Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:29

And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

29. The Stubbornness of Israel

29. testifiedst ] Cf. 2Ki 17:13, ‘Yet the Lord testified unto Israel and unto Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and of every seer.’

dealt proudly ] Cf. Neh 9:16.

which if a man do, he shall live in them ] Quoted from Lev 18:5, as also in Eze 20:11. Cf. Luk 10:28, ‘This do and thou shalt live.’

withdrew the shoulder ] R.V. marg. ‘Heb. they gave a stubborn shoulder ’. The metaphor of an ox refusing to submit to the yoke, as applied to Israel, who rejected the service of Jehovah, is familiar to us from Hos 4:16; Zec 7:11.

hardened their neck ] Cf. Neh 9:17.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Which if a man do, he shall live in them; of which see on Lev 18:5; Eze 20:11; Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12.

Withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, i.e. would not submit to thy yoke, like stubborn oxen.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And testifiedst against them,…. By sending prophets to them, to admonish them of their sins, and remind them of their duty:

that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law; to regard it, and walk according it:

yet they dealt proudly; with an haughty air rejected the counsel of God:

and hearkened not unto thy commandments; yielded not obedience to them:

but sinned against thy judgments; transgressed his laws, which were so just, righteous, reasonable, and equitable:

which if a man do, he shall live in them; or by them, in the land of Canaan, see Le 18:5,

and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear; like oxen, that wriggle and struggle, and draw back, and will not admit the yoke upon them.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

29. Withdrew the shoulder Like the refractory ox or the “backsliding heifer” (Hos 4:16) that rebels against the yoke. Compare Zec 7:11.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The Final Cycles ( Neh 9:29-31 ).

Neh 9:29

“And testified against them, that you might bring them again to your Law. Yet they dealt proudly, and did not listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, (which if a man do, he will live in them), and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.”

They called on God to remember how He had testified against them so that He could bring them again to His Law. Once again we have the post-exilic stress on ‘the Law’ as barely stated. Yet their response had been to not listen to His Law. They had been arrogant. They had not listened to His commandments, they had sinned against His life-giving ordinances, and they had withdrawn from shouldering its requirements (like an ox withdraws its shoulder from the yoke – Hos 4:16), becoming stiff-necked and refusing to hear, in the same way as in Neh 9:16-17. Thus, they acknowledge before God, that things at the end were as at the beginning. They admitted that they were just as sinful today. Indeed within living memory they had slain one of His prophets, Zechariah the son of Berechiah (Mat 23:35).

The citation ‘which if a man do he will live in them’, appears in English to be a direct citation of Lev 18:5, but in the Hebrew it differs slightly. Lev 18:5 has ‘which if a man do them, and he shall live in them’. But the idea is parallel. Note the combined reference to ‘your Law — your commandments — your ordinances’, which can be compared and contrasted with the’ ordinances — laws — statutes — and commandments’ of Neh 9:13. Compare Lev 26:15; Num 36:13; Deu 6:1; Deu 7:11 etc; 2Ki 17:34; 2Ki 17:37. These descriptions indicate the varied nature of God’s Instruction (Law).

Neh 9:30

“Yet for many years you bore with them, and testified against them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet would they not give ear, therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.”

And yet, they reminded Him, in spite of their rebellions He had borne with them for many years, sending His Spirit-endued prophets to testify against them, seeking to bring them to repentance. But they had not been willing to listen, and as a consequence He had ‘given them into the hands of the peoples of the lands’. They had been exiled from their own country and scattered among the peoples of many lands. This was heartfelt confession. They felt in their own hearts guilt for what had happened. They saw themselves as having sinned along with their fathers.

Neh 9:31

“Nevertheless in your manifold mercies you did not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God.”

And so with grateful hearts they acknowledged to God how great his manifold mercies have been. Even after the long period of continual failures and rebellions He had not made a full end of them. He had not forsaken them. They had been carried off into foreign countries, but they had survived, and survived as His people. And it was all due to the fact that He was a gracious and merciful God. And with this enconium this section comes to an end.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Neh 9:29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

Ver. 29. And testifiedst against them ] Toldest them of their sins, foretoldest them of their dangers, didst all that could be done to do them good; but nothing would do.

Yet they dealt proudly ] See Neh 9:16 .

And hearkened not ] intus existens prohibuit alienum, Hear, and give ear, be not proud, Jer 13:15 .

But sinned against thy judgments ] i.e. Thy statutes, though made with so much reason and respect to our good, that if God did not command them, yet were it every way our best way to practise them: Isa 48:17 , “I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldest go.” As who should say, It is for thy profit that I command thee this or that, and not for mine own.

Which if a man do ] But that, as now, he cannot do, and, therefore, not be saved by the law, Rom 10:5 . Our Saviour indeed said to that young justiciary, “This do, and thou shalt live,” Luk 10:28 . But that was all one, saith Luther, as if Christ had said unto him, Vade et morere, Go upon thy death; for do this of thyself, and live thereby, thou art never able.

And withdrew the shoulder ] When called to take up Christ’s yoke, or to bear his cross. See the note on Zec 7:11 .

And hardened their neck ] To sinews of iron they added brows of brass.

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

sinned. Hebrew. chata’, App-44.

a man. Hebrew. ‘adam. App-14.

he shall live, &c. See note on Lev 18:2.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

testifiedst: Neh 9:26, Deu 4:26, Deu 31:21, 2Ki 17:13, 2Ch 24:19, 2Ch 36:15, Jer 25:3-7, Hos 6:5

yet they: Neh 9:10, Neh 9:16, Exo 10:3, Jer 13:15-17, Jer 43:2, Jer 44:10, Jer 44:16, Jer 44:17, Dan 5:20, Jam 4:6-10

which: Lev 18:5, Eze 20:11, Luk 10:28, Rom 10:5, Gal 3:12

withdrew the shoulder: Heb. gave a withdrawing shoulder, Zec 7:11, Zec 7:12

and hardened: Jer 7:26, Jer 17:23, Jer 19:15

Reciprocal: Exo 18:11 – proudly 2Ki 17:15 – testimonies 2Ki 21:9 – they hearkened 2Ch 33:10 – General 2Ch 36:13 – hardened Neh 1:7 – dealt Neh 13:15 – I testified Psa 50:7 – testify Psa 119:21 – cursed Pro 29:1 – hardeneth Isa 28:10 – For precept Isa 30:9 – will not Isa 63:10 – they rebelled Jer 7:13 – and I spake Jer 7:24 – backward Jer 11:8 – obeyed Jer 42:19 – admonished you Amo 2:4 – because Mat 21:34 – he sent Act 19:9 – divers 2Co 5:20 – as Gal 5:3 – testify Eph 4:17 – testify

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

9:29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and {g} withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not {h} hear.

(g) Which is a sign taken from oxen that shrink at the yoke or burden in Zec 7:11.

(h) When you admonished them by your prophets.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes