Nehemiah 9:36

Nehemiah 9:36 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:
• New International Version (NIV)“But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Here we are, servants today! And the land that You gave to our fathers, To eat its fruit and its bounty, Here we are, servants in it!

Context of Nehemiah 9:36

34Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our ancestors have not obeyed your laws. They have not listened to your commands. You warned them but they would not listen. 35When they had their own kingdom, they still would not agree to serve you. You gave them a good land to live in, with plenty of food. They enjoyed your good gifts, but they would not obey you. They did not stop doing evil things. So today we live like slaves. Yes, we are slaves in the land that you gave to our ancestors. You wanted them to enjoy all the good things that grow here. 37But because of our sins you have caused foreign kings to rule over us. They take the food that grows in our fields. They use us and our animals in any way that they like. So we are very upset!’ 38‘Because of this we Israelite people are all making a promise. We are writing down our agreement to serve the Lord. Our leaders, our Levites and our priests will write their names on it to give it their authority.’

Nehemiah 9:36 word by word

הִנֵּ֛ה אֲנַ֥חְנוּ הַיּ֖וֹם עֲבָדִ֑ים וְהָאָ֜רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֣תָּה לַאֲבֹתֵ֗ינוּ לֶאֱכֹ֤ל אֶת־פִּרְיָהּ֙ וְאֶת־טוּבָ֔הּ הִנֵּ֛ה אֲנַ֥חְנוּ עֲבָדִ֖ים עָלֶֽיהָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• that thou gavestנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• unto our fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the fruitפְּרִיperîy · fruitH6529
• thereof and the goodטוּבţûb · goodnessH2898

Cross-references for Nehemiah 9:36

• Deuteronomy 28:48So you will serve your enemies that the Lord will send to attack you. You will be hungry and thirsty. You will be so poor that you do not even have clothes to wear. Your enemies will make you work so hard that they will destroy you.
• 2 Chronicles 12:8they will become his servants. Then they will learn what it is like to serve a foreign king instead of me.’
• Ezra 9:9We are still slaves, but our God has not left us alone to serve other people. Because he loves us, he has caused the kings of Persia to be kind to us. He has let us live so that we can build again the temple of our God. It had become a heap of stones, but now we have built it again. He has given us a safe place to live in Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 9:36

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 36Behold, we are servants - They had no king of their own: and were under the government of the kings of Persia, to whom they paid a regular tribute.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. 32-37The prayer now addresses the current situation, asking the great God—who has unfailing love—for ongoing love and mercy for his people in their difficult times (Nehemiah 9:32). The leaders acknowledged God's justice in punishing them for their sins (Nehemiah 9:33–35), and they expressed sorrow over their enslavement by the Persians (9:36–37).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 9:36

• Idolatry
• Repentance
• Rulers
• Sin
• Thankfulness

In the dictionaries

• Covenant
• Divide
• Gracious
• Mighty
• Neck
• Sure
• Intercession
• Israel, History of
• Leviticus
• Prayer

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