Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:8

And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give [it, I say], to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou [art] righteous:

8. his heart faithful ] The word ‘faithful’ is of the same root as that rendered ‘believed’ in Gen 15:6, ‘And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness;’ and the phrase here used is derived from that passage, since the same chapter in Genesis also contains a list of the peoples of the land ( Neh 9:19-21), that were to be dispossessed by the seed of Abraham according to the Covenant. For the use of this adjective applied to Abraham, cf. Gal 3:9, ‘they which be of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.’

the land of the Canaanites ] R.V. the land of the Canaanite, Hittite, &c. The six nations here referred to, are all Palestinian. From the list in Gen 15:18-21, there are here omitted ‘the Kenite, the Kenizzite, the Kadmonite, and the Rephaim.’ Perhaps only those nations are recorded of which the names were still in use.

to give it, I say, to his seed ] R.V. even to give it unto his seed.

hast performed thy words ] Cf. Jos 23:14, ‘Not one thing hath failed of all the good things, which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, not one thing hath failed thereof.’

for thou art righteous ] The same epithet in the Hebrew is used in Neh 9:33, ‘thou art just,’ where the Divinely ordered discipline of the Exile is alluded to. The root idea of ‘righteousness’ is ‘straightness,’ that which will not swerve from truth and justice. Jehovah is called ‘righteous,’ because His rule of the world and of His people Israel is in agreement with the most perfect imaginable standard of justice and truth. Cf. Deu 32:4; Psa 85:13; Psa 145:17; Zep 3:5.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Foundest his heart faithful before thee; when thou madest that admirable trial of his faith and obedience, in requiring him to offer up his only son Isaac, thou didst find out and discover his faithfulness, which was well known to thee before, and also was wrought in him by thy grace.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And foundest his heart faithful before thee,…. A true believer in his word and promises, Ge 15:6 and closely attached to the fear of him, and observance of his commands, as abundantly appeared in the trial of him, in offering up his son, Ge 22:1,

and madest a covenant with him, to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, [I say], to his seed; not to him personally, but to his posterity, at least including and chiefly designing them; of which covenant see Ge 15:18,

and hast performed thy words, for thou art righteous; in all his ways and works, faithful to his promise, a covenant keeping God, and who kept and fulfilled this covenant, assisting Joshua to conquer the land of Canaan, and put Israel into the possession of it.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(8) The Hivites are for some reason omitted.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Neh 9:8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give [it, I say], to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou [art] righteous:

Ver. 8. And foundest his heart faithful ] He must needs find it so who had made it so. Otherwise Abraham, as well as any other, might well say, Horreo quicquid de meo est, ut meus sim (Bern.). The natural heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, &c., a bundle of sin (folly is bound up, &c.), a treasury of sin (an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart, &c.), a raging sea of sin, Isa 57:20 , a world of wickedness, Jas 3:6 , If any good be in it, it is but as a drop of rose water in a bowl of poison; where falling, it is presently corrupted.

And madest a covenant with him ] To be his God, and the God of his seed. This was divini mellis alveare, the beehive of heavenly honey; this was more than to be made monarch of the whole world. See Gen 17:20-21 .

To give the land of the Canaanites, &c. ] Who had filled that good land from one end to the other with their uncleanness, Ezr 9:11 , and were therefore worthily rooted out of it. So Josephus reports that in his time these Jews were grown so wicked, that if the Romans had not destroyed them, without doubt either the earth would have swallowed them up, or fire from heaven have consumed them. Bede saith of the ancient Britons (immediately before their destruction by the Saxons) that they were come to a very great height of wickedness; so as to shame the counsel of the poor, because the Lord was his refuge, Psa 14:6 .

And hast performed thy words ] Of many promisers it may be said, as Tertullian of the peacock, all in changeable colours: as oft changed as moved. Sertorius paid his promises with fair words. Antiochus was surnamed Doson , because he oft said, I will give you this, or that, but never did. God is none such.

For thou art righteous ] That is, faithful: for there is a twofold justice of God; 1. Of equity: 2. Of fidelity. See 1Jn 1:9 Rev 10:1 , where Christ is said to have a rainbow on his head; to show that he is faithful and constant in his promises.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

faithful. Because He had made it so. Compare Jam 3:6.

covenant. Compare Gen 15:1, Gen 15:18; Gen 17:7, Gen 17:8.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

faithful Gen 22:1-3; Jam 2:21-23

covenant (See Scofield “Gen 15:18”)

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

foundest: Gen 12:1-3, Gen 15:6, Gen 15:18, Gen 22:12, Act 13:22, 1Ti 1:12, 1Ti 1:13, Heb 11:17, Jam 2:21-23

madest: Gen 12:7, Gen 15:18, Gen 17:7, Gen 17:8, Gen 22:16-18, Deu 7:8, Deu 7:9, Deu 9:5, Psa 105:8, Psa 105:9, Luk 1:72, Luk 1:73

the Canaanites: Gen 15:18-21, Exo 3:8, Exo 3:17, Deu 7:1, Jos 9:1, Jos 11:3

hast performed: Deu 26:3, Jos 11:23, Jos 21:43-45, Jos 23:14, Psa 105:43, Psa 105:44

righteous: Num 23:19, Psa 92:14, Psa 92:15, Tit 1:2, Heb 6:18, 1Jo 1:9

Reciprocal: Gen 13:15 – General Gen 15:7 – to give Exo 2:24 – remembered Jos 24:3 – I took Jdg 3:5 – Canaanites 1Ki 8:20 – hath performed 1Ch 1:14 – Girgashite 1Ch 16:16 – which he made 2Ch 20:7 – gavest Psa 116:5 – and righteous Isa 29:22 – who redeemed Isa 51:2 – for Dan 9:16 – according Amo 2:10 – I brought Mal 3:6 – I am Act 3:25 – the covenant Act 7:3 – the land Act 7:5 – yet Act 13:17 – God Heb 11:8 – Abraham

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Neh 9:8. And foundest his heart faithful before thee In many instances, especially in that great trial of his faith and obedience, when thou requiredst him to offer up his only son as a sacrifice. And hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous True to thy word, faithfully fulfilling all thy promises.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments