Nehemiah 9:30
in Nehemiah 9You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseMany years didst thou forbear - It is supposed that Nehemiah refers here principally to the ten tribes. And many years did God bear with them; not less than two hundred and fifty-four years from their separation from the house of David, till their captivity and utter dispersion under Shalmaneser; during the whole of which time God invariably warned them by his prophets; or, as it is here said, by thy Spirit in thy prophets, which gives us the true notion of Divine inspiration.
This site's exposition
You admonished them to turn back to Your law
on Nehemiah 9:29-31
"You admonished them to turn back to Your law," and recovery for the nation is the purpose behind every warning. Adam Clarke reckons the years of patience mainly against the ten tribes, about two hundred and fifty years of warning before the Assyrian captivity.
This site's exposition
Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets
Zechariah 7:12 describes the earlier prophets the same way, speaking words the Lord sent by His Spirit. Adam Clarke finds in the phrase the true account of inspiration, the Spirit speaking in the prophet. 2 Kings 17:13 records every prophet's warning to Israel and Judah.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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
): Thou testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets. The testimony of the prophets was the testimony of the Spirit in the prophets, and it was the Spirit of Christ in them, 1 Pet. i. They spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and what they said is to be received accordingly.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Yet many years didst thou forbear them,....
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
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתִּמְשֹׁ֤ךְ | vatimshokh | and you prolonged | H4900 → | |
| עֲלֵיהֶם֙ | ʾaleihem | towards them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שָׁנִ֣ים | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| רַבּ֔וֹת | rabot | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| וַתָּ֨עַד | vataad | and you warned | H5749 → | 44 times |
| בָּ֧ם | bam | <in> them | ||
| בְּרוּחֲךָ֛ | beruchakha | by spirit your | H7307 → | |
| בְּיַד־ | beyad- | by [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ | nevieikha | prophets your | H5030 → | 314 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הֶאֱזִ֑ינוּ | heezinu | they gave ear | H238 → | |
| וַֽתִּתְּנֵ֔ם | vatitenem | and you gave them | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְּיַ֖ד | beyad | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עַמֵּ֥י | ʾamei | [the] peoples of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאֲרָצֹֽת׃ | haaratzot | the lands | H776 → | 2504 times |
וַתִּמְשֹׁ֤ךְand you prolonged
vatimshokhH4900 →
עֲלֵיהֶם֙towards them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
שָׁנִ֣יםyears
shanimH8141 →877 times
רַבּ֔וֹתmany
rabotH7227 →454 times
וַתָּ֨עַדand you warned
vataadH5749 →44 times
בָּ֧ם<in> them
bam
בְּרוּחֲךָ֛by spirit your
beruchakhaH7307 →
בְּיַד־by [the] hand of
beyad-H3027 →1618 times
נְבִיאֶ֖יךָprophets your
nevieikhaH5030 →314 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
הֶאֱזִ֑ינוּthey gave ear
heezinuH238 →
וַֽתִּתְּנֵ֔םand you gave them
vatitenemH5414 →2011 times
בְּיַ֖דin [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
עַמֵּ֥י[the] peoples of
ʾameiH5971 →1873 times
הָאֲרָצֹֽת׃the lands
haaratzotH776 →2504 times
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
Romans 2:4Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
it leads to
- 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
- Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
- Exodus 34:6
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
- Romans 9:22–23
What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?
- Titus 3:4–6
But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
- 2 Peter 3:9
Through
Acts 7:51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:16
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.
- Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.
- Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- Deuteronomy 10:16
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.