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, leaders, priests, and ancestors didn’t obey your teachings. They didn’t pay attention to your commandments or the warnings that you gave them. 35When they lived in their own kingdom and enjoyed the many good things that you gave them in a vast, fertile land which was set in front of them, they didn’t serve you or turn away from their wicked lives. Look ⌞at us⌟ now. We’re slaves! In the land you gave our ancestors, they could eat its produce and ⌞enjoy⌟ its good things. But now we’re slaves! 37The many products ⌞from our land⌟ go to the kings you put over us. This is because of our sins. These kings have control over our bodies, and they do as they please with our livestock. We are in agony. 38“We are making a binding agreement ⌞and putting it⌟ in writing because of all this. Our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on the document.”

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, whom the Lord will send against you. You will serve them even though you are already hungry, thirsty, naked, and in need of everything. The Lord will put a heavy burden of hard work on you until he destroys you.
• 2 Chronicles 12:8But they will become his servants so that they can learn the difference between serving me and serving foreign kings.”
• Ezra 9:9We are slaves, but our God hasn’t abandoned us in our slavery. Instead, he has made the kings of Persia treat us kindly. He did this to give us an opportunity to rebuild our God’s temple and restore its ruins and to give us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

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