Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:18
Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;
18 20. The Golden Calf and God’s Mercy
18. molten calf Egypt.] The language is based on Exo 32:4, ‘ made it a molten calf, and they said, These be thy gods (marg. This is thy god), O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’
wrought great provocations ] Cf. Neh 9:26. The same word is rendered ‘blasphemies’ in Eze 35:12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Neh 9:18
Thou careen down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven.
Go by the directions
I saw a picture once which has stuck to my memory for years and years. It was a picture of a dark, wild, stormy night, and a traveller was standing up in the stirrups of his horse at a parting of the way, trying to read the directions on the finger-post. How eagerly he is looking! I can see him yet-holding the lighted match carefully in his hands lest the wind should blow it out before he had read the directions I It was a good thing for him that there were directions, and it is a good thing we have them too. Where are our directions? They are–the Bible. That is Gods Word to us, telling us which road to take when we come to the parting of the way. Go by the directions. Do what God rays, and you will never go wrong. (J. Reid Howatt.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Yea, when they had made them a molten calf,…. In imitation of the Apis, or ox of the Egyptians:
and said, this is thy god that brought thee out of Egypt; or the image of thy god, as the Arabic version, see Ex 32:4,
and had wrought great provocations; of all which nothing was greater than idolatry.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
God’s Faithful Provision For His People Throughout The Wilderness Period And His Successful Bringing Of Them Into The Land And Establishing Of Them In Prosperity ( Neh 9:18-25 ).
Here we have what is to some extent a reiteration of what was described in Neh 9:12-17, but now seen in the light of His people having provoked Him, and with greater emphasis on the Wilderness period, and on entry into the land which was now seen as satisfactorily accomplished (in Neh 9:12-17 they had stopped short of the land). The parallel sequence is, protection through the pillars of cloud and fire, instruction by His Spirit, provision of food, water and clothing, success over their enemies, and successful entry into and conquest of the land. And all this despite their having provoked God by making the molten calf. It was a reminder to God of how He had shown mercy in the face of great provocation.
Neh 9:18
“Yes, when they had made for themselves a molten calf, and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had wrought great provocations,”
The description of their making the molten calf is found in Exodus 32. It may well be that it was intended originally to have been seen as bearing the invisible YHWH on its back (as elsewhere Hadad was seen as riding on the back of a bull). But it was a forbidden graven image, and had soon itself taken the form of a god in peoples’ minds. The citation is an abbreviation of that in Exo 32:4 (omitting ‘O Israel’ and ‘the land of’ and using a singular verb). The Levites were therefore citing the example of Israel’s greatest provocation to God, the worshipping of an image before the very mountain of God. But the ‘great provocations ‘ would also include those which followed after (unless it is an intensive plural). And they are pointing out to God that even in the face of these provocations He had continued to deliver them, in exactly the same way as He had before, even accomplishing what had previously failed to be accomplished (entry into the land).
Neh 9:19
“Yet you in your manifold mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud did not depart from over them by day, to lead them in the way; nor the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way in which they should go.”
They gratefully acknowledged to God how, in the widespread nature of His mercies, He had not forsaken them in the wilderness. He had continued with them in the pillars of cloud and fire. He had led them in the way, protected them, given them light in the darkness, and shown them the way in which they were to go.
Neh 9:20
“You gave also your good Spirit to instruct them, and withheld not your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.”
He had also given His good Spirit to instruct them. This probably in the first instance has reference to His giving of the Spirit to the seventy elders (Num 11:17; Num 11:25-26), making them ‘prophets’ (Num 11:29). The thought is that they would have illuminated God’s Instruction to the people. And He had not withheld His gift of manna, and He had given them water to satisfy their thirst in the hot wilderness.
Neh 9:21
“Yes, forty years did you sustain them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing; their clothes did not grow old, and their feet did not swell.”
Indeed they acknowledged that He had given them even more, for during a period of forty years He had ensured that they lacked nothing. Their clothes had not grown old (probably indicating that He had ensured regular provision for renewing their clothing) and their feet had not swollen in such a way as to hinder their progress. He had kept them clothed, fit and well. The first part of the verse is an almost direct citation of Deu 2:7. The second part comes from Deu 8:4.
Neh 9:22
“Moreover you gave them kingdoms and peoples, which you allotted after their portions. So they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.”
In accordance with the parallel earlier, God’s protection through the pillars of cloud and fire, His instruction of His people, and His provision for their physical needs, was followed by ‘possession of the land’ in accordance with the promise given to Abraham. And it was fulfilled beyond what was expected. For they received control over kingdoms and peoples which were not of the land. The lands of Sihon and Og were east of the Jordan and outside the scope of the promises. But God gave them to them nevertheless. His graciousness and compassion were such that, in spite of their rebellions, He gave them abundantly over all that they could ask or think.
Neh 9:23
“You multiplied their children also as the stars of heaven, and brought them into the land concerning which you said to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.”
