Nehemiah 9:15
in Nehemiah 9In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath
on Nehemiah 9:14-15
"You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath," a rest given to this people through "Your servant Moses". Their hunger meets "bread from heaven" while the command to "possess the land which You had sworn to give them" answers their hope. Provision and promise are given in the same breath.
This site's exposition
You gave them bread from heaven
Bread from heaven is the manna promised at Exodus 16:4, and water from the rock recalls Horeb at Exodus 17:6. The command to go in and possess repeats Deuteronomy 1:8, where the oath to the fathers is named. Provision came before possession.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), and, to hold up their hearts, a promise that they should go in and possess the land of Canaan. They had meat and drink, food convenient in the way, and the good land at their journey's end; what would they more?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the L ORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the L ORD their God.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v2-3
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger,.... To satisfy that, meaning the manna, Exo 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 Exo 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 Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֠לֶחֶם | velechem | and bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| מִשָּׁמַ֜יִם | mishamayim | from heaven | H8064 → | 421 times |
| נָתַ֤תָּה | natatah | you gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to them | ||
| לִרְעָבָ֔ם | liravam | for hunger their | H7458 → | |
| וּמַ֗יִם | umayim | and water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| מִסֶּ֛לַע | misela' | from a rock | H5553 → | |
| הוֹצֵ֥אתָ | hotzeta | you brought forth | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | for them | ||
| לִצְמָאָ֑ם | litzmaam | for thirst their | H6772 → | |
| וַתֹּ֣אמֶר | vatomer | and you said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶ֗ם | lahem | to them | ||
| לָבוֹא֙ | lavo' | to go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָרֶ֣שֶׁת | lareshet | to take possession of | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָשָׂ֥אתָ | nasata | you had lifted | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יָדְךָ֖ | yadekha | hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לָתֵ֥ת | latet | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶֽם׃ | lahem | to them |
וְ֠לֶחֶםand bread
velechemH3899 →298 times
מִשָּׁמַ֜יִםfrom heaven
mishamayimH8064 →421 times
נָתַ֤תָּהyou gave
natatahH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶם֙to them
lahem
לִרְעָבָ֔םfor hunger their
liravamH7458 →
וּמַ֗יִםand water
umayimH4325 →581 times
מִסֶּ֛לַעfrom a rock
misela'H5553 →
הוֹצֵ֥אתָyou brought forth
hotzetaH3318 →1067 times
לָהֶ֖םfor them
lahem
לִצְמָאָ֑םfor thirst their
litzmaamH6772 →
וַתֹּ֣אמֶרand you said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
לָהֶ֗םto them
lahem
לָבוֹא֙to go
lavo'H935 →2568 times
לָרֶ֣שֶׁתto take possession of
lareshetH3423 →231 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
נָשָׂ֥אתָyou had lifted
nasataH5375 →656 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יָדְךָ֖hand your
yadekhaH3027 →1618 times
לָתֵ֥תto give
latetH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶֽם׃to them
lahem
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 17:6Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:4
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
- Numbers 20:9–11
So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded.
- Psalms 105:41
He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.
- Deuteronomy 8:15
He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint.
- Psalms 78:15–16
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.
- 1 Corinthians 10:4
Through
Deuteronomy 1:8See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.”
it leads to
- Genesis 15:18
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
- Genesis 12:7
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- Genesis 26:3–4
Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath…
- Genesis 15:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.