Nehemiah 9
9
The People Acknowledge Their Sin before God
1 On the twenty-fourth day of this same month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting and wearing sackcloth, their heads covered with dust. 2 Those truly of Israelite descent#tn Heb “the seed of Israel.” separated from all the foreigners,#tn Heb “sons of a foreigner.” standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.#tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 16, 23, 32, 34, 36). 3 For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place and read from the book of the law of the lord their God, and for another fourth they were confessing their sins#tn Heb “confessing.” The words “their sins” are not present in the Hebrew text of v. 3, but are clearly implied here because they are explicitly stated in v. 2. and worshiping the lord their God. 4 Then the Levites – Jeshua, Binnui,#tc Heb “Bani.” The translation reads “Binnui” (so also NAB) rather than the MT reading “Bani.” Otherwise there are two individuals with the same name in this verse. The name “Binnui” appears, for example, in Neh 10:10. Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani – stood on the steps and called out loudly#tn Heb “in a great voice.” to the lord their God. 5 The Levites – Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah – said, “Stand up and bless the lord your God!”
“May you be blessed, O lord our God, from age to age.#tc The MT reads here only “from age to age,” without the preceding words “May you be blessed, O Lord our God” which are included in the present translation. But apparently something has dropped out of the text. This phrase occurs elsewhere in the OT as a description of the Lord (see Ps 41:13; 106:48), and it seems best to understand it here in that light. The LXX adds “And Ezra said” at the beginning of v. 6 as a transition: “And Ezra said, ‘You alone are the Lord.” Without this addition (which is not included by most modern English translations) the speakers of vv. 9:5b-10:1 continue to be the Levites of v. 5a. May your glorious name#tn Heb “the name of your glory.” be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens,#tn Heb “the heavens of the heavens.” along with all their multitude of stars,#tn Heb “all their host.” the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You impart life to them all, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
7 “You are the lord God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham. 8 When you perceived that his heart was faithful toward you, you established a#tn Heb “the” (so NAB). covenant with him to give his descendants#tn Heb “seed.” the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites. You have fulfilled your promise,#tn Heb “your words.” for you are righteous.
9 “You saw the affliction of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cry at the Red Sea.#tn Heb “the Sea of Reeds.” Traditionally this is identified as the Red Sea, and the modern designation has been used in the translation for clarity. 10 You performed awesome signs#tn Heb “signs and wonders.” This phrase is a hendiadys. The second noun functions adjectivally, while the first noun retains its full nominal sense: “awesome signs” or “miraculous signs.” against Pharaoh, against his servants, and against all the people of his land, for you knew that the Egyptians#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Egyptians) has been specified in the translation for clarity. had acted presumptuously#tn Or “arrogantly” (so NASB); NRSV “insolently.” against them. You made for yourself a name that is celebrated to this day. 11 You split the sea before them, and they crossed through#tn Heb “in the midst of.” the sea on dry ground! But you threw their pursuers#tn Heb “those who pursued them.” into the depths, like a stone into surging#tn Heb “mighty.” waters. 12 You guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night to illumine for them the path they were to travel.
13 “You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You provided them with just judgments, true laws, and good statutes and commandments. 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath; you issued commandments, statutes, and law to them through#tn Heb “by the hand of.” Moses your servant. 15 You provided bread from heaven for them in their time of hunger, and you brought forth water from the rock for them in their time of thirst. You told them to enter in order to possess the land that you had sworn#tn Heb “had lifted your hand.” to give them.
16 “But they – our ancestors#tn Heb “and our fathers.” The vav is explicative. – behaved presumptuously; they rebelled#tn Heb “they stiffened their neck” (so also in the following verse). and did not obey your commandments. 17 They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt.#tc The present translation follows a few medieval Hebrew MSS and the LXX in reading בְּמִצְרָיִם (bÿmitsrayim, “in Egypt”; so also NAB, NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT) rather than the MT reading בְּמִרְיָם (bÿmiryam, “in their rebellion”). But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love.#tc The translation follows the Qere reading חֶסֶד (khesed, “loyal love”) rather than the Kethib reading וְחֶסֶד (vÿkhesed, “and loyal love”) of the MT. You did not abandon them, 18 even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,’ or when they committed atrocious#tn Heb “great.” blasphemies.
