Nehemiah 9:33
in Nehemiah 9You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Howbeit thou art just in all that is come upon us; for thou hast dealt truly, but we have done wickedly;
KJV
Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:
⋯
This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThou art just. &c. - It becomes us, when we are under the rebukes of providence, be they ever so sharp, or ever so long continued, still to justify God, and to own we are punished less than our iniquities deserve.
This site's exposition
thou hast done right
on Nehemiah 9:33-35
Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us turns the confession fully around, ending in the admission that follows: for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly. John Wesley reads this as the posture providence always requires, justifying God under its rebukes however sharp or long continued, and owning that the punishment fell short of what the sin deserved. Verse thirty-four spreads the failure across every office already named, kings, princes, priests and fathers alike failing to keep the law, and verse thirty-five adds the sharper point, that even in their own kingdom, in the fat land God had given them, they did not serve him or turn from their wicked works. Gill reads the justice claim as total, God keeping his word faithfully while every rank of the nation transgressed the law meant to govern it.
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
Because we have smarted so much for sin, we will now stedfastly resolve against it, that we may not any more withdraw the shoulder." Observe, 1. This covenant was made with serious consideration. It is the result of a chain of suitable thoughts, and so is a reasonable service.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Howbeit, thou art just in all that is brought upon us,.... 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.
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
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַתָּ֣ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| צַדִּ֔יק | tzadik | [are] righteous | H6662 → | |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַבָּ֣א | haba' | <the> [thing which] has come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עָלֵ֑ינוּ | ʾaleinu | on us | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֱמֶ֥ת | ʾemet | faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| עָשִׂ֖יתָ | ʾasita | you have acted | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ | vaanachnu | and we | H587 → | 120 times |
| הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ | hirshaenu | we have acted wickedly | H7561 → |
וְאַתָּ֣הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
צַדִּ֔יק[are] righteous
tzadikH6662 →
עַ֖לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַבָּ֣א<the> [thing which] has come
haba'H935 →2568 times
עָלֵ֑ינוּon us
ʾaleinuH5921 →5755 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֱמֶ֥תfaithfulness
ʾemetH571 →127 times
עָשִׂ֖יתָyou have acted
ʾasitaH6213 →2628 times
וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּand we
vaanachnuH587 →120 times
הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ׃we have acted wickedly
hirshaenuH7561 →
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
Genesis 18:25Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the…
it leads to
- Job 8:20
Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.
- Isaiah 3:10–11
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
- Job 8:3
Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
- Psalms 58:11
Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”
- Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
- Job 8:20
Through
Psalms 106:6We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 9:16
But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments.
- Nehemiah 9:16
Through
Psalms 119:137Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments.
it leads to
- Ezra 9:15
O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”
- Jeremiah 12:1
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live…
- Ezra 9:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Nehemiah
This page draws on 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.