Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, please study this chapter and then answer all 31 questions at the end of this chapter.

Nehemiah Chapter 9

Verses 1-3: Three weeks had passed since the gathering began at the Water Gate (8:1). After a time of celebration for all that God had done, it was time for the people to repent, both personally and as a nation. Such confession, which combines exalting the name (or character), of God and acknowledging guilt for sins, is found elsewhere in Scripture (Joshua 7:6).

Nehemiah 9:1 “Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.”

“This month”: Tishri (Sept. / Oct.; 445 B.C.; compare 7:73b; 8:2).

“With sackclothes, and earth upon them”: The outward demonstration of deep mourning and heaviness of heart for their iniquity seems to have been done in the spirit of the Day of Atonement which was normally observed on the tenth day of the seventh month (compare Lev. 16:1-34; 23:26-32).

On our calendar, this would be the 24th day of October. The children of Israel here were determined to repent of their sins voluntarily, and begin again with their LORD. This was not a set time they were fasting and mourning in sackcloth, and throwing dirt upon their heads. This was a time of their own choosing. Ezra had stopped them from weeping in sorrow when they heard the law read, because it was to be a festive time.

Nehemiah 9:2 “And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.”

“Separated themselves from all strangers”: This call for divorcing all lawful wives taken from among the heathen was needed, since the last time, prompted 13 years before by Ezra (see notes on Ezra chapter 10), had only been partially successful. Many had escaped the required action of divorce and kept their pagan wives. Perhaps new defaulters had appeared also, and were confronted for the first time with this necessary action of divorce. Nehemiah’s efforts were successful in removing this evil mixture.

The reading of the law by Ezra had opened their eyes to the reality of their sins. They wanted to repent, so they could begin again. They separated themselves from the world around them and confessed their sins, and the sins of their fathers.

Nehemiah 9:3 “And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God [one] fourth part of the day; and [another] fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.”

“They stood … read … confessed and worshipped”. The succession of events helped to reestablish the essential commitment of Israel to God and His law. They read for 3 hours about the sins of their fathers and for 3 more hours confessed that they had been partakers of similar evil deeds. In response to all of this, they worshiped.

This means they read the law for 3 hours, and confessed for three hours. The Levites actually read the law to them. They were sincere in their desire to seek God.

Verses 4-37: This long confession of sin in the context of the recitation of God’s mighty redemptive acts on Israel’s behalf is an expression of worship (verse 3), that recalls some of the psalms in their theme and worshipful purpose. This season of national humiliation centered on adoring God for His great mercy in the forgiveness of their multiplied iniquities, in delivering them from judgment, protecting them, and blessing them graciously. Apparently, this great prayer of worship offered to God was recited by a group of Levites (verses 4-5), indicating it had been prepared and adopted beforehand, probably by Ezra. This prayer initiated the 3 hours of confession and worship (verse 3), which led to a national promise of obedience to God in the future (verse 38).

Nehemiah 9:4 “Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, [and] Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.”

On an ascent. An elevated place where the Levites used to stand when they sang at the time of sacrifice, and where they might be seen and heard by the people.

“Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani”: Who seem to be all Levites (see Neh. 8:7).

“And cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God”: Praying with great fervency, and making bitter lamentation for the sins of the people and their own.

Jeshua, Bani, and Kadmiel represented the three families of the Levites at that time. The leaders must lead in repentance as well. The Levitical family was not free of sin either. They must cry out to God for themselves, and then for the people.

Verses 5-38: This prayer gives a survey of the history of Israel, with emphasis on certain events in the life of the chosen people. The approach resembles that of Psalms 78, 105, 106, 135, and 136. The composition of this hymn is:

(1)  The praising of God as Creator (verse 6);

(2)  The covenant with Abraham (verses 7-8);

(3)  The great and wonderful acts of God in Egypt (verses 9-11);

(4)  The care of God in the desert (verse 12);

(5)  Mount Sinai and the desert wandering (verses 13-21);

(6)  The conquering of the Holy Land (verses 22-25);

(7)  The unfaithfulness of Israel and God’s patience in the Promised Land (verses 26-31);

(8)  The confession of sin (verses 32-37); and then;

(9)  A commitment to keep God’s laws (verse 38).

Verses 5-38 is the longest sustained worship hymn in Scripture. It is unknown whether this was read or recited from memory by the “Levites”. Still, it is a wonderful example of confession as part of worship and a memorable review of the blessings of God.

Nehemiah 9:5 “Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said, Stand up [and] bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”

Or, then the Levites, even Jeshua.

“And Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah”: The same as before, with a little variation of their names. And perhaps some of them might have two names.

“And said”: To the men that stood and confessed their sins (Neh. 9:2).

“Stand up”: For though they are before said to stand, yet, through shame and confusion of face, and awe of the Divine Majesty, might be fallen on their faces to the ground.

“And bless the LORD your God for ever and ever”: For all the great and good things he had done for them, notwithstanding their sins. And particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy they had reason to hope for.

“And blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise”: The glory of which name, nature, and perfections of his, cannot be set forth by the highest praises of men. And the largest praise of blessing and honor to him.

Nehemiah 9:6 “Thou, [even] thou, [art] LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all [things] that [are] therein, the seas, and all that [is] therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshipeth thee.”

“Hast made heaven”: The recitation was ordered historically, although themes of promise and judgment are traced through Israel’s history with God. The first feature is the celebration of God’s greatness as Creator (compare Gen. chapters 1 and 2).

“And the host of heaven worshipeth thee”: The praise which Israel offered on earth was also echoed in the heavens by angelic hosts.

This was a recognition of the LORD for who He really was. He is the Creator of everything. The angels in heaven even worship Him as well. He is not only Creator, but Deliverer and Preserver.

Nehemiah 9:7 “Thou [art] the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;”

From among the Chaldeans, and out of his father’s family.

“And broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees”: By calling him from thence (of which see Genesis 11:28). That being worshipped by them and by the Assyrians under the name of Ur.

“And gavest him the name of Abraham”: Which was changed when the covenant of circumcision was given him (Genesis 17:5).

Verse 7 above, spoke of Abram who was selected of God to be the father of all believers. His faith in God won him favor with God. His faith was counted unto him for righteousness.

Nehemiah 9:8 “And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give [it, I say], to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou [art] righteous:”

“And foundest his heart faithful before thee”: The Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:4-7; 17:1-9), was based on God’s faithfulness to His Word and given to a man who was faithful to Him. (See notes on Gen. 15:6 and Rom. Chapter 4), where the faithful heart of Abraham is discussed.

“A covenant with him to give the land”: This covenant was a covenant of salvation, but also involved the Promise Land. The people, having just returned from captivity, understandably emphasized that feature of the covenant, since God had returned them to the Land.

The covenant that God made with Abraham was an everlasting covenant. The following Scriptures are the covenant God made with Abram who became Abraham.

Genesis 12:1-3 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee:” “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:” “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

The land God promised Abraham was inhabited by seven heathen families, when God gave it to the Israelites.

Deuteronomy 7:1 “When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;”

God removed these 7 heathen families, and gave the land to His family Israel.

Verses 9-12: This section of the prayer of praise and confession recounts the Exodus (see Exodus chapters 2-15).

Nehemiah 9:9 “And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;”

The hard bondage in which their lives were made bitter. And was not a mere spectator of it, but looked upon them in it with pity and compassion, and sent them a deliverer (Exodus 2:23).

“And heardest their cry by the Red sea”: Which was before them, and the rocks on both sides of them. And the host of Pharaoh behind, pressing upon them, when he heard them, and wrought salvation for them (Exodus 14:10).

These Israelites had been freed from hard labor in Egypt, when God sent ten plagues on Egypt. Pharaoh released them after the death of all the firstborn in Egypt. God even opened the Red Sea that these same Israelites could walk over on dry ground. At the same time, He drowned all of the Egyptian soldiers who tried to follow them.

Nehemiah 9:10 “And showedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as [it is] this day.”

By inflicting the ten plagues upon them.

“For thou knowest that they dealt proudly against them”: Behaved haughtily to them, and despised them (see Exodus 18:11).

“So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day”: God established His righteous reputation over the powers of Egypt by the miracles of immense power performed in Egypt. Displayed his power on Pharaoh, and his goodness to Israel, the fame of which reached all over the world, and continued to that day (see Exodus 9:16).

God had defamed all the false gods of Egypt, and caused all the nations, who knew of His act, to realize that He was the True God.

They did not know that He could be their God. They called Him the God of Israel.

Nehemiah 9:11 “And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.”

That is, the Israelites (see Exodus 14:21).

“And their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps”: With great ease, and with indignation. Meaning the Egyptians, that pursued hotly after them, and were thrown into the sea.

