Micah 7:17 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

They, the proud and cruel enemies of Israel, the Babylonians, shall lick the dust; in the most submissive, servile manner testify their subjection, promise to serve and honour the Jews released out of captivity: it is an expression which alludes to the servile manner of those Eastern complimenters, Psalms 72:9 Isaiah 49:23, and was fulfilled in the days after the return. when the kings of Persia favoured the Jews, and (as the manner of courtiers is) in compliance with their kings the grandees forwarded the prosperity of the Jews, as may easily be conjectured from the 6th and 7th Chapter s of Ezra. Like a serpent; condemned to eat the dust and perpetually to crawl on the dust; it seems to intimate. the perpetuity of slavery and subjection that the enemy should fall under, and that it should be on them as a curse like that on the serpent. They shall move out of their holes, so the strong holds and fastnesses of the Babylonians, who kept Israel in captivity, are called, like worms of the earth; which do with trembling and haste wriggle themselves out of their holes when the earth is shaken about them, or as when ants tumultuously in their fright run about from the ant-hill scattered with the foot; so should these enemies of Israel flee out of their holds, and leave them to conquering Persians, as Isaiah foretold, Isaiah 45:1-4. They shall be afraid; a panic fear, expressed by the loosening of the loins of kings, Isaiah 45:1; so did the conquering Cyrus proceed in the course of his victories, as Isaiah 41:2,3, God strengthened his arm, and left the heart of Babylonians sinking within them. Of the Lord our God; who did powerfully work for Cyrus in order to the delivering us out of captivity. It was our God, (saith the prophet in the person of Israel,) for his promise sake made to us, who did those great things by Cyrus and for us. And shall fear because of thee; so that the name of Jews, their power and greatness shall be terrible to their enemies.