Berean Standard Bible
Nehemiah 9:17
17They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt.1 But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.
Nehemiah 9:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
- New International Version (NIV)They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,
- English Standard Version (ESV)They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them.
Context of Nehemiah 9:17
15In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them. 16But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments. They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them. 18Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies, 19You in Your great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud never turned away from guiding them on their path; and by the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go.
Read all of Nehemiah 9Nehemiah 9:17 word by word
וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ לִשְׁמֹ֗עַ וְלֹא־זָכְר֤וּ נִפְלְאֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִמָּהֶ֔ם וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־עָרְפָּ֔ם וַיִּתְּנוּ־רֹ֛אשׁ לָשׁ֥וּב לְעַבְדֻתָ֖ם בְּמִרְיָ֑ם וְאַתָּה֩ אֱל֨וֹהַּ סְלִיח֜וֹת חַנּ֧וּן וְרַח֛וּם אֶֽרֶךְ־אַפַּ֥יִם וְרַב־חֶ֖סֶד וְלֹ֥א עֲזַבְתָּֽם׃Read the interlinear
- They refusedמָאֵןmâ'ên · to refuseH3985
- to listenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
- and failedלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- to rememberזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- the wondersפָּלָאpâlâ' · to wonderH6381
- ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- You performedעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- among themעִם‛im · withH5973
- They stiffenedקָשָׁהqâshâh · to hardenH7185
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- their necksעֹ֫רֶף‛ôreph · neckH6203
- and appointedנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- a leaderרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
- to return themשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- to their bondageעַבְדוּת‛abdûth · slaveryH5659
- ·מְרִיmerîy · rebellionH4805
- But Youאַתָּ֫ה'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.s.)H859
- are a forgivingסְלִיחָהselîychâh · forgivenessH5547
- Godאֱלֹהַּ'ĕlôahh 'ĕlôahh · godH433
- graciousחַנּוּןchannûn · graciousH2587
- and compassionateרַחוּםrachûm · compassionateH7349
- slowאָרֵךְ'ârêk · slowH750
- to angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- and richרַבrab · manyH7227
- in loving devotionחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- forsake themעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
Cross-references for Nehemiah 9:17
- Numbers 14:3Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
- Numbers 16:14Moreover, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”
- Psalms 106:24They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise.
- Proverbs 1:24Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
- Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from heaven?
- Psalms 78:11They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them.
- Psalms 86:5For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.
- Psalms 106:7Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders or remember Your abundant kindness; but they rebelled by the sea, there at the Red Sea.
- Matthew 16:9Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
- 2 Peter 1:12Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.
- Numbers 14:4So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
- Acts 7:39But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
- Numbers 14:18‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’
- Psalms 130:4But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.
- Micah 7:18Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance— who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
- Exodus 34:6Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
Commentaries on Nehemiah 9:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17And in their rebellion appointed a captain - This clause, read according to its order in the Hebrew text, is thus: And appointed a captain to return to their bondage in their rebellion. But it is probable that במרים bemiryam, in their rebellion, is a mistake for במצרים bemitsrayim, in Egypt. This is the reading of seven of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., the Neapolitan edition of the Hagiographa, and the Septuagint. It is also the reading in Numbers…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17In their rebellion - The Septuagint and several maunscripts have “in Egypt” (the words in the original differing by one letter only), and translate - “And appointed a captain to return to their bondage in Egypt.” Compare the margin reference. The appointment of a leader is regarded here as made, whereas we are only told in the Book of Numbers that it was proposed.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-38Verses 4-38 The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suffering, and the hardness of their hearts. The testimony of the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-21This prayer reminded the people of God's miraculous guidance of Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21–22), his personal appearance at Mount Sinai to reveal his covenant laws through Moses (see Exodus 19–20), and his faithfulness in providing bread and water (see Exodus 16:4; 17:1–6). Despite all of that, Israel's ancestors were proud and stubborn and refused to obey (see Exodus 32; Numbers 14:4). Yet in his grace, God remained faithful and compassionate…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-386-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate His mercies and distinguished favors to them as a nation, from the…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 9:17
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Nehemiah 9:17 LXX and a few Hebrew manuscripts; MT to return them to their bondage in their rebellion ↩
Commentaries on Nehemiah 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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