Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Micah isn't just describing a lack of good people; he's expressing the deep ache of wanting to find even one righteous person, like searching for the sweetest, earliest fruit, only to discover the harvest is already gone. This highlights that the absence of true godliness felt like a profound personal loss and a spiritual famine.
Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Micah opens this chapter in a deeply personal lament, speaking from the perspective of the true, faithful remnant within Israel. He feels like a solitary gleaning after a harvest, finding no significant fruit—no ripe clusters or choice early figs—left in a land stripped bare by widespread sin and apostasy. This profound sense of emptiness and longing for righteousness sets the stage for his subsequent, stark pronouncements about the moral decay and impending judgment upon the entire nation.
Why does the prophet cry out 'Woe is me!'? It's a cry born from a stark, painful observation about the spiritual state of his people.
Micah uses a powerful metaphor to express his grief. Imagine a farmer after the harvest and the vintage – the fields are stripped, the best fruit is gone. All that's left are the gleanings, the few overlooked bits, or perhaps spoiled remnants.
This is how Micah feels about the spiritual landscape of Judah. The 'summer fruits' and 'grapes' represent the upright and godly people. But now, they've been gathered, leaving behind a spiritual emptiness. There are no 'clusters' of righteousness to be found, no 'first-ripe figs' – those choice, excellent examples of faith and obedience that his soul deeply desires. It's a picture of profound scarcity, a land seemingly stripped bare of true spiritual life.
Who is the 'I' speaking in this lament? It's more than just Micah; it's a voice that echoes the pain of everyone who longs for God's people to flourish.
While Micah is the prophet, the 'I' in this verse seems to represent a deeper sentiment. Commentators suggest this isn't just Micah's personal grief, but the grief of the 'true Israel' – those within the nation who are genuinely devoted to God. It could even be seen as the land itself, personified, groaning under the weight of its unfaithfulness.
This perspective highlights that the longing for righteousness isn't a solitary experience. It's shared by all who align with God's heart. When the people of God fall into spiritual decay, it's a source of deep sorrow not only for God but for all who cherish His ways and desire to see His people thrive in holiness.
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Understand the original words
'ōy · Hebrew Interjection
An exclamation expressing profound grief, distress, or impending judgment, often signaling the gravity of the spiritual or social situation described.
Micah's lament isn't just about a bad harvest; it reflects a profound spiritual barrenness in Judah, where true righteousness and faithfulness are as rare as the first ripe fig after the harvest has been stripped bare.
c. 740-701 BC— this verse
Micah's Prophetic Ministry
Micah prophesies during a tumultuous period in Judah, facing threats from Assyria and internal corruption. This is the context for his pronouncements of judgment and calls for repentance.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to Assyria, a stark warning to Judah of the consequences of unfaithfulness to God.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. This event highlights the precariousness of Judah's political and spiritual state.
Similar to Micah's lament, Hosea uses the imagery of finding fruit like the first-ripe figs in the wilderness to express God's disappointment with Israel's early faithfulness turning to sin.
Jeremiah 24:2This passage offers a contrasting image of figs, with good figs representing the exiles whom God will restore and bad figs representing those left behind. It highlights the importance of 'first-ripe' quality in discerning God's people, a theme echoed in Micah's longing.
Matthew 21:18Jesus curses a fig tree that had leaves but no fruit, illustrating a divine expectation for fruitfulness. This connects to Micah's despair over the lack of spiritual 'fruit' or righteous people available.
Isaiah 5:1-7This prophecy uses the extended metaphor of God's vineyard, Israel, which was expected to produce good fruit but instead produced wild grapes. It shares Micah's theme of divine disappointment in the lack of expected righteousness.
Psalm 12:1This psalm laments the scarcity of godly people, stating 'the godly man has vanished from the land; the faithful have disappeared among mankind.' This sentiment directly mirrors Micah's feeling of being surrounded by corruption and the absence of righteous individuals.
barnesMicah 7:1: "Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit."
Woe - o is me! for I am, as when they have gathered the summer fruits , as the grape-gleanings of the vintage "The vineyard of the Lord of hosts," Isaiah said at the same time, "is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plants" Isaiah 5:7 . Isaiah said, brought forth wild grapes; Micah, that there ar…
cambridgeMicah 7:1: "Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit."
1 . Woe is me …] The speaker in Micah 7:1-4 , or at any rate in Micah 7:1 , is not the prophet, but the true Israel, i.e. Israel within Israel, personified. He is like a garden at the time of the fruit-harvest, which has many delightful fruits, but of course no early figs; or, like a vineyard, after the grape-gather…
Micah isn't just describing a lack of good people; he's expressing the deep ache of wanting to find even one righteous person, like searching for the sweetest, earliest fruit, only to discover the harvest is already gone. This highlights that the absence of true godliness felt like a profound personal loss and a spiritual famine.
The prophet Micah opens this chapter in a deeply personal lament, speaking from the perspective of the true, faithful remnant within Israel. He feels like a solitary gleaning after a harvest, finding no significant fruit—no ripe clusters or choice early figs—left in a land stripped bare by widespread sin and apostasy. This profound sense of emptiness and longing for righteousness sets the stage for his subsequent, stark pronouncements about the moral decay and impending judgment upon the entire nation.
The prophet Micah opens this chapter in a deeply personal lament, speaking from the perspective of the true, faithful remnant within Israel. He feels like a solitary gleaning after a harvest, finding no significant fruit—no ripe clusters or choice early figs—left in a land stripped bare by widespread sin and apostasy. This profound sense of emptiness and longing for righteousness sets the stage for his subsequent, stark pronouncements about the moral decay and impending judgment upon the entire nation.
"Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires." — Micah isn't just describing a lack of good people; he's expressing the deep ache of wanting to find even one righteous person, like searching for the sweetest, earliest fruit, only to discover the ha…
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Last reviewed October 2026