And they gratefully acknowledged that He had not only given them extra lands, but had also fulfilled His promise to Abraham in making his children as the stars of heaven for multitude (Gen 15:5; Gen 22:17; Gen 26:4). Most of these were, of course, his children by adoption, being descended from family servants, from his ‘household’ (from which he could draw 318 fighting men – Gen 14:14). And these children He had brought into the land which He had promised to make a possession for Abraham’s ‘seed’. This mention of the children of Israel as being ‘as the stars of heaven’ emphasises the fact that it is God’s covenant with Abraham that is being seen as fulfilled (compare Gen 13:15-17; Gen 5:18-21; Gen 17:8; Deu 1:10).
Neh 9:24
“So the children went in and possessed the land,”
And so in accordance with God’s covenant with Abraham and with his seed, the children had gone in and possessed the land. In Neh 9:15 God had commanded it. Now it had come to fruition because in His mercy and compassion He had spared those who had rebelled against Him who had said ‘no’, in order that their children might inherit.
Neh 9:24-25
“And you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings, and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would, and they took fortified cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit-trees in abundance. So did they eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness.”
They reminded God that He had not only given them the land, He had done it in style. He it was Who had ensured that the inhabitants of the land, its kings and peoples, were given into their hands, so that they could do with them as they would, a process that took from the time of Joshua to the time of David. And indeed that is precisely what Solomon had done as he made the peoples of the land slaves for his building operations.
And as a consequence they had not only inherited the land, but they had taken possession of fortified cities, of productive land, of houses full of good things, of cisterns already hewn out, and of vineyards, oliveyards and fruit trees in abundance. The result was that they had eaten and been filled, and had become well-nourished, enjoying life as they had rejoiced in God’s great goodness.
Note the gradual growth portrayed of God’s munificence. First the bread from heaven and water (Neh 9:15). then bread from heaven, water and clothing (Neh 9:20-21), and now an abundance of good things. God had been more than liberal.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
God’s Continual Activity On Behalf Of His People ( Neh 9:18-31 ).
In this second main section they now outlined to God how regularly the people had rebelled against Him, and yet how nevertheless He had constantly abundantly provided for them. The first sub-section (Neh 9:18-25) repeats the pattern of Neh 9:9-15 in describing God’s continued protection through the pillars of cloud and fire (Neh 9:19, compare Neh 9:12); His continued instruction of them (Neh 9:20 a, compare Neh 9:13-14); His provision of food and water and all needed sustenance (Neh 9:20-21, compare Neh 9:15 a), and His finally giving them possession of the land and more (Neh 9:22-25; compare Neh 9:15 b). It will be noted that it summaries the period in the wilderness and the successful campaign of Joshua.
The second sub-section (Neh 9:26-31) takes up their story in terms similar to the Book of Judges. They were constantly disobedient and rebelled, and God constantly delivered them up into the hands of their enemies, but when they cried to Him, He raised up saviours who delivered them out of their hands (Neh 9:26-27, compare Jdg 2:12-16). However, once they ‘had rest’ (a typical Judges description – Jdg 3:30 and often) they again did evil, and were again delivered into the hands of their enemies, and again cried to YHWH, and were again delivered according to His mercies (Neh 9:28), at which point He continually faced them up to His Instruction (torah). But they constantly rebelled against it, even though it was the way of life, and ‘hardened their necks’ as they had continually done (see Neh 9:16-17). And this had gone on for ‘many years’ (we would say centuries). He had borne with them, and had spoken to them by His Spirit though the prophets, but they had constantly refused to hear, and that is why He had given them into the hands of the peoples of the lands (the great nations, as is apparent from Neh 9:32). Here we have the history of the books of Kings. Nevertheless in His mercy God did not make a full end of them (Neh 9:31), as the fact that they were there back in the land bore witness.
There is a clear inference from all this that their hope was that once again, after the period of disobedience of their fathers, God, having brought home to them His Instruction (chapter 8), would at some stage deliver them if they were true to His covenant.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Neh 9:18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;
Ver. 18. Yea, when they had made them a golden calf ] An ounce whereof the Jews say is still to this day in all the punishments that befall them; though some of their Rabbis have the face to excuse this gross idolatry of their forefathers, Neh 9:18 , , Vitulificarunt (Piscat.).
And said, This is thy God
That brought thee up out of Egypt
And had wrought great provocations
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a molten calf. Exo 32:4.
This. Singular number: i.e. “This [calf]”.
Egypt. Some codices, with six early printed editions and Syriac, read “the land of Egypt”. Compare Exo 32:4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Exo 32:4-8, Exo 32:31, Exo 32:32, Deu 9:12-16, Psa 106:19-23, Eze 20:7-44
Reciprocal: Neh 9:26 – wrought Eze 16:7 – excellent ornaments Dan 9:9 – though Hos 3:1 – according Amo 5:25 – General Act 7:36 – and in the wilderness Act 7:41 – they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Neh 9:18-19. Yea, they made them, a molten calf This was a very high provocation, considering how little a time before God had expressly commanded them not to make any graven image, and how many cautious he had afterward given them against doing any such thing. Yet thou forsookest them not in the wilderness Where, if thou hadst left them without thy conduct and support, they would have been utterly undone and lost. The pillar of cloud departed not, &c. Notwithstanding their great provocations, thou didst still continue thy gracious presence among them, of which the pillar of the cloud was a glorious token.