Micah 7:19
יָשׁ֣וּב יְרַֽחֲמֵ֔נוּ יִכְבֹּ֖שׁ עֲוֹֽנֹתֵ֑ינוּ וְתַשְׁלִ֛יךְ בִּמְצֻלֹ֥ות יָ֖ם כָּל־חַטֹּאותָֽם׃
Mercy Repeated: יָשׁוּב יְרַחֲמֵנוּ
יָשׁוּב — Qal imperfect 3ms of שׁ־ו־ב, “he will return.”
This may refer either to God returning to His people or resuming His compassion. It echoes previous covenantal language where divine wrath is replaced by divine mercy.
יְרַחֲמֵנוּ — Piel imperfect 3ms + 1cp suffix of ר־ח־ם, “to show compassion.”
The Piel intensifies: “He will have compassion on us deeply.” The pronominal suffix makes the object explicit: “on us.”
Subduing Guilt: יִכְבֹּשׁ עֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ
יִכְבֹּשׁ — Qal imperfect 3ms of כ־ב־שׁ, “to subdue, suppress.”
A rare verb with connotations of military or sovereign control. Here, guilt (עָוֹן) is personified as something powerful that God “subdues” or overcomes.
עֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ — “our iniquities,” from עָוֹן + 1cp suffix.
The phrase thus means: “He will subdue our iniquities.” This evokes both moral and emotional power — God tames what would destroy.
Ultimate Removal: וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם כָּל־חַטֹּאותָם
וְתַשְׁלִיךְ — Hifil imperfect 2ms (jussive) from שׁ־ל־ך, “to throw, cast.”
Most likely jussive with vav-conjunctive: “And You will cast.” The form emphasizes intentional, decisive removal.
בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם — “into the depths of the sea”
- מְצֻלוֹת — plural of מְצוּלָה, “deep place,” especially deep waters
- יָם — “sea”
A poetic image of total erasure — sins are hurled into unfathomable depths, far from reach or remembrance.
כָּל־חַטֹּאותָם — “all their sins”
- חַטֹּאות — plural of חַטָּאת, “sin”
- ־ָם — 3mp suffix: “their”
This emphasizes complete absolution: not some sins, but all.
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Micah 7:19
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| יָשׁוּב | שׁ־ו־ב | Qal imperfect 3ms | “He will return” — possibly God returning in mercy |
| יְרַחֲמֵנוּ | ר־ח־ם | Piel imperfect 3ms + 1cp suffix | “He will deeply show compassion on us” |
| יִכְבֹּשׁ | כ־ב־שׁ | Qal imperfect 3ms | “He will subdue” — suppress moral guilt |
| תַשְׁלִיךְ | שׁ־ל־ך | Hifil imperfect 2ms (jussive) | “You will cast” — decisive divine removal |
The Sea Will Swallow It
Micah 7:19 compresses mercy, justice, and restoration into a poetic chain of verbs: return, show compassion, subdue, and cast away. These verbs, mostly imperfect, point to ongoing or certain future actions. God’s relationship to sin is expressed not in abstract theology but in concrete verbs — verbs that touch the heart and imagine a world where guilt is not just forgiven, but buried in the sea. Hebrew grammar here becomes liturgy: each verb a wave washing sin from memory.