19 “Due to your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. The pillar of cloud did not stop guiding them in the path by day,#tn Heb “did not turn from them by day to guide them in the path.” nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the path on which they should travel. 20 You imparted your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths; you provided water for their thirst. 21 For forty years you sustained them. Even in the desert they never lacked anything. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
22 “You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and you allocated them to every corner of the land.#tn The words “of the land” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity. They inherited the land of King Sihon of Heshbon#tc Most Hebrew MSS read “the land of Sihon and the land of the king of Heshbon.” The present translation (along with NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT) follows the reading of one Hebrew MS, the LXX, and the Vulgate. and the land of King Og of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of the sky. You brought them to the land you had told their ancestors to enter in order to possess. 24 Their descendants#tn Heb “the sons.” entered and possessed the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites who were the inhabitants of the land. You delivered them into their hand, together with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with as they pleased. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took possession of houses full of all sorts of good things – wells previously dug, vineyards, olive trees, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate until they were full#tn Heb “they ate and were sated.” This expression is a hendiadys. The first verb retains its full verbal sense, while the second functions adverbially: “they ate and were filled” = “they ate until they were full.” and grew fat. They enjoyed to the full your great goodness.
26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law.#tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.” They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies. 27 Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from#tn Heb “from the hand of” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “from the power of.” their adversaries.
28 “Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil before you. Then you abandoned them to#tn Heb “in the hand of” (so KJV, ASV); NAB “to the power of.” their enemies, and they gained dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again. 29 And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances – those by which an individual, if he obeys them,#tn Heb “if a man keep.” See note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5. will live. They boldly turned from you;#tn Heb “they gave a stubborn shoulder.” they rebelled#tn Heb “they stiffened their neck.” and did not obey. 30 You prolonged your kindness#tn The Hebrew expression here is elliptical. The words “your kindness” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity. with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention,#tn Heb “did not give ear to.” so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.#tn Heb “the peoples of the lands.” 31 However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.
32 “So now, our God – the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity#tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys. The second noun retains its full nominal sense, while the first functions adjectivally: “the covenant and loyalty” = covenant fidelity. – do not regard as inconsequential#tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.” all the hardship that has befallen us – our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people – from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day! 33 You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully.#tn Heb “you have done truth.” It is we who have been in the wrong! 34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them. 35 Even when they were in their kingdom and benefiting from your incredible#tn Heb “great.” goodness that you had lavished#tn Heb “given them.” on them in the spacious and fertile land you had set#tn Heb “given.” before them, they did not serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.
36 “So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy#tn The expression “to enjoy” is not included in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity. its good things – we are slaves! 37 Its abundant produce goes to the kings you have placed over us due to our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they see fit,#tn Heb “according to their desire.” and we are in great distress!
The People Pledge to be Faithful
38 (10:1)#sn Beginning with 9:38, the verse numbers through 10:39 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 9:38 ET = 10:1 HT, 10:1 ET = 10:2 HT, 10:2 ET = 10:3 HT, etc., through 10:39 ET = 10:40 HT. Beginning with 11:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same. “Because of all of this we are entering into a binding covenant#tn Heb “we are cutting.” in written form;#tn Heb “and writing.” our leaders, our Levites, and our priests have affixed their names#tn Heb “our leaders, our Levites, and our priests on the sealed document.” The Hebrew text is elliptical here; the words “have affixed their names” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons. Cf. v. 2. on the sealed document.”
Currently Selected:
Nehemiah 9: NET
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
Nehemiah 9
9
The Nation Confesses
1On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” gathered in fasting, in sackcloths, and with soil on them. 2Those of the seed of Israel separated themselves from all of the foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.#Or “fathers” 3They stood up in their place and read from the book of the law#Hebrew torah of Yahweh their God for a fourth part of the day, and for a fourth they were confessing and worshiping Yahweh their God. 4Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani stood on the platform of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to Yahweh their God. 5Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “Stand up, bless Yahweh your God from everlasting until everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name that is being exalted above all blessing and praise!
6“You alone are Yahweh. You alone have made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens, and all of their army, the earth and all that is in it, the waters and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the army of the heavens worship you. 7You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. 8You found his heart faithful before you and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite—to give it to his seed. And you have kept your word because you are righteous.
9“You saw the misery of our ancestors#Or “fathers” in Egypt, and you heard their shout at the Red Sea. 10You gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all of his servants, and all of the people of his land because you knew that they acted arrogantly against them. You made a name for yourself, as it is this day. 11And you divided the sea before them, and they passed through the sea on dry ground, but their pursuers you threw into the depths like a stone into mighty waters. 12You led them by day with a column of cloud and with a column of fire by night, to give them light on the way that they were to go. 13Then you came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right judgments and true teachings, good regulations and commandments. 14You made known your holy Sabbath to them and gave them commandments, regulations, and law#Hebrew torah by the hand of your servant Moses. 15You gave them bread from heaven for their starvation, and you caused water to go out from a rock for their thirst. You told them to go in order to take into possession the land that you have sworn by your hand to give to them.
16“But they and our ancestors#Or “fathers” acted arrogantly and stiffened their neck and did not listen to your commandments. 17They refused to listen and did not remember your wonders that you did among them. They stiffened their neck and in their rebellion determined#Literally “they gave head to” to return to their slavery. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger,#Literally “long of nose” abundant in loyal love, so you did not abandon them. 18Even when they made for themselves a molten idol of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you out from Egypt,’ and committed great blasphemies. 19But you in your many mercies did not abandon them in the desert. The column of cloud that was over them in the day did not cease to leave them on the way, and the column of fire by night that gave light to them on the way that they went. 20And you gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21Forty years you sustained them in the desert—they were not in need. Their clothing did not wear out and their feet did not swell. 22And you gave them kingdoms and nations and allotted them a portion. They took into possession the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23You made their children#Or “sons” numerous like the stars of the heavens and brought them to the land that you told their ancestors#Or “fathers” to enter in order to take possession. 24So the children#Or “sons” went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites; you gave them into their hand, and their kings and the nations of the land to do with them according to their pleasure. 25And they captured fortified cities and a fertile land and took possession of houses filled with every good thing: hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and many fruit trees. They ate and became full, and they became fat and took delight in your great goodness.
26“But they rebelled and were rebellious against you and cast your law#Hebrew torah behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them to turn back to you, and they did great blasphemies. 27Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemy, and they brought trouble to them. Then in the time of their trouble they cried out to you, and you heard from the heavens, and according to your great compassions, you gave them saviors, and you saved them from the hand of their enemies. 28But when they had rest they returned to doing evil before you, and you abandoned them in the hand of their enemies, and they ruled over them. Then they returned and cried out to you, and from the heavens you heard and many times rescued them according to your compassions. 29You warned them so that they would return to your law.#Hebrew torah Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to your commandments but sinned against your judgments that a person must do so that they may live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not listen. 30You were patient toward them for many years, and you have warned them by your spirit through the hand of your prophets, but they did not listen. So you gave them into the hand of the nations of the lands. 31But in your great compassions you did not put an end to them, and you did not abandon them. For you are a gracious and compassionate God.
32“And now our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God who keeps his covenant and loyal love, do not belittle in your presence all of the hardship that is found in us, our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors,#Or “fathers” and all of our people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day. 33You are righteous in everything that has come on us, for you dealt faithfully, and we have acted wickedly. 34Our kings, our officials, our priests, and our ancestors#Or “fathers” did not keep your law#Hebrew torah and did not listen to your commandments and statutes that you declared to them. 35And in their kingdom and in the greatness you gave to them, and in the wide and fertile land that you gave before them, they did not serve you and did not turn from their evil deeds. 36Behold, we are slaves to this day, and the land that you have given to our ancestors#Or “fathers” to eat its fruits and enjoy its goodness—behold, we are slaves in it! 37Its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have given over us because of our sins, and they are ruling over our dead bodies and our livestock at their pleasure. We are in great trouble.
38#Nehemiah 9:38–10:39 in the English Bible is 10:1–40 in the Hebrew Bible “Now because of all of this we make a binding written agreement and are writing on the sealed documents the names of our commanders, our Levites, and our priests.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software