Revised Literal Translation
Nehemiah 9:36
36Behold, 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:
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
34Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. 35For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. 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: 37And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. 38And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.
Read all of Nehemiah 9Nehemiah 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
- 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 28:48Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which Yhwh shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
- 2 Chronicles 12:8Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
- Ezra 9:9For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in 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
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries