Nehemiah 9:13
in Nehemiah 9You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,
KJV
Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe law given was very good. No nation under the sun had such right judgments, true laws, and good statutes, Deut. iv. The moral and judicial precepts were true and right, founded upon natural equity and the eternal reasons of good and evil; and even the ceremonial institutions were good, tokens of God's goodness to them and types of gospel grace.
This site's exposition
with a pillar of cloud by day
on Nehemiah 9:12-13
By day "a pillar of cloud" and by night "a pillar of fire" light the way, guidance arriving before any law does. God "came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven." The giving of law follows the giving of guidance, and the two stand in one history.
This site's exposition
You came down on Mount Sinai
Two accounts stand behind the verse: the Lord descends to the top of Sinai at Exodus 19:20 and speaks from heaven at Exodus 20:22. Matthew Henry links the four terms for the law to Deuteronomy 4:8, which asks what nation has statutes so righteous. The prayer assumes the answer.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
(6.) The giving of the law upon Mount Sinai. This was the greatest favour of all that was done them and the greatest honour that was put upon them. The Lawgiver was very glorious,
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 camest down also upon Mount Sinai,.... By some visible tokens of his presence, as a cloud, fire, smoke, &c. which must be understood consistent with his omniscience, see Exo 19:18, and spakest with them from heaven; the decalogue or ten commandments, Exo 20:1, and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments; both judicial and ceremonial, which were of excellent use to them in their civil and ecclesiastical polity; these were not spoken to Israel, but given to Moses on the mount, to be delivered to 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַ֤ל | veal | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַר־ | har- | [the] mountain of | H2022 → | |
| סִינַי֙ | sinai | Sinai | H5514 → | |
| יָרַ֔דְתָּ | yaradta | you came down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| וְדַבֵּ֥ר | vedaber | and you spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עִמָּהֶ֖ם | ʾimahem | with them | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| מִשָּׁמָ֑יִם | mishamayim | from heaven | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וַתִּתֵּ֨ן | vatiten | and you gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶ֜ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| מִשְׁפָּטִ֤ים | mishpatim | judgments | H4941 → | 422 times |
| יְשָׁרִים֙ | yesharim | upright | H3477 → | |
| וְתוֹר֣וֹת | vetorot | and laws of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| אֱמֶ֔ת | ʾemet | faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| חֻקִּ֥ים | chukim | statutes | H2706 → | 127 times |
| וּמִצְוֹ֖ת | umitzvot | and commandments | H4687 → | 181 times |
| טוֹבִֽים׃ | tovim | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
וְעַ֤לand on
vealH5921 →5755 times
הַר־[the] mountain of
har-H2022 →
סִינַי֙Sinai
sinaiH5514 →
יָרַ֔דְתָּyou came down
yaradtaH3381 →381 times
וְדַבֵּ֥רand you spoke
vedaberH1696 →1141 times
עִמָּהֶ֖םwith them
ʾimahemH5973 →1050 times
מִשָּׁמָ֑יִםfrom heaven
mishamayimH8064 →421 times
וַתִּתֵּ֨ןand you gave
vatitenH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶ֜םto <the> them
lahem
מִשְׁפָּטִ֤יםjudgments
mishpatimH4941 →422 times
יְשָׁרִים֙upright
yesharimH3477 →
וְתוֹר֣וֹתand laws of
vetorotH8451 →219 times
אֱמֶ֔תfaithfulness
ʾemetH571 →127 times
חֻקִּ֥יםstatutes
chukimH2706 →127 times
וּמִצְוֹ֖תand commandments
umitzvotH4687 →181 times
טוֹבִֽים׃good
tovimH2896 →538 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
Exodus 20:1And God spoke all these words:
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 5:22
The LORD spoke these commandments in a loud voice to your whole assembly out of the fire, the cloud, and the deep darkness on the mountain; He added nothing more. And He wrote them…
- Deuteronomy 5:4
The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
- Deuteronomy 4:36
He let you hear His voice from heaven to discipline you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire.
- Deuteronomy 5:22
Through
Psalms 119:160The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.
it leads to
- Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
- 2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
- Psalms 119:144
Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live.
- Matthew 5:18
For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
- Psalms 119:142
Your righteousness is everlasting and Your law is true.
- Proverbs 30:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.