Micah 7:18 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Micah 7:18
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
strength · noun, common masculine singular absolute
pardoneth
נֹשֵׂ֤אno.Se'
H5375
to lift · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
iniquity
עָוֹן֙'a.Von
H5771
perversity · noun, common masculine singular absolute
by
וְעֹבֵ֣רve.'o.Ver
H5674
to cross over · conjunction + verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
transgression
פֶּ֔שַׁעPe.sha'
H6588
a revolt (national · noun, common masculine singular absolute
remnant
לִשְׁאֵרִ֖יתlish.'e.Rit
H7611
a remainder or residual (surviving · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct
heritage
נַחֲלָת֑וֹna.cha.la.To
H5159
properly · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
retaineth
הֶחֱזִ֤יקhe.che.Zik
H2388
to fasten upon · verb, hiphil perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
anger
אַפּ֔וֹ'a.Po
H639
properly · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
ever
לָעַד֙la.'Ad
H5703
properly · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
delighteth
חָפֵץchâphêts
H2654
properly
mercy
חֶ֖סֶדChe.sed
H2617
kindness · noun, common masculine singular absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Isaiah 44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Psalms 103:8-9 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Jeremiah 50:20 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah,…
Acts 13:38-39 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
Jeremiah 32:41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Exodus 15:11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Micah 7:14–end
Here is, I. The prophet's prayer to God to take care of his own people, and of their cause and interest, Mic 7:14. When God is about to deliver his people he stirs up their friends to pray for them, and pours out a spirit of grace and supplication, Zac 12:10. And when we see God coming towards us in ways of mercy, we must go forth to meet him by prayer. It is a prophetic prayer, which amounts to a promise of the good prayed for; what God directed his prophet to ask no doubt he designed to give. Now, 1. The people of Israel are here called the flock of God's heritage, for they are the sheep of his hand, the sheep of his pasture, his little flock in the world; and they are his heritage, his po…
Grateful at such unlooked-for grace being promised to Israel, Micah breaks forth into praises of Jehovah.
passeth by the transgression--not conniving at it, but forgiving it; leaving it unpunished, as a traveller passes by what he chooses not to look into (Pro 19:11). Contrast Amo 7:8, and "mark iniquities," Psa 130:3.
the remnant--who shall be permitted to survive the previous judgment: the elect remnant of grace (Mic 4:7; Mic 5:3, Mic 5:7-8).
retaineth not . . . anger-- (Psa 103:9).
delighteth in mercy--God's forgiving is founded on His nature, which delights in loving-kindness, and is averse from wrath.
Adam Clarke on Micah 7:18
Who is a God like unto thee, etc - Here is a challenge to all idol worshippers, and to all those who take false views of the true God, to show his like. See his characters; they are immediately subjoined.
1. He pardoneth iniquity. This is the prerogative of God alone; of that Being who alone has power to save or to destroy.
2. He passeth by transgression. He can heal backsliding, and restore them that are fallen.
3. He retaineth not his anger forever. Though, justly displeased because of sin, he pours out his judgments upon the wicked; yet when they return to him, he shows "that he retaineth not his anger forever," but is indescribably ready to save them.
4. He delighteth in mercy. Judgment…
For what was it Jesus' detractors said? "No man can forgive sins, but God alone." Inasmuch then as they themselves laid down this definition, they themselves introduced the rule, they themselves declared the law. He then proceeded to entangle them by means of their own words. "You have confessed," he says in effect, "that forgiveness of sins is an attribute of God alone; my equality therefore is unquestionable." And it is not these men only who declare this but also the prophet Micah, who said, "Who is a God like you?" and then indicating his special attribute he adds, "pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression."
Wherefore let us not listen to him when we are in any of the troubles of this world, be it bodily pain, or the loss of our children, or of other necessaries, let us not listen to his words, Where is the Lord thy God? It is under severe pain that his temptations are to be feared, it is then that he seeks to turn the sick soul astray. Wherefore the soul which has not listened to his allurements, seeing afterwards the wonderful works of God, seeing herself in heaven, and the devil creeping upon the earth, will congratulate herself saying, Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by transgression?
