Nehemiah 9:19
in Nehemiah 9You in Your great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud never turned away from guiding them on their path; and by the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of cloud departed not from over 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.
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.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe 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: 1. As a cloud in the form of a pillar, it went before them when they journey, to point out their way in the wilderness. 2. As a pillar of fire, it continued with them during the night, to give them light, and be a rallying point for the whole camp in the night season.
This site's exposition
did not forsake them in the wilderness
on Nehemiah 9:19-20
Even after the calf the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night keep leading. Verse 20 adds more unbroken gifts: "You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst".
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
), observing that though they had by their sins provoked God to withdraw from them, and leave them to wander and perish in the by-paths of the wilderness, yet in his manifold mercy he continued to lead them, and took not away the pillar of cloud and fire,
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
When mercies, though forfeited, are continued, we are bound to be doubly thankful. (5.) The plentiful provision made for them in the wilderness, that they might not perish for hunger: Thou gavest them bread from heaven, and water out of the rock (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Good statutes - The moral and judicial precepts were all founded on natural equity. And even the ceremonial were tokens of God's goodness, being types of gospel-grace. Made - Designed, and resolved to do so, Num. xiv, 4, and therefore they are said to do so, as Abraham is said to have offered up Isaac, Heb. xi, 17, because he intended to do it.
Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness,.... 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.
1 more voice on this verse
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
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַתָּה֙ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בְּרַחֲמֶ֣יךָ | berachameikha | in compassion<s> your | H7356 → | 45 times |
| הָֽרַבִּ֔ים | harabim | <the> great | H7227 → | 454 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עֲזַבְתָּ֖ם | ʾazavtam | you abandoned them | H5800 → | 215 times |
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמּ֣וּד | ʾamud | [the] pillar of | H5982 → | 111 times |
| הֶ֠עָנָן | heanon | <the> cloud | H6051 → | |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| סָ֨ר | sar | it departed | H5493 → | |
| מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֤ם | mealeihem | from over <the> them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּיוֹמָם֙ | beyomam | in daytime their | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לְהַנְחֹתָ֣ם | lehanchotam | to lead them | H5148 → | |
| בְּהַדֶּ֔רֶךְ | behaderekh | in the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמּ֨וּד | ʾamud | [the] pillar of | H5982 → | 111 times |
| הָאֵ֤שׁ | haesh | <the> fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| בְּלַ֙יְלָה֙ | belaylah | at night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| לְהָאִ֣יר | lehair | to light up | H215 → | |
| לָהֶ֔ם | lahem | for them | ||
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ | haderekh | the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֵֽלְכוּ־ | yelekhu- | they walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בָֽהּ׃ | vah | in it |
וְאַתָּה֙and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
בְּרַחֲמֶ֣יךָin compassion<s> your
berachameikhaH7356 →45 times
הָֽרַבִּ֔ים<the> great
harabimH7227 →454 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
עֲזַבְתָּ֖םyou abandoned them
ʾazavtamH5800 →215 times
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑רin the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַמּ֣וּד[the] pillar of
ʾamudH5982 →111 times
הֶ֠עָנָן<the> cloud
heanonH6051 →
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
סָ֨רit departed
sarH5493 →
מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֤םfrom over <the> them
mealeihemH5921 →5755 times
בְּיוֹמָם֙in daytime their
beyomamH3117 →2304 times
לְהַנְחֹתָ֣םto lead them
lehanchotamH5148 →
בְּהַדֶּ֔רֶךְin the way
behaderekhH1870 →707 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עַמּ֨וּד[the] pillar of
ʾamudH5982 →111 times
הָאֵ֤שׁ<the> fire
haeshH784 →378 times
בְּלַ֙יְלָה֙at night
belaylahH3915 →233 times
לְהָאִ֣ירto light up
lehairH215 →
לָהֶ֔םfor them
lahem
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַדֶּ֖רֶךְthe way
haderekhH1870 →707 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יֵֽלְכוּ־they walked
yelekhu-H1980 →1546 times
בָֽהּ׃in it
vah
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
Malachi 3:6“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.
it leads to
- Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
- Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
- James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
- Lamentations 3:22–23
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
- Jeremiah 32:27
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
- Numbers 23:19
Through
Daniel 9:18Incline Your ear, O my God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You because of our…
it leads to
- Isaiah 37:17
Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to all the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God.
- Isaiah 37:17
Through
Psalms 106:45And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.
it leads to
- Psalms 105:8
He remembers His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations—
- 2 Kings 13:23
But the LORD was gracious to Israel and had compassion on them, and He turned toward them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day, the LORD has been…
- Psalms 105:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this chapter
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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.