Mic 7:19-20 | NETfull | STEP | You will once again have mercy on us; you will conquer our evil deeds; you will hurl our sins into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:19-20

19 You will once again ^{▼▼ The verb יָשׁוּב (yashuv, “he will return”) is here used adverbially in relation to the following verb, indicating that the Lord will again show mercy.} have mercy on us;
you will conquer ^{▼▼ Some prefer to read יִכְבֹּס (yikhbos, “he will cleanse”; see HALOT 459 s.v. כבס pi). If the MT is taken as it stands, sin is personified as an enemy that the Lord subdues.} our evil deeds;
you will hurl our ^{▼▼ Heb “their sins,” but the final mem (ם) may be enclitic rather than a pronominal suffix. In this case the suffix from the preceding line (“our”) may be understood as doing double duty.} sins into the depths of the sea. ^{▼▼ In this metaphor the Lord disposes of Israel’s sins by throwing them into the waters of the sea (here symbolic of chaos).}
20 You will be loyal to Jacob
and extend your loyal love to Abraham, ^{▼▼ More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.}
which you promised on oath to our ancestors ^{▼▼ Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.}
in ancient times. ^{▼▼ Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”}