“As a stone into the mighty waters”: Where they sunk and perished (see Exodus 15:4).

This is again speaking of the opening of the Red Sea to give Israel passage through the midst of the sea, and causing the Egyptian soldiers to drown.

Nehemiah 9:12 “Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.”

The Israelites, to shelter them from the heat of the sun in a dry and barren wilderness.

“And in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go”: Through a trackless desert (see Exodus 13:21).

The presence of the LORD crossed the wilderness with them. His presence was seen of them in the fire by night and the smoke by day. They moved when the fire or smoke moved, and stopped when it stopped. He led them as a Father would a helpless child. He is the Light of the world. They would not dwell in darkness. The Light of the world was with them.

Verses 13-19: The months at Sinai are remembered (see Exodus chapters 19-40).

Nehemiah 9:13 “Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:”

By some visible tokens of his presence, as a cloud, fire, smoke, etc. Which must be understood consistent with his omniscience (see Exodus 19:18).

“And spakest with them from heaven”: The Decalogue or Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1).

“And gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments”: Both judicial and ceremonial, which were of excellent use to them in their civil and ecclesiastical polity. These were not spoken to Israel, but given to Moses on the mount, to be delivered to them.

God came down the mountain and spoke the ten commandments to them. It frightened them so badly, they asked Moses to speak to God for them. They were without excuse when they sinned with the golden calf, while Moses was on the mount getting the ten commandments on stone. He was gone 40 days and nights, but that was no excuse. They had heard in their ears, before he went up the mountain, these same commandments.

Nehemiah 9:14 “And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:”

Among God’s gifts to His people was the institution of the “Sabbath”. Sabbath observance was a covenant sign established specifically between God and His people at Sinai (Exodus 31:12-17).

This was speaking of the Levitical law and commandments. There were over 625 of them in the book of Leviticus. God gave them laws of religion, civil laws, dietary laws, etc. Moses received them of God, and gave them to the people. These same laws were spoken of by the Jews as the law of Moses.

Nehemiah 9:15 “And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.”

To satisfy that, meaning the manna (Exodus 16:3).

“And broughtest forth water for them out of the rock, for their thirst”: To quench it. This was done both quickly after they came out of the land of Egypt, and a little before their entrance into the land of Canaan (see Exodus 17:6).

“And promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them”: Which oath was made to them and to their fathers also (see Num. 14:30).

The manna that fell from heaven fed them for their 40 year journey across the wilderness. When they had no water, Moses struck the Rock and water came forth to quench their thirst. Look with me at what Jesus said about this Bread.

John 6:50-51 “This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.” “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

1 Corinthians 10:4 “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

Nehemiah 9:16 “But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,”

Behaved in a haughty manner towards God, their kind benefactor.

“And hardened their necks”: Refused to take the yoke of his law. As refractory oxen, that withdraw their necks from the yoke.

“And hearkened not to thy commandments”: To do them, though they promised they would (Exodus 24:7).

This one verse is the story of these Israelites. The LORD would forgive them, but they would fall back into sin, over and over.

Nehemiah 9:17 “And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou [art] a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.”

“Appointed a captain”: The Hebrew of this statement is almost a repeat of (Num. 14:4), which records the discontent of the people with God’s plan and Moses leadership.

They had been slaves in Egypt. They were so rebellious, they turned against God and started to go back to Egypt. Moses prayed for them and God forgave them.

Nehemiah 9:18 “Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;”

In imitation of the Apis, or ox of the Egyptians.

“And said, this is thy god that brought thee out of Egypt”: Or the image of thy god, as the Arabic version (see Exodus 32:4).

“And had wrought great provocations”: Of all which nothing was greater than idolatry.

Verses 19-21: “They lacked nothing”: The same word is used (in Psalm 23:1). “I shall not want”. Even during the long season of chastisement, God miraculously cared for their every need.

Nehemiah 9:19 “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 show them light, and the way wherein they should go.”

Where no supply could be had, if he had cast them off (see Neh. 9:17).

“The pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way”: Which, if it had, they would have been scorched by the heat of the sun.

“Neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go”: Or otherwise they would have lost their way, and not have known which way to have gone.

The mercy of God always outweighed His judgement. They deserved to die for their sins, but God forgave them. This was the story of the Israelites the entire 40 years of their wandering in the wilderness.

Nehemiah 9:20 “Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.”

In the knowledge of the laws delivered to them. The spirit of prophecy, according to Ben Melech, and which Aben Ezra interprets of the spirit put upon the seventy elders (Num. 11:17).

“And withheldest not thy manna from their mouth”: All the while they were in the wilderness, until they came to Canaan’s land. Called the Lord’s manna, because prepared by him, and given by him to them. A part or portion and gift from the Lord, as Ben Melech, from whence it had its name (see Exodus 16:15).

“And gavest them water for their thirst”: Which seems to have respect to the last rock struck for them, after their many provocations in the wilderness (Num. 20:11).

This was speaking of the nearly 3 million people being fed for the 40 years with manna that fell from heaven. The water spoken of here, was the water that flowed from the Rock. This is, however, the first and only mention of the Holy Spirit being their instructor in the Old Testament.

Nehemiah 9:21 “Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, [so that] they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.”

As not for food, so neither for raiment, as follows.

“Their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not”: Of which (see Deut. 8:4).

There were so many miracles God had done for them in the wilderness journey, that we tend to forget the miracle of their clothes lasting 40 years. Not only did their feet not swell, but their shoes did not wear out either. These were really great miracles within themselves.

Verses 22-25: These verses encompass the period of possessing the Promised Land, as recorded (in Num. chapter 20; Joshua chapter 24).

Nehemiah 9:22 “Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.”

“Gavest them kingdoms and nations”: Canaan was comprised of a number of politically semi-autonomous groups all loosely connected under the waning authority of Egypt. The Lord divided Canaan into tribal districts, thus apportioning the Land for Israel’s possession.

We discussed in the previous lesson, how God took the land away from the 7 nations that lived in the area of the Promised Land, and gave it to the Israelites. The land was divided into 12 parts, and each tribe received their part. Sihon was king of Heshbon. Og was the Amorite king of Bashan. The giants came from this territory.

Nehemiah 9:23 “Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess [it].”

“Their children also multipliedst”: A nation of offspring was another aspect of the promise made to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). God told Abraham that his descendants would be like the stars of heaven (Gen. 15:5), and (Exodus 1:1-3), reminded Israel that their multiplication in Egypt was nothing short of miraculous.

Approximately 75 people went into Egypt, and the nation of Israel, approximately 3,000,000 came out of Egypt. This was a tremendous increase. This near 3,000,000 people took the land of promise and dwelled in it, as God had promised.

Nehemiah 9:24 “So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.”

“Subduedst before them”: Moses said (in Exodus 15:3) “The LORD is a warrior”. As Israel’s military leader and king, He led them into battle to defeat their enemies and take the Land.

When they went in and took the land, as God had commanded them to do, God was with them and they won their battles. In most instances, God had instructed them to kill the people of the lands they conquered. They never did seem to quite rid the land of the Ammonites, Moabites, and the other five tribes. The Philistines were a constant thorn for them as well.

Nehemiah 9:25 “And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.”

Such as, in a hyperbolical way, are said to be walled up to heaven (Deut. 1:28).

“And a fat land”: Of a good and fruitful soil, abounding with all good things (Deut. 8:7).

“And possessed houses full of all goods”: Ready built and furnished for them, both with good provisions and good furniture.

“Wells digged”: To supply them with water.

“Vineyards, and olive yards, and fruit trees in abundance”: Which they planted not.

“And they did eat, and were filled, and became fat”: In body, though in mind became wanton and wicked. They made their hearts fat, or stupid, as Aben Ezra interprets it (see Deut. 32:15).

“And delighted themselves in thy great goodness”: Not in praising the Lord for it, and using it to his honor and glory, but indulged themselves to luxury and intemperance. Though it may be understood of a lawful pleasure in the enjoyment of the great affluence they were brought into, which last agrees with what follows.

This truly was a land of milk and honey, as God had promised them. The olive trees and the vineyards were already planted by the people they overran. The children of Israel wanted for nothing. God had kept his covenant with Abraham.

Verses 26-31: This section summarizes the period from the judges to the Assyrian deportation (722 B.C.), and Babylonian exile (586 B.C.; see 2 Kings chapters 17-25).

Verses 26-27: The “saviors” that God provided throughout Israel’s history foreshadow the ultimate Deliverer, God’s own Son.

Nehemiah 9:26 “Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.”

“Which testified against them”: God’s prophets brought them to God’s court to be judged by His law. This theme is repeated throughout the message (verses 29-30, 34).

To be blessed beyond any other nation of the world, there was only one thing God asked of them. He asked them to keep His commandments and be faithful to Him. They did not do even that. They rebelled against God. They were disobedient at every turn. God sent them prophets to warn them, and they killed their prophets. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were all said (by historians), to have been murdered. They angered the LORD by worshipping false gods as well.

Nehemiah 9:27 “Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviors, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.”

As the kings of Mesopotamia, Moab, Canaan, and others.

“And in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee”: As they usually did (Judges 3:9).

“Thou heardest them from heaven”: And according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviors, who saved them out of the hands of their enemies. Such were judges, Othniel, Ehud, Barak, Gideon, etc. And this was done for them, not on account of their merits, but the abundant unmerited mercy of the Lord towards them.

It seemed to be a never-ending cycle. They would sin against God and bring His wrath upon them. Many times His wrath was carried out by them losing a very important battle and losing many men. They would repent, and God would forgive them. They seemed to never learn. God sent judges, prophets, and priests to help them. God sent those like Samson and David to defeat their enemies. It was all the same. As soon as they were out of trouble, they returned to their false gods. The judges, Othniel and Ehud, were spoken of as saviors. When each judge was in control, God would give peace to Israel.

Nehemiah 9:28 “But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;”

From their enemies, enjoyed their liberty, and were in prosperity.

“They did evil again before thee”: Relapsed into idolatry.

“Therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them”: As the Philistines had for the space of forty years (Judges 13:1).

“Yet when they returned and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven, and many times didst thou deliver them, according to thy mercies”: This was their case frequently in the times of the judges. They sinned and fell into the hands of their enemies. Then they repented, and cried to God for help, and he had compassion upon them, and saved them.

This is another way of saying the previous verse. It seemed not to matter how great the help had been from God; they still would turn again to the false gods after their trouble was momentarily gone. Notice, God forgave them because He was merciful, not because they deserved to be forgiven.

Nehemiah 9:29 “And testifiedst against them, that thou mightiest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.”

By sending prophets to them, to admonish them of their sins, and remind them of their duty.

“That thou mightiest bring them again unto thy law”: To regard it, and walk according to it.

“Yet they dealt proudly”: With a haughty air rejected the counsel of God.

“And hearkened not unto thy commandments”: Yielded no obedience to them.

“But sinned against thy judgments”: Transgressed his laws, which were so just, righteous, reasonable, and equitable.

“Which if a man do, he shall live in them”: Or by them, in the land of Canaan (see Lev. 18:5).

“And withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear”: Like oxen, that wriggle and struggle, and draw back, and will not admit the yoke upon them.

All of the wars they lost and the famines that came, were to drive them back to the LORD and the law. They were a proud rebellious people, who felt they did not need the LORD. They did not keep the law, and did not even try to know what God’s law said. They wanted to be like the world around them.

Nehemiah 9:30 “Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.”

Throughout the reigns of several kings, such was God’s longsuffering towards them. Or, “thou didst draw upon them”. That is, his mercy, as Jarchi interprets it; he drew it out of his heart, and prolonged it towards them.

“And testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets”: Who reproved and admonished them, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit of God in them. Who spoke in his name, and what he suggested to them.

“Yet they would not give ear”: To what the prophets said, and the Spirit of God in them.

“Therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands”: People that were lords of many countries, as the Assyrians and Chaldeans.

God waited several hundred years for them to repent and turn to Him with a pure heart. He sent prophets to warn them of their evil deeds, and they took no heed. He waited about 260 years for the ten tribes to repent and turn to Him, but they did not. They went into captivity about 135 years before the tribe of Judah and Benjamin did. The main difference I saw in this, was the ten tribes did not have any kings who truly loved God and kept his commandments, and Judah had a few kings who sought God. Eventually, even Judah got so far away from God, that they were taken into Babylonian captivity.

Nehemiah 9:31 “Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou [art] a gracious and merciful God.”

For the displaying of that, and the glorifying of it, which is so large and exceeding abundant.

“Thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them”: Some were left in the land, and those that were carried captive found favor in the eyes of those that carried them away. And were suffered to live, and many of them now had returned to their own land.

“For thou art a gracious and merciful God”: Of which they had abundant proof and evidence.

God loved them so much, that He always saved a remnant to start again. At the time this is being spoken, that remnant had come back to Judah to begin again. Notice, Gods mercy was what saved them.

Nehemiah 9:32 “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.”

“Now, therefore”: Having reviewed the faithfulness of God to the Abrahamic Covenant (verses 7-8), throughout Israel’s national history, the prayer picks up with the present time confessing their unfaithfulness to (verses 33-35), and renewed commitment to the Mosaic Covenant (verses 36-38).

“The kings of Assyria unto this day”: This statement sweeps across a summary of Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian domination of the nation for almost 4 centuries up to that time.

The kings of Assyria were the rod of God’s anger. They were the instrument God used to punish the people and make them repent. This was a reminder of the greatness of God. The people must never forget the punishment that came upon them for their sins. God is merciful and keeps His covenant. It is man who breaks the covenant.

Nehemiah 9:33 “Howbeit thou [art] just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:”

They own the justice of God, could not complain of any wrong done them. And had he shown them no mercy at all, it was but what they deserved.

“For thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly”: He had done according to the truth of his word of promise. He had faithfully kept it, but they had transgressed his righteous law.

This was admitting that as bad as the punishment had been from God on His people, they had brought it upon themselves by their sins. God had done what was right. It was the wickedness of the people that had brought on the terrible times.

Nehemiah 9:34 “Neither 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.”

All ranks of men, from the highest to the lowest, had shown no regard, nor yielded obedience to the holy law of God.

“Nor hearkened unto thy commandments, and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them”: Moral and ceremonial, which were a testimony of the will of God to them, and a testimony against them if they observed them not.

The Israelites were the only people in the world who had been given the law of God. All they had to do was live by that law. The ten tribes of Israel had no kings who kept God’s law. There were a few like Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah of the tribes of Judah that did right in God’s sight. Even they were overwhelmed finally by the sins of the people, and God punished Judah too. Verse 34 is saying, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Nehemiah 9:35 “For 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.”

When in it, whether of Israel or of Judah, and when in the most flourishing circumstances.

“And in thy great goodness that thou gavest them”: Amidst all the prosperity and affluence of good things they enjoyed, which was an obligation upon them to serve the Lord.

“And in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them”: The land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk, which lay open for them. Their enemies being driven out before them (see Neh. 9:25).

“Neither turned they from their wicked works”: Their idolatries more especially.

While Israel and Judah were free and were not subjects to a foreign land, they did not serve God. They had everything and threw it away in disobedience.

Verses 36-38: Until this point, the Levites in their hymn reviewed Israel’s history; now they gave it a personal application. “We are servants”, said twice, represent the people’s desire to come back under God’s “covenant” and agree to once again be His people.

In it … over us”: The praise prayer rejoices that the Jews have been returned to the Land, but grieves that Gentiles still rule over them.

Nehemiah 9:36 “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:”

For though they had leave to return to their land, and rebuild their city and temple, yet they were still in subjection to the kings of Persia.

“And for the land thou gavest unto our fathers, to eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it”: Though the rightful owners and proprietors of it by the gift of God to their ancestors. To hold it and enjoy the good of it, and yet were obliged to pay tribute for it to the kings of Persia, all excepting priests and Levites (see Ezra 6:8).

Even though the king of Persia had let them come back to their homeland to live, they were not out from under his domination. They still had to pay tribute to him. The children of Israel had never really been completely free since then, until 1948 when the country of Israel was given to them. Off and on they were in the land, but under domination of some other country.

Nehemiah 9:37 “And 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.”

“Much increase unto the kings”: Because God’s people continued in widespread sin, enemy kings enjoyed the bounty that would have been Israel’s.

What God had intended to bless the children of Israel with, had in turn blessed the kings who they were subject to. The Persian king was their master as they were speaking these words.

Verse 9:38 – 10:39: The nation makes a new covenant with God to keep the Mosaic law. Though well intended, as they had been (in Exodus 14:1-8), their failure was forthcoming (see note on 13:10-13).

Nehemiah 9:38 “And because of all this we make a sure [covenant], and write [it]; and our princes, Levites, [and] priests, seal [unto it].”

“Because of all this”: The history of God’s faithfulness, in spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness, is the ground of a pledge and promise which the people make to obey God and not repeat the sins of their fathers.

“We make a sure covenant and write it”: An agreement, or covenant, was a binding contract between two parties. In short, it was a formalized relationship with commitments to loyalty. In this case, the nation initiated this covenant with God.

This was re-establishing a covenant with their God. They did not want these same problems to come upon them again. All of the leaders would sign this covenant, they had written down promising to seek God and His ways from henceforth.

Nehemiah 9: Questions