Micah 5:7
in Micah 5Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from Jehovah, as showers upon the grass, that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of men.
KJV
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
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This verse in Micah 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And the remnant of Jacob - Micah (Mic 4:7), as well as Isaiah (Isa 10:21), had prophesied, that a remnant only should return unto the Mighty God.
This site's exposition
as a dew from the Lord
on Micah 5:7-8
The remnant of Jacob is pictured two ways in successive verses, first as a dew from the Lord and showers upon the grass, refreshment that comes without waiting on any man, and then as a lion among the beasts of the forest, treading down and tearing with none to deliver. The older writers read both images of the same remnant rather than two different groups, the same people a blessing to those who receive them and a judgment to those who resist. The pairing gives the remnant's future among the Gentiles both its gentlest and its fiercest face in the space of two verses.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 7 onwards) And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or delay for the sons of men.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
As the showers - God shall bless them by his immediate hand, as he alone, without the help of man, gives dew and showers. As this was fulfilled in the type, before the gospel was preached to all nations, so it hath been, now is, and ever shall be fulfilled in ages to come.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people,....
They shall live in a continual dependence upon God, and be still deriving from him, as the dew, which tarries not for man, not waits for the sons of men; they shall not rely upon human aids and powers, but on divine grace, for they are, and own that they are, no more than what the free grace of God makes them every day.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Zec 8:13). from the Lord--Israel's restoration and the consequent conversion of the Gentiles are solely of grace. tarrieth not for man--entirely God's work, as independent of human contrivance as the dew and rains that fertilize the soil.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The remnant of Jacob - From the reign of Darius Hystaspes (Ahasuerus, husband of Esther) the Jews were greatly favored. Those who continued in Persia and Chaldea were greatly honored under the protection of Mordecai and Esther. - Calmet. But others consider this as applying to the Maccabees. As a dew from the Lord - Even during their captivity many of the Jews were the means of spreading the knowledge of the one true God; see Dan 2:47; Dan 3:29; Dan 4:34; Dan 6:26. This may be the dew from the Lord mentioned here. When the Messiah appeared, the Gospel was preached by them; and it shall again be propagated by their future glorious restoration, Rom 11:12, Rom 11:25. The grass, that tarrieth not for man - Which grass springs up without the attention and culture of man; לאיש leish, even the best and most skillful of men. Nor waiteth for the sons of men - לבני אדם libney adam, for the sons of Adam, the first transgressor. The dew and the showers descend on the earth and water it, in order to render it fruitful; and the grass springs up independently either of the worth or wickedness of man. All comes through God’s bounty, who causes his sun to shine on the just and the unjust, and his rain to descend on the evil and the good.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֣ה׀ | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שְׁאֵרִ֣ית | sheerit | [the] remnant of | H7611 → | 66 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֗ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ | bekerev | in [the] midst of | H7130 → | 227 times |
| עַמִּ֣ים | ʾamim | peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| רַבִּ֔ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| כְּטַל֙ | ketal | like dew | H2919 → | |
| מֵאֵ֣ת | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כִּרְבִיבִ֖ים | kirvivim | like copious showers | H7241 → | |
| עֲלֵי־ | ʾalei- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עֵ֑שֶׂב | ʾesev | vegetation | H6212 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְקַוֶּה֙ | yekaveh | it waits | H6960 → | |
| לְאִ֔ישׁ | leish | for anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְיַחֵ֖ל | yeyachel | it waits | H3176 → | |
| לִבְנֵ֥י | livnei | for [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָֽם׃ | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
וְהָיָ֣ה׀and it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
שְׁאֵרִ֣ית[the] remnant of
sheeritH7611 →66 times
יַעֲקֹ֗בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙in [the] midst of
bekerevH7130 →227 times
עַמִּ֣יםpeoples
ʾamimH5971 →1873 times
רַבִּ֔יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
כְּטַל֙like dew
ketalH2919 →
מֵאֵ֣תfrom with
meetH854 →929 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
כִּרְבִיבִ֖יםlike copious showers
kirvivimH7241 →
עֲלֵי־on
ʾalei-H5921 →5755 times
עֵ֑שֶׂבvegetation
ʾesevH6212 →
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יְקַוֶּה֙it waits
yekavehH6960 →
לְאִ֔ישׁfor anyone
leishH376 →1663 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יְיַחֵ֖לit waits
yeyachelH3176 →
לִבְנֵ֥יfor [the] children of
livneiH1121 →4930 times
אָדָֽם׃humankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 44:3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
it leads to
- Joel 2:28
And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
- Acts 2:17
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
- Isaiah 59:21
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your…
- John 7:37–39
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Proverbs 1:23
If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
- Joel 2:28
Through
Deuteronomy 32:2Let my teaching fall like rain and my speech settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass, like showers on tender plants.
it leads to
- Isaiah 55:10–11
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
- Psalms 72:6
May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass, like spring showers that water the earth.
- Isaiah 55:10–11
Through
Micah 5:3Therefore Israel will be abandoned until she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel.
it leads to
- Revelation 12:1–2
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
- Revelation 12:1–2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Micah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Edward Bouverie Pusey, The Minor Prophets: A Commentary; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Micah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.