New Living Translation
Nehemiah 9:19
19“But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night.
Nehemiah 9:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.
- New International Version (NIV)“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.
- English Standard Version (ESV)you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, To lead them on the road; Nor the pillar of fire by night, To show them light, And the way they should go.
Context of Nehemiah 9:19
17They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, 18even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, ‘This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!’ They committed terrible blasphemies. “But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. 20You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. 21For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!
Read all of Nehemiah 9Nehemiah 9:19 word by word
וְאַתָּה֙ בְּרַחֲמֶ֣יךָ הָֽרַבִּ֔ים לֹ֥א עֲזַבְתָּ֖ם בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר אֶת־עַמּ֣וּד הֶ֠עָנָן לֹא־סָ֨ר מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֤ם בְּיוֹמָם֙ לְהַנְחֹתָ֣ם בְּהַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְאֶת־עַמּ֨וּד הָאֵ֤שׁ בְּלַ֙יְלָה֙ לְהָאִ֣יר לָהֶ֔ם וְאֶת־הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֵֽלְכוּ־בָֽהּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Yet thou in thy manifoldרַבrab · manyH7227
- merciesרַחֲמִיםracham · compassionH7356
- forsookestעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
- them not in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- the pillarעַמּוּד‛ammûd ‛ammûd · pillarH5982
- of the cloudעָנָן‛ânân · cloudH6051
- departedסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: departH5493
- not from them by dayיוֹמָםyômâm · by dayH3119
- to leadנָחָהnâchâh · to leadH5148
- them in the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- of fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- to shew them lightאוֹר'ôr · to lightH215
- wherein they should goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
Cross-references for Nehemiah 9:19
- Nehemiah 9:27So you handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer. But in their time of trouble they cried to you, and you heard them from heaven. In your great mercy, you sent them liberators who rescued them from their enemies.
- 1 Samuel 12:22The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.
- Psalms 106:7Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.
- Isaiah 44:21“Pay attention, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you.
- Lamentations 3:22The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
- Ezekiel 20:14But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt.
- Daniel 9:9But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.
- Malachi 3:6“I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.
- Nehemiah 9:12You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they could find their way.
- Exodus 13:21The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.
- Exodus 40:38The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.
- Numbers 9:15On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire.
- Numbers 14:14Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, Lord, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.
- Isaiah 4:5Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land.
- 1 Corinthians 10:1I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 9:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19The pillar of the cloud departed not from them - מעליהם mealeyhem, "from over them." I have already had occasion to observe that this miraculous cloud, the symbol of the Divine presence, assumed three different positions while accompanying the Israelitish camp: As a cloud in the form of a pillar, it went before them when they journey, to point out their way in the wilderness. As a pillar of fire, it continued with them during the night, to give them…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 9:19
In the dictionaries
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries