God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 1:5
5I said, “Lord God of heaven, great and awe-inspiring God, you faithfully keep your promise and show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments.
Nehemiah 1:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
- New International Version (NIV)Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I said, "O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,
Context of Nehemiah 1:5
3They told me, “Those who survived captivity are in the province. They are enduring serious troubles and being insulted. The wall of Jerusalem has been broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.” 4When I heard this, I sat down and cried. I mourned for days. I continued to fast and pray to the God of heaven. I said, “Lord God of heaven, great and awe-inspiring God, you faithfully keep your promise and show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments. 6Open your eyes, and pay close attention with your ears to what I, your servant, am praying. I am praying to you day and night about your servants the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against you as well as the sins that my father’s family and I have committed. 7We have done you a great wrong. We haven’t obeyed the commandments, laws, or regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.
Read all of Nehemiah 1Nehemiah 1:5 word by word
וָאֹמַ֗ר אָֽנָּ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם הָאֵ֥ל הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָ֑א שֹׁמֵ֤ר הַבְּרִית֙ וָחֶ֔סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֖יו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I beseechאָֽנָּ֫א'ân'â 'ânnâh · Please!H577
- thee, O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and terribleיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
- that keepethשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
- covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- and mercyחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- for them that loveאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
- his commandmentsמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
Cross-references for Nehemiah 1:5
- Nehemiah 4:14I looked them over and proceeded to tell the nobles, the leaders, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and awe-inspiring the Lord is. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
- Deuteronomy 7:21Don’t be afraid of them, because the Lord your God is with you. He is a great and awe-inspiring God.
- 1 Chronicles 17:21Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that God came to free in order to make its people his own, to make your name known, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced the nations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt.
- Psalms 47:2We must fear the Lord, the Most High. He is the great king of the whole earth.
- Daniel 9:4I prayed to the Lord my God. I confessed and said, “Lord, you are great and deserve respect as the only God. You keep your promise and show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments.
- Exodus 20:6But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.
- Deuteronomy 7:9Keep in mind that the Lord your God is ⌞the only⌟ God. He is a faithful God, who keeps his promise and is merciful to thousands of generations of those who love him and obey his commands.
- 1 Kings 8:23and said, “Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep your promise of mercy to your servants, who obey you wholeheartedly.
- Hebrews 6:13God made a promise to Abraham. Since he had no one greater on whom to base his oath, he based it on himself.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 1:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Lord God of heaven - What was, before the captivity, Jehovah, God of hosts or armies. Great - Able to do mighty things. Terrible - able to inflict the heaviest judgments.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-11Nehemiah’s prayer includes: Praise (Nehemiah 1:5) Confession (Nehemiah 1:6–7) Remembering God’s promises (Nehemiah 1:8–9) A request (Nehemiah 1:10–11) Nehemiah understood that Israel’s situation was not due to God failing His covenant of unfailing love. Instead, Israel’s ongoing sin led to the punishments described in the covenant.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-114. when I heard these words, that I sat down ... and mourned ... and fasted, and prayed--The recital deeply affected the patriotic feelings of this good man, and no comfort could he find but in earnest and protracted prayer, that God would favor the purpose, which he seems to have secretly formed, of asking the royal permission to go to Jerusalem.Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 1:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nehemiah 1
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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