Bible Commentary

For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. 35. they ] emphatic, i.e. the kings and princes; as distinguished from ‘thou’ and ‘we,’ used emphatically in … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:35”

Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. 34. neither have our kings ] The construction is the same as in Neh 9:19 ; Neh 9:32, ‘As for our kings, they have not.’ kept thy … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:34”

Howbeit thou [art] just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: 33. just ] The same epithet as that rendered ‘righteous’ (caddq) in Neh 9:8. See also Ezr 9:15. brought ] R.V. come. done right ] R.V. dealt truly. Literally ‘truth’ (LXX. . Vulg. ‘veritatem’), … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:33”

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:32”

Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou [art] a gracious and merciful God. 31. for thy great mercies’ sake ] R.V. in thy manifold mercies. The emphasis on the variety of the mercy even more than on its magnitude. Cf. Lam 3:22-23, ‘It is of … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:31”

Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. 30, 31. The long-suffering of Jehovah 30. forbear them ] R.V. bear with them. The ‘many years’ here spoken … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:30”

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 … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:29”

But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies; 28. after … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:28”

Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviors, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. 27. enemies vexed ] R.V. … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:27”

Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. 26. Israel’s Disobedience 26. cast thy law behind their backs ] R.V. back. ‘Thy law,’ cf. Neh 9:14. For this phrase cf. … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 9:26”