lament. He uses similes to describe his disappointment that he cannot find any fruit at harvest time.

There are two main interpretations of the situation depicted by the similes:

(1) There was no fruit left to pick after the fruit and grapes were harvested. For example:

I am depressed! indeed, it is as if the summer fruit has been gathered, and the grapes have been harvested. There is no grape cluster to eat, no fresh figs that I crave so much. (NET Bible)

(2) There was no harvest of fruit and grapes. For example:

Woe is me! For I am like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, Or a first-ripe fig which I crave. (New American Standard Bible)

(God’s Word, New American Standard Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It has support from most commentators and versions.

7:1a

Woe is me!: This expression indicates despair. Here are some other ways to express the meaning:

I am depressed! (NET Bible)
-or-
It’s hopeless! (Good News Translation)
-or-
I feel very sad

7:1b–e

The English Standard Version has been used as the source line for 7:1b–c because it maintains both similes and follows the recommended interpretation.

Notice the two sets of parallel lines that follow the underlined part. The lines in bold have similar meaning and the lines in italics have similar meaning:

1b For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, (English Standard Version)

1c
as when the grapes have been gleaned : (English Standard Version)

1d
there is no cluster to eat, (English Standard Version, Berean Standard Bible)

1e
no early fig that I crave. (Berean Standard Bible)

There is an ellipsis (a deliberately omitted phrase) in 7:1c. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words from 7:1b. For example:

1c
⌊I have become⌋ as when the grapes have been gleaned :

There are two similes in 7:1b–e. The lines are arranged as a chiasm. Lines 7:1b and 7:1e are parts of a simile about summer fruit. Lines 7:1c and 7:1d are parts of a simile about grapes.

In each simile, Micah compares himself to a person who looks for fruit that is left behind after the fruit harvests are done. In the first simile he looks for summer fruit. In the second simile he looks for grapes.

Some versions combine the two similes into one. See the General Comment on 7:1 for examples.

7:1b

For: The word For introduces the reason why Micah is in despair. He explains the reason in the verses that follow, 7:1b–6.

(English Standard Version) I have become as…: In Hebrew, this phrase is more literally “I have become like harvests of summer fruit…” The implied meaning of the phrase is that Micah compared himself to a person who found no fruit to eat following a harvest. The way they are similar is that both feel despair.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Keep the simile. For example:

I am like the fruit pickers (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
I am like a hungry person who… (Good News Translation)
-or-
I am like those gathering… (God’s Word)

• Change the simile into a metaphor. For example:

How wretched I am, a harvester… (New Jerusalem Bible)

(English Standard Version) when the summer fruit has been gathered: This line describes the setting or situation of the simile. The harvest of summer fruit has already been completed.

The phrase summer fruit may refer to fruit that grew in the summer season or it may refer to ripe fruit in general. Some versions leave the word summer implied.

Here are some other ways to translate this line:

and all the summer fruit has been picked (New Century Version)
-or-
when the fruit is gathered (New American Bible)

7:1c

(English Standard Version) as when the grapes have been gleaned: This line is more literally “like gleanings of [the] grape harvest.” It describes the setting or situation of the second simile. The harvest of grapes has already been completed.

The word gleaned means that the grapes have been picked a second time after the main harvest.

Here are some other ways to translate this line:

and the grapes have been harvested (NET Bible)
-or-
as when the vines have been gleaned (New American Bible)

7:1d

there is no cluster to eat: This line is the final part of the simile about the grape harvest. The person looks for grapes to eat, but he does not find any.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cluster means “a cluster/bunch of grapes.”

Here are some other ways to translate this line:

• Make the word “grapes” explicit along with cluster. For example:

not a cluster of grapes (New Living Translation (2004))

• Translate the word “grapes” instead of cluster. For example:

there are no grapes left to eat (New Century Version)