(Verse 18-20.) Who is God like you? You who take away iniquity and pass over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance. He will not continue to be angry, for he delights in showing mercy. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot and hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will be faithful to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you swore to our fathers long ago. LXX: Who is like you, O God? You who removes iniquities and surpasses injustices for those who remain as your heritage? He did not retain his anger as testimony because he desires mercies. He will return and have mercy on us, he will submerge our sins, and all our sins will be cast into the deep sea. He will give Jacob truth and Abraham mercy, as you swore to our fathers in the days of old. The wise prophet, seeing the multitude of nations disturbed in its conclusion, is amazed and afraid of God, and therefore the Lord rages in order to take away sins and grant salvation. He praises and marvels at the Lord, saying: Who is like you, O God, taking away iniquities and surpassing injustices (Exodus 12): just as the exterminator passed over the people of Israel in Egypt and did not destroy them (hence the name Passover, which means passing over), so you spare the nations, not counting their iniquities against them. Furthermore, what follows is this: Those who remain of his inheritance have not held his wrath as a testimony. This is the meaning: If he spared the nations that did not want to believe in his Law, and those who were left from the people are abandoned, he did not want to impute their injustices to them nor did he inflict his wrath as a testimony of just punishment. What will he do with his flock, which grazes in the middle of Carmel, and in Bashan, and in Gilead? For he is willing to show mercy, and he will have compassion on us, and he will carry our sins, and the iniquities that weigh upon us like a talent of lead, he himself will bear and plunge into the sea, and he will not allow them to be. He will give truth to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham, in order to restore his people, who are like supplanters and novelties, and who are always in strife. In Christ, he will fulfill his promise, and he will grant mercy to the multitude of nations (for Abraham is called the father of many nations), just as he swore to our ancestors who were witnesses to our…
Dictionary and topics
Affliction, Consolation Under · To those who mourn for sin — To those who mourn for sin
Mercy Of God, The · Is his delight — Is his delight
Pardon · Exhibits the: Compassion of God — Exhibits the: Compassion of God
Sin · God: Alone can forgive — God: Alone can forgive
Unity Of God · Exhibited in: His being the only source of pardon — Exhibited in: His being the only source of pardon
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Gill on Micah 7:18
Who is a God like unto thee,.... There is no God besides him, none so great, so mighty, as he; none like him for the perfections of his nature; for the works of his hands; for the blessings of his goodness, both of providence and grace; and particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy, as follows:
that pardoneth iniquity: that "lifts" it up, and "takes" it away, as the word (t) signifies; thus the Lord has taken the sins of his people off of them, and laid them on Christ, and he has bore them, and carried them away, as the antitype of the scapegoat, never to be seen and remembered any more; and whereas the guilt of sin lies sometimes as a heavy burden upon their consciences, he lifts it u…
Micah 7:18
18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
18. Quis Deus sicut tu, tollens iniquitatem, et transiens super scelus, erga reliquias haereditatis suae? Non retinebit in perpetuum iram suam (alii vertunt, non roboravit; nam chzq hoc interdum significat; sed potius hic vertendum est, non retinebit;) quia placet ei clementia (vel, diligit misericordiam.) [201]
The Prophet here exclaims that God ought to be glorified especially for this -- that he is merciful to his people. When he says, Who is God as thou art? he does not mean that there…
"Who is a God like Thee? removing guilt and passing over iniquity to the remnant of His inheritance. He retaineth not His anger for ever, for He delighteth in mercy. Mic 7:19. He will have compassion upon us again, tread down our transgressions; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Mic 7:20. Mayest Thou show truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which Thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old." מי אל כּמוך looks back to Exo 15:11; but whether Micah also plays upon his own name is doubtful. Like the first redemption of Israel out of Egypt, the second or still more glorious redemption of the people of God furnishes an occasion for praising the incomparable nature…
These verses provide a fine brief summary of Old Testament theology. God is unique; there is no one and nothing else like him. Because of his unfailing love (Hebrew khesed), he does not destroy his people whom he judges but instead restores them (see Exod 36:6-7). His faithfulness means that he can be trusted to do good regardless of the cost to himself (see Ps 89:1-2). • Where is another God like you: This question probably plays off of Micah’s name (“Who is like the Lord?”). God’s character is unequaled among the gods of the nations. His actions and words spring from his character (Exod 34:6-7). God pardons, shows compassion, triumphs over his peoples’ sins, and seals those sins away. The…
as those who crawl on the earth—They are snakes, which crawl on their bellies on the dust of the earth.
They shall quake from their imprisonment—They shall quake because of the extreme narrowness of their imprisonment and the confinement of their captivity.