Nehemiah 1:8
in Nehemiah 1Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples:
KJV
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
⋯
This verse in Nehemiah 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseBut I say, Has the Lord used iniquity to snatch the nations from the power of his enemies and recall them to faith in him and to his dominion? By no means. For "Israel" was once "the Lord's portion," but they made Israel turn from their God in sin, and because of their sins God said to them, "Behold, you have been separated by your sins and because of your sins you have been scattered under the whole heaven."
This site's exposition
We have behaved corruptly against You
on Nehemiah 1:7-9
Verse 8 recites the warning of Moses back to God: "If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations" (1:8). Verse 9 recites the other half, the promise of Deuteronomy 30 to gather exiles, so the petition rests on a word God had already spoken.
This site's exposition
the word that You commanded
The warning to scatter the unfaithful stands in Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 28:64, and Clarke notes that Nehemiah still quoted the word of Moses correctly. The scattering had happened. Henry adds that God, who needs no reminder, Himself asks His people to put Him in remembrance of His word.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
This he quotes from Deut. xxx. 1-5 , and begs leave to put God in mind of it (though the Eternal Mind needs no remembrancer) as that which he guided his desires by, and grounded his faith and hope upon, in praying this prayer: Remember, I beseech thee, that word; for thou hast said, Put me in remembrance.
), Lord, remember the word which thou commandedst thy servant Moses; for the covenant is often said to be commanded. If God were not more mindful of his promises than we are of his precepts we should be undone. Our best pleas therefore in prayer are those that are taken from the promise of God, the word on which he has caused us to hope, Ps. cxix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
18 ) that he offered sacrifice, we must conclude him to have been a priest. Nehemiah's station at the court of Persia. We are here told that he was in Shushan the palace, or royal city, of the king of Persia, where the court was ordinarily kept (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses,.... To publish and declare to the children of Israel, Deu 28:64, saying, if ye transgress; the law of God: I will scatter you abroad among the nations; as now they had been among the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Medes, and Persians.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Thy servant Moses - See the parallel places in Lev 26:33 (note), Deu 4:25-27 (note), Deu 28:64 (note), and the notes there. Though in an enemy’s country, and far from the ordinances of God, Nehemiah did not forget the law: he read his Bible well, and quotes correctly.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| זְכָר־ | zekhor- | remember | H2142 → | 230 times |
| נָא֙ | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֔ר | hadavar | the word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוִּ֛יתָ | tzivita | you commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֥ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֖ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַתֶּ֣ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תִּמְעָ֔לוּ | timalu | you will act unfaithfully | H4603 → | |
| אֲנִ֕י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אָפִ֥יץ | ʾafitz | I will scatter | H6327 → | |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בָּעַמִּֽים׃ | baamim | among the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
זְכָר־remember
zekhor-H2142 →230 times
נָא֙please
na'H4994 →404 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֔רthe word
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוִּ֛יתָyou commanded
tzivitaH6680 →494 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מֹשֶׁ֥הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
עַבְדְּךָ֖servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אַתֶּ֣םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
תִּמְעָ֔לוּyou will act unfaithfully
timaluH4603 →
אֲנִ֕יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
אָפִ֥יץI will scatter
ʾafitzH6327 →
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
בָּעַמִּֽים׃among the peoples
baamimH5971 →1873 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Deuteronomy 28:64Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:27–28
Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.
- Leviticus 26:33
But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.
- Jeremiah 16:13
So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you…
- Deuteronomy 28:36
The LORD will bring you and the king you appoint to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone.
- Luke 21:24
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
- Deuteronomy 4:27–28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Nehemiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 9.7.