New King James Version
Nehemiah 1:5
5And 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,
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 Living Translation (NLT)Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,
Context of Nehemiah 1:5
3And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” 4So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 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, 6please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 7We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded 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 4:14And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
- Deuteronomy 7:21You shall not be terrified of them; for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you.
- 1 Chronicles 17:21And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people—to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt?
- Psalms 47:2For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
- Daniel 9:4And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,
- Exodus 20:6but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
- Deuteronomy 7:9“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
- 1 Kings 8:23and he said: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.
- Hebrews 6:13For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries