Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:5
Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said, Stand up [and] bless the LORD your God forever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
5. Then ] As in Neh 9:4, the ‘copula’; no very exact sequence of time is implied.
Hashabniah Hodijah ] R.V. Hashabneiah Hodiah. The Levitical names of the previous verse appear here with some variations. Bunni, the second Bani, Chenani disappear; and the names of Hashabneiah, Hodiah, Pethahiah are introduced afresh. The remaining five names are the same in both lists; and this adds to the difficulty in accounting for the variation, for there seems to be no reason for a partial change of personnel at this juncture. Very possibly the Hebrew text is in fault.
The LXX. gives only two names, Jeshua and Kadmiel, but its tendency to shorten lists of names (cf. Neh 8:7) diminishes the value of its testimony in the present instance.
The best way of accounting for the variation is to suppose that the compiler turns at this point to a different source of information, in which there was a slight disagreement in the list of names. The compiler transcribes: he neither corrects nor explains; and the variation is evidence both of his candour and of the general honesty of subsequent copyists.
Stand up ] It may be questioned whether these words should be understood literally. Some commentators suppose that the Levites enjoin the people to exchange the kneeling position of prayer for the standing posture of praise. In Neh 9:2 we are told the people ‘stood and confessed their sins,’ and in Neh 9:3 they ‘confessed and worshipped the Lord.’ Now ‘worshipping’ is not necessarily ‘kneeling.’ Prayer and confession are quite consistent with a ‘standing position,’ cf. Neh 8:5 and note.
If not taken literally, it must be understood in its common metaphorical sense ‘arise,’ ‘up!’ prefacing an appeal to the laity to join in praise with the Levites.
for ever and ever ] R.V. from everlasting to everlasting. Cf. Psa 41:13, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting,’ Psa 90:2, ‘even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God,’ Psa 103:17. The words are connected more appropriately with ‘the Lord your God’ than with the verb ‘bless.’ This ascription to the Eternal Jehovah is possibly taken from a familiar doxology in Jewish worship (cf. Psa 41:13).
blessed be ] R.V. marg. ‘Or, let them bless ’. The rendering ‘let them bless’ is more literal. The third Pers. Plur. will refer either to the Israelites or, by a more comprehensive thought, to the dwellers of the earth. But the change of person is abrupt and not without awkwardness. It is perhaps due to a quotation from a Doxology; compare a somewhat similar clause introduced in Psa 106:48.
The LXX. rendering introduces the words ‘and Ezra said’ as a prefix to this clause, as if the whole of the ensuing address were his utterance. No other evidence, however, supports this reading; but it seems to preserve a very probable tradition based on the similarity of this confession to that of Ezra in Ezra 9.
thy glorious name ] Literally, ‘the name of thy glory’ ( kbd) as in Psa 72:19, ‘blessed be his glorious name for ever.’ The expression differs very slightly from that in 1Ch 29:13, ‘Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name’ (lit. the name of thy glory ‘ tiphereth ’). The Name is the Being of God made known to man; the glory ( kbd) of it is its manifestation (Exo 33:18; Exo 33:22), of which splendour ( tiphereth) is an accompaniment.
exalted above all blessing and praise ] i.e. man can add nothing thereto by the highest blessings or by the noblest praises. He dwelleth in the ‘light unapproachable,’ cf. 1Ti 6:16. The Hebrew has ‘and (or, even) exalted:’ the LXX. : Vulg. ‘excelso in.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Stand up – The people had knelt to confess and to worship God Neh 9:3. They were now to take the proper attitude for praise. Compare throughout the margin reference.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. Stand up and bless the Lord your God] It is the shameless custom of many congregations of people to sit still while they profess to bless and praise God, by singing the Psalms of David or hymns made on the plan of the Gospel! I ask such persons, Did they ever feel the spirit of devotion while thus employed? If they do, it must be owned that, by the prevalence of habit, they have counteracted the influence of an attitude most friendly to such acts of devotion.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then the Levites said all the following words. Either therefore they all used the same words, being composed and agreed upon by Ezra and themselves; or they all prayed in the same manner, and to the same purpose, having agreed among themselves concerning the matter of their confessions and prayers. And these are the words which one of them used; and it is implied that the rest of their prayers were of the same nature.
For ever and ever; from day to day, as long as you live, and to all eternity.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Then the Levites . . . said,Stand up and bless the Lord your GodIf this prayer was utteredby all these Levites in common, it must have been prepared andadopted beforehand, perhaps, by Ezra; but it may only embody thesubstance of the confession and thanksgiving.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then the Levites, Jeshua,…. Or, then the Levites, even Jeshua:
and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah; the same as before, with a little variation of their names, and perhaps some of them might have two names:
and said; to the men that stood and confessed their sins, Ne 9:2
stand up; for though they are before said to stand, yet, through shame and confusion of face, and awe of the Divine Majesty, might be fallen on their faces to the ground:
and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever; for all the great and good things he had done for them, notwithstanding their sins; and particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy they had reason to hope for:
and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise: the glory of which name, nature, and perfections of his, cannot be set forth by the highest praises of men, and the largest ascriptions of blessing and honour to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Praise and Prayer, Verses 5-37 ( for 9:38 SEE <<Neh 10:1>>)
Eight of the Levite teachers led the assembled confessors in a lengthy prayer. They began with laudation of God, calling on the people to bless Him for ever and ever. He was praised as the only Lord and Creator of the ‘leavens, their host, the earth and its occupants, the sea and its creatures, the Giver of all life. Then they turned to the history of Israel, beginning with the call of Abaram from Ur, changing his name to Abraham, and making with him the covenant to give the land of Canaan to him and his descendants after him. This promise He had kept.
Thus they began at the beginning with praise prayer. God was there from the beginning, and it was He who proceeded to establish the nation of Israel in Abraham. Not only did He start them as a separate people, but saved them in Egypt, then delivered them from the bondage into which they fell there. By His signs and wonders He overturned Pharoah’s opposition, destroying him in the Red Sea when he tried to pursue Israel, whom He brought through on dry ground. God appears first in His eternity, then His election of Abraham, then His power to deliver.
His guidance is displayed in the leadership of Israel through the wilderness by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. His authority over them He emphasized by the giving of the law from Mount Sinai. Here He gave them His ordinances, statutes, and precepts, including the sabbath, which set them apart and proved them as to their obedience to His law. His sustenance of His people was demonstrated by the sending of the manna for their food and water from the rock to drink.
The mercy and forgiveness of their God was very demonstrable in His treatment of their rebellion in the wilderness. When they repeatedly rebelled, in building the golden calf and in electing a captain to lead them back to Egypt, Moses would intercede and He would forgive them. They were objects of His grace, compassion, and lovingkindness, and He did not forsake them.
Verse 20 mentions His instruction by His spirit presence among them. This was seen in Moses and in the deeds He performed with and for them. They did not want for anything needful, for even their clothing did not wear out, and they never became footsore. When they neared Canaan the Lord proved Himself a God of verity, for all that He had promised them concerning the land He fulfilled. Sihon and Og across the Jordan fell to them, and they inhabited the land; then the second generation, the children of the wilderness rebels, inherited the land of Canaan as the Lord had promised. Great fortified cities fell to them. They occupied fertile and developed fields, producing vineyards, reservoirs of water already provided. They were blessed with an abundance already prepared for them.
From the time of the conquest throughout the period of the judges the longsuffering of God was His most apparent characteristic with Israel. Over and over they sinned and went into bondage to surrounding nations. Then they called on the Lord for forgiveness and deliverance, and He would comply only to have them revert to their old apostasy. Even after the kingdom was established they continued their shortcomings, and God sent His prophets to preach to them and cal’ them back to His law. But they had turned a deaf ear and a cold shoulder, refusing His remonstrance. Still, in His great compassion the Lord did not make an end of Israel, but preserved a remnant.
From verse 32 on the Levites’ prayer turns to confession and petition. Again the Lord is addressed as their great, mighty, awesome, covenant-keeping, and loving God. They implore Him to look on all their sufferings and trials, on kings, princes, priests, and prophets, and all the fathers, that it not seem to Him insignificant, but sufficient that He might restore to them His great blessing and forgiveness. Yet they acknowledged that the sins of the fathers and themselves were great, that God had not been unfaithful to His promises in bringing this chastisement on them. They had failed to keep their side of the covenant, had disobeyed His commandments and refused His admonitions. When they were in their own kingdom they had enjoyed His abundant blessings and refused to serve Him, for which reason they became slaves of a foreign nation. At that very time they lived as slaves in the land God gave them, its abundance and riches going to the enrichment of their heathen lord. For this they were in “great distress.”
Lessons to learn: 1) reading the word of God will convict one concerning his sin and shortcoming; 2) God’s ministers should lead His people in praise and honor of the Lord; 3) Gods dealing with His people is demonstrably good from its beginning to its ending; 4) the best thing for one convicted to do is to confess and seek God’s forgiveness.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
2. God is praised for His power in creation.
TEXT, Neh. 9:5 b Neh. 9:6
5b
O may Thy glorious name be blessed
And exalted above all blessing and praise!
6
Thou alone art the LORD.
Thou has made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them.
Thou dost give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down before Thee.
COMMENT
Here begins the longest prayer recorded in the Bible: longer than either Jesus prayer in John 17 or Solomons prayer at the dedication of the Temple in 1 Kings 8. Its author is not named, but Ezra is most commonly thought to have composed it. The Anchor Bible1 has an extensive chart of verbal and thought parallels in the O.T. to this prayer verse by verse. The author was obviously immersed in the Biblical tradition; the things he mentions are exactly the historical events recorded in the O.T. We may conclude that the Book which he had was essentially the same as the one which we have, up to that point.[71][71] Anchor Bible, op, cit., p. 167ff.
The prayer begins (Neh. 9:5 b) with praise to God. There is a difference between thanksgiving to God for what he has done and praise to Him for who He is: for His majesty and power and glory, and His mighty acts. This along with Neh. 9:6, is praise. The reference to Gods name is to His character and person: name in the O.T. means personality, or person: see the Word Studies that follow.
In Neh. 9:6, the first reference to the heavenly host is to the stars, all in their orderly ranks; the second reference is to His angels, all the heavenly beings.
WORD STUDIES
NAME (Neh. 9:5, Shem): basically it means a sign, monument, or memorial of a person, thing, or event. This word is translated memorial in Isa. 55:13. But the emphasis is on the person or event of which it is only the sign. To do something in someones name is to act by his authority (Exo. 5:23). To know someone by name suggests acquaintance with him personally (Exo. 33:12). To make oneself a name indicates fame and renown (2Sa. 7:9); conversely, to have no name is to be a nobody (Job. 30:8); a good name signified a good reputation or character (Pro. 22:1); the destruction of ones name meant that his person and the memory of him would be no more (Deu. 9:14).
Gods name, then, is His person, His authority, the knowledge of Him, His fame or glory, His character, the memory of all that He has done.
WORSHIP (Neh. 9:3); BOW DOWN (Neh. 9:6): these are the same word. It contains three ideas; (1) sink down, bow down, fall prostrate, do honor or reverence to someone whether to an equal or to a superior; (2) hence, to worship or adore; (3) therefore, to do homage or yield allegiance to someone.
Worship is incomplete without commitment.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(5) Hashabniah.Not found elsewhere. No reason is given why this company is somewhat different from the former; the LXX. arbitrarily omit all names after Kadmiel. Similarly, they insert and Ezra said before Neh. 9:6. The psalm was perhaps composed by Ezra, but uttered by the Levites in the name of the congregation.
Stand up and bless . . . Blessed be.Or, let them bless.
Thou, even thou, art Lord alone.The three phrases mark how the address to the people glides into direct adoration of God.
Thy glorious name.Literally found again in Psa. 72:19 alone.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Stand up The Levites thus call upon the congregation to join in offering the prayer, and probably the people, rising, responded, and blessed be thy glorious name, etc. And thus they continued, reciting and responding, through all this confession prepared for them by Ezra.
For ever and ever Hebrew, from everlasting to everlasting. Always and unceasingly is Jehovah to be praised.
Exalted above all blessing All worship and praise must fail fully to recognise and appreciate the worth and power of that GLORIOUS NAME.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Neh 9:5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said, Stand up [and] bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
Ver. 5. Then the Levites, Jeshua, &c., said, Stand up ] Gird yourselves, and serve the Lord, as Luk 17:8 . Be instant, or stand close to the work, , 2Ti 4:2 ; set sides and shoulders to it; rouse up yourselves, and wrestle with God. Hoc agite, Do this, said the Roman priest to the people at their sacrifices. And Sacerdos parat fratrum mentes dicendo, Sursum corda, saith Cyprian, In the primitive times the ministers prepared the people to serve God, by saying, Lift up your hearts ( De Oratione ).
And bless the Lord your God for ever
And blessed be thy glorious name
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Neh 9:5-8
5Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, Arise, bless the LORD your God forever and ever!
O may Your glorious name be blessed
And exalted above all blessing and praise!
6You alone are the LORD.
You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down before You.
7You are the LORD God,
Who chose Abram And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees,
And gave him the name Abraham.
8You found his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give him the land of the Canaanite,
Of the Hittite and the Amorite,
Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite
To give it to his descendants.
And You have fulfilled Your promise,
For You are righteous.
Neh 9:5 The Septuagint adds the phrase and Ezra said. . . Apparently it is asserting the authorship of chapter 9 to Ezra instead of the Levite leaders, as the MT implies. The rest of this chapter is a history of God’s faithful covenant promises and the people’s unfaithful responses.
Arise, bless These are both IMPERATIVES. The first VERB (BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal IMPERATIVE) means to stand up. Apparently unlike Ezra’s first reading of the Law (cf. Chapter 8), the people did not stand up the entire time (cf. Neh 8:5).
The second VERB (BDB 138, KB 159 II, used twice, the first a Peel IMPERATIVE, the second a Peel IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense) means to praise or adore for having special power (cf. Neh 8:6; 1Ch 29:20).
the LORD your God The covenant name of God, YHWH, translated Lord, is from the Hebrew VERB to be in its CAUSATIVE form. Therefore, the phrase forever and ever is parallel. They both refer to the ever-living, only-living One! See Special Topic: NAMES FOR DEITY .
forever and ever See Special Topic: Forever (‘olam) .
Thy glorious name The name is a Hebraic idiom for the person (e.g., Exo 32:33; 1Ch 28:13; Psa 72:19; Act 1:18; Act 4:10). God is glorious. See Special Topic: Glory (kabod) , BDB 458.
SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (OT)
above all blessing and praise The TEV catches the meaning as although no human praise is great enough.
Neh 9:6 This verse is an emphasis on God as the only (in the spirit of Exo 20:2-3 and Deu 6:4) Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Here creation is attributed to YHWH. Usually it is attributed to Elohim (cf. Genesis 1). See Special Topic: NAMES FOR DEITY .
Thou has made the heavens This phrase is parallel to the earth and all that is on it. Heavens here refers to the atmosphere of this planet (cf. Gen 1:1).
the heaven of heavens with all their hosts This seems to refer to the ancient association of heavenly bodies (e.g., sun, moon, planets, stars, comets) with gods or angels (cf. Neh 9:6 g; Deu 4:19; Job 38:7). See Special Topic: Heaven .
There has been an ongoing discussion among the rabbis as to how many heavens there are and to what they refer. The highest heaven would be God’s throne. Some see this as the third heaven (cf. 2Co 12:2), while others assert seventh heaven (b. Hagigah 11b).
In this context the heavens of heavens refers to the starry heavens (cf. Deu 10:14; Psa 148:3-4) that personified worship and praise to God.
NASBYou give life to all of them
NKJVYou preserve them all
NRSVto all of them you give life
TEVyou gave life to all
NJBYou keep them all alive
This VERB (BDB 310, KB 309, Peel PARTICIPLE) can mean
1. preserve alive (NKJV, JPSOA, cf. Col 1:17)
2. give life (NASB, NRSV, TEV, NJB, NIV, REB)
3. restore life
YHWH is creator, sustainer, and restorer of life!
Neh 9:7-8 This seems to deal with God’s choosing and covenanting with Abraham (cf. Genesis 12-18).
Neh 9:7 the LORD God This is YHWH Elohim. This combined title occurs first in Gen 2:4. See Special Topic: Names for Deity .
Who chose Abraham This VERB (BDB 103, KB 119, Qal PERFECT) refers to God’s choice. Here of Abraham (cf. Genesis 12); in Deu 7:7 of Israel as a people. This refers theologically to the initiation of a covenant relationship. God must initiate. The burning question is does He call, choose, initiate to all or to some select group? Even in the OT, the choice of Abraham was a means to choose all humans (cf. Gen 12:3); the choice of Israel was a choice for all humans (cf. Exo 19:4-6, esp. Neh 9:5 c).
SPECIAL TOPIC: Election/predestination and the Need for a Theological Balance
SPECIAL TOPIC: Predestination (Calvinism) vs. Human Free Will (Arminianism)
brought Him out of Ur of the Chaldees Originally Abraham’s family were apparently worshipers of the moon god (cf. Gen 11:31). Ur was one of several centers for moon god (i.e., sin or zin) worship. At this point, in history all were polytheists (many gods) or henotheists (many gods, but one special god for me).
gave him the name Abraham His original name Abram means exalted Father (BDB 4, KB 10). The term Abraham means chief of a multitude (BDB 4, KB, cf. Gen 17:5, where it is defined as the father of a multitude of nations).
Neh 9:8 You found his heart faithful before Thee Because of the use of the word faithful, this must refer to Gen 15:6 (cf. Rom 4:3; Rom 4:9; Rom 4:22; Gal 3:6; Jas 2:23), which refers to God’s promise of descendants. Abraham’s faith is fully revealed in Genesis 22 (cf. Jas 2:22).
The term heart is a Semitic idiom for the whole person. See Special Topic: Heart .
and made a covenant with him This covenant is first delineated in Gen 12:1-3, but reaffirmed in chapters 15 and 17. See Special Topic: COVENANT .
give him the land of the Canaanite This aspect of the covenant is fully delineated in Gen 15:17-21. For a full discussion of these tribes of Canaan see Ezr 9:1.
to his descendants This is literally the term seed. In the OT it focuses on the Jewish people, but in the NT Paul sees it as referring uniquely to Christ (cf. Gal 3:15-22).
You have fulfilled Your promise This relates to Gen 15:12-21, which refers to the Exodus from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan.
For You are righteous This relates to YHWH’s character (cf. 2Ch 12:6; Ezr 9:15), but the same term is used in Neh 9:33, translated just and refers to His actions (i.e., judgments, cf. Exo 9:27; Psa 119:137; Psa 145:17). See Special Topic: Righteousness at Neh 4:5 b. The specific texts that relate to the reason for the Canaanite defeat is Deu 9:4-6.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Levites. For these names, Compare Neh 3:17; Neh 7:43; Neh 10:10; Neh 12:8, Neh 12:24. Ezr 2:40; Ezr 3:9.
Stand up, &c. One of the most glorious of all Doxologies.
blessed be = let them bless.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Neh 9:5-8
Neh 9:5-8
REHEARSAL OF GOD’S GREAT PROMISE TO ABRAHAM
“Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up, and bless Jehovah your God from everlasting to everlasting; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou art Jehovah, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, and all their host, the earth and all the things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. Thou art Jehovah the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham, and foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perezzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it unto his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous.”
A profitable and acceptable feature of any prayer is a rehearsal of God’s promises and heartfelt praise for his fulfilment of them. All of the things mentioned here have been the subject of our extensive comments upon the Pentateuch, particularly in Genesis. It appears that during the whole history of ancient Israel that they seemed never to appreciate, nor even to remember, the reason why God called Abraham. That reason: “THAT IN THEE AND IN THY SEED (SINGULAR) ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED” (Gen 12:3; Gen 26:4).
E.M. Zerr:
Neh 9:4-5. In view of the preceding verses, I would conclude that from here on to the end of the chapter the writer is giving us some detailed information regarding the subject matter of those verses. The present paragraph very fittingly states the names of the men who led in the exercises, that they were Levites. That was appropriate in view of Lev 10:11; Deu 17:9; Mal 2:7. I shall make comment on the following verses because of the interesting subject matter. It will be found to be a resume of the dealings of God with his people, beginning with the creation and coming down to the exile in the land of the captivity.
Neh 9:6. This verse is comprehensive. All of the material things mentioned had been worshiped by the heathen, and the Israelites had been guilty of joining in with the iniquity. They were making confession of that sin, and, as a specific expression to show that their acknowledgement was not only sincere, but that it was logical, they said the things they had been worshiping had been the creation of the one true God, whom they now promised to serve.
Neh 9:7. The Lord the God was not merely a salute of honor, it had a significance based on the practice of the times. Lord means ruler and God means a being to be worshiped. These people had been ruled over by foreigners, and they had been worshiping false gods. This expression, then, was to distinguish between unlawful rulers and false gods on the one hand, and the true One on the other. The mere changing of a man’s name might not mean much, but in this place it did. Abraham means “father of a multitude,” while Abram means merely “high father.” It was therefore a promotion to have the change made for Abram.
Neh 9:8. The promise made to Abraham that his descendants were to possess the land was made to him because God found him to be a man of faith. He proved his faith by his works, in that whenever he was told to do a certain thing he always did it. The nations mentioned were heathen people who usurped the possession of land already given to Abraham and his seed. Righteousness was ascribed to God on the basis that he kept his promises to his servants.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Stand up: 1Ki 8:14, 1Ki 8:22, 2Ch 20:13, 2Ch 20:19, Psa 134:1-3, Psa 135:1-3
bless: 1Ch 29:20, Ezr 3:11, Psa 103:1, Psa 103:2, Psa 117:1, Psa 117:2, Psa 145:2, Psa 146:2, Jer 33:10, Jer 33:11, Mat 11:25, Eph 3:20, Eph 3:21, 1Pe 1:3
thy glorious: Exo 15:6, Exo 15:11, Deu 28:58, 1Ch 29:13, Psa 72:18, Psa 72:19, Psa 145:5, Psa 145:11, Psa 145:12, 2Co 4:6
exalted: 1Ki 8:27, 1Ch 29:11, Psa 16:2, Psa 106:2
Reciprocal: Jos 9:9 – because 2Sa 22:4 – worthy 1Ki 1:48 – Blessed 1Ki 8:15 – Blessed 1Ki 8:33 – pray Ezr 8:18 – Sherebiah Neh 9:4 – Jeshua Neh 10:10 – Shebaniah Neh 11:22 – Bani Psa 18:3 – who Psa 48:1 – greatly Psa 66:2 – General Psa 89:52 – Blessed Psa 96:4 – For the Psa 135:2 – that stand Psa 149:6 – the high Isa 12:4 – his name Isa 63:14 – to make Mat 6:9 – Hallowed 2Co 1:3 – Blessed 2Co 11:31 – which Eph 1:3 – Blessed 1Th 3:9 – what 1Ti 1:17 – be 1Ti 6:1 – that the Rev 4:11 – to receive
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Neh 9:5. Then the Levites, Jeshua, &c., said, Stand up, and bless the Lord for ever and ever Praise him and give him thanks, as long as you have any being; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise The super-excellent perfections of which, the noblest creatures cannot worthily magnify. The Levites, it is likely, praised him in these or such like words, in which all the people joined, either with their lips, or in their hearts.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The prayer of praise 9:5-38
A second group of seven Levites (Neh 9:5) led the people in the prayer of praise that Nehemiah included in this book, perhaps on a different day than the prayer he wrote about in Neh 9:1-4.
"The prayer is intended to instruct the readers. It gives us a survey of the history of Israel with emphasis on certain events in the life of the Chosen People. This approach is comparable to that of Psalms 78, 105, 106, 135, , 136." [Note: Fensham, pp. 227-28.]
It is especially helpful to read this prayer through the eyes of the returned exiles. They had experienced many of the same things their forefathers had. We, too, can identify with their appreciation of God’s grace, since we have seen these things in God’s dealings with us.
This is one of the great prayers of the Old Testament. It praises God for His character and conduct. It describes God’s greatness seen in His creation of the cosmos (Neh 9:6), and His grace and faithfulness in calling Abraham, promising him the land of Canaan, and fulfilling that promise (Neh 9:7-8). The returned exiles could identify with God’s miraculous deliverance of their forefathers when they were slaves in Egypt (Neh 9:9-11).
"Some forty Hebrew words are used to speak of miracles; they are used approximately five hundred times in the Old Testament. Half of these five hundred occurrences refer to the miracles of the exodus." [Note: Breneman, p. 237.]
The returnees could also appreciate God’s supernatural guidance of them and His faithful provision for them until He brought them to the Promised Land (Neh 9:12-15). They also voiced thanks to God for choosing them and for giving them His Law (Neh 9:13-14). While the second Exodus motif is strong in the biblical writers’ concept of the restoration, the idea of pilgrimage and procession to Zion is equally strong. [Note: Eugene H. Merrill, "Pilgrimage and Procession: Motifs of Israel’s Return," In Israel’s Apostasy and Restoration: Essays in Honor of Roland K. Harrison, pp. 261-272.] In spite of their forefathers’ rebellion (Neh 9:16-17 a): God forgave them and graciously guided them (Neh 9:19), provided for their physical needs (Neh 9:20-21), and gave them victory over their enemies (Neh 9:22). He also multiplied them (Neh 9:23), brought them into the Promised Land (Neh 9:24-25 a), and established them there (Neh 9:25 b).
During the period of the judges and during the monarchy, the Israelites disobeyed and rebelled many times. Nevertheless, God delivered them when they repented (Neh 9:26-29) and sent the prophets to turn them back to Himself (Neh 9:30). This shows God’s further grace and compassion toward His people (Neh 9:31). The returned Jews then called on God to remember their sufferings in exile (Neh 9:32). They acknowledged that the exile was a consequence of their disobedience to God’s Word (Neh 9:33-34). Even in exile, most of the Israelites had not returned to God (Neh 9:35). Consequently, much of the Jewish nation was still in bondage to its Persian rulers (Neh 9:36-37).
"This sad confession, like that of Ezr 9:9, affords clear proof that the leaders of post-Exilic Judaism did not regard their return from Babylon as final fulfillment of such prophecies of Israel’s restoration to the land as Isa 11:11-16; Isa 14:1-2." [Note: Whitcomb, p. 442.]
Nonetheless now they, the faithful remnant of returnees, were ready to make a formal commitment to obey Yahweh again (Neh 9:38).