Nehemiah 9:17
in Nehemiah 9They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and forsookest them not.
KJV
And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In their rebellion - The Septuagint and several maunscripts have “in Egypt” (the words in the original differing by one letter only), and translate - “And appointed a captain to return to their bondage in Egypt.” Compare the margin reference. The appointment of a leader is regarded here as made, whereas we are only told in the Book of Numbers that it was proposed.
This site's exposition
became arrogant and stiff-necked
on Nehemiah 9:16-17
Then comes the sentence the prayer turns on: "You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion" (9:17). It is the Lord's own self-description at Sinai in Exodus 34, prayed back to Him after a long record of failure.
This site's exposition
appointed a leader to return them
The appointed leader comes from Numbers 14:4, where the people proposed choosing a leader to take them back to Egypt. Albert Barnes notes that the Septuagint and several manuscripts read in Egypt, and that the prayer treats as done what Numbers records as proposed. The Berean text follows that reading.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
), a God of pardons (so the margin reads it), who had proclaimed his name as a God forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, who has power to forgive sin, is willing to forgive, and glories in forgiving.
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
. [2.] To Egyptian idolatry: They made a molten calf, and were so sottish as to say, This is thy God. They next bewail the provocations of their fathers after they were put in possession of Canaan.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And refused to obey,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
WHEN A MAN'S CONSCIENCE is so awakened to the existence of sin that he cannot perceive any plea for mercy within himself, it is his wisdom to look for a plea in the nature and character of God. Now, brethren, if we search ourselves through and through, we cannot find anything in our fallen nature which can recommend us to the Most High. If we think that we have a claim upon God's goodness, we are in darkness, and deceive ourselves.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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.
WHEN A MAN'S CONSCIENCE is so awakened to the existence of sin that he cannot perceive any plea for mercy within himself, it is his wisdom to look for a plea in the nature and character of God. Now, brethren, if we search ourselves through and through, we cannot find anything in our fallen nature which can recommend us to the Most High. If we think that we have a claim upon God's goodness, we are in darkness, and deceive ourselves. When the true light comes, it reveals our bareness of all merit or excuse, and shows that there is nothing in human nature but that which provokes the Lord. This is the fact as to our condition while we are unregenerate, and oftentimes the true believer, when darkness gathers around him, finds himself to be in much the same condition. His evidences burn dimly, the candle of the Lord seems quenched within his spirit, and, worst of all, the sun of divine favor is not discernible; then groping all around he can discover nothing in himself but that which causes him to sigh and groan, being burdened. In such a plight he should cast overboard the great anchor of faith, and escape from himself to his God. It were well for him always to do so, but especially in the cloudy and dark day. To whom should he turn for light but to the Sun of Righteousness? Where look for grace but to the God of all grace? Where for all but to the All in all? If what I am makes me despair, let me consider what God in Christ is and I shall have hope. That God is merciful becomes to sinners the first point upon which they can fix their hope: that the mercy of God endureth for ever affords to the saints a most blessed stronghold when inward sin assails the soul. But whence do we learn this supremely consoling truth? How do we know that God is merciful? I scarcely think we should have inferred from his works the readiness of God to show mercy.
And in their rebellion appointed a captain - This clause, read according to its order in the Hebrew text, is thus: And appointed a captain to return to their bondage in their rebellion. But it is probable that במרים bemiryam, in their rebellion, is a mistake for במצרים bemitsrayim, in Egypt. This is the reading of seven of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS., the Neapolitan edition of the Hagiographa, and the Septuagint. It is also the reading in Num 14:4. The clause should undoubtedly be read, They appointed a captain to return to their bondage in Egypt.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ | vaymaanu | and they refused | H3985 → | |
| לִשְׁמֹ֗עַ | lishmoa' | to listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| זָכְר֤וּ | zakheru | they remembered | H2142 → | 230 times |
| נִפְלְאֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ | nifleoteikha | wonders your | H6381 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשִׂ֣יתָ | ʾasita | you had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| עִמָּהֶ֔ם | ʾimahem | with them | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ | vaiyakshu | and they stiffened | H7185 → | 28 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עָרְפָּ֔ם | ʾarepam | neck their | H6203 → | 33 times |
| וַיִּתְּנוּ־ | vaiyitenu- | and they appointed | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| רֹ֛אשׁ | rosh | a leader | H7218 → | 599 times |
| לָשׁ֥וּב | lashuv | to return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לְעַבְדֻתָ֖ם | leavdutam | to servitude their | H5659 → | |
| בְּמִרְיָ֑ם | bemiryam | in rebellion their | H4805 → | |
| וְאַתָּה֩ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| אֱל֨וֹהַּ | ʾeloah | [are] a God | H433 → | |
| סְלִיח֜וֹת | selichot | forgiveness<es> | H5547 → | |
| חַנּ֧וּן | chanun | gracious | H2587 → | |
| וְרַח֛וּם | verachum | and compassionate | H7349 → | |
| אֶֽרֶךְ־ | ʾerekh- | long of | H750 → | |
| אַפַּ֥יִם | ʾapayim | anger<s> | H639 → | |
| וְרַב־ | verav- | and great | H7227 → | 454 times |
| חֶ֖סֶד | vechesed | of covenant loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עֲזַבְתָּֽם׃ | ʾazavtam | you abandoned them | H5800 → | 215 times |
וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּand they refused
vaymaanuH3985 →
לִשְׁמֹ֗עַto listen
lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
זָכְר֤וּthey remembered
zakheruH2142 →230 times
נִפְלְאֹתֶ֙יךָ֙wonders your
nifleoteikhaH6381 →
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשִׂ֣יתָyou had done
ʾasitaH6213 →2628 times
עִמָּהֶ֔םwith them
ʾimahemH5973 →1050 times
וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙and they stiffened
vaiyakshuH7185 →28 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עָרְפָּ֔םneck their
ʾarepamH6203 →33 times
וַיִּתְּנוּ־and they appointed
vaiyitenu-H5414 →2011 times
רֹ֛אשׁa leader
roshH7218 →599 times
לָשׁ֥וּבto return
lashuvH7725 →1056 times
לְעַבְדֻתָ֖םto servitude their
leavdutamH5659 →
בְּמִרְיָ֑םin rebellion their
bemiryamH4805 →
וְאַתָּה֩and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
אֱל֨וֹהַּ[are] a God
ʾeloahH433 →
סְלִיח֜וֹתforgiveness<es>
selichotH5547 →
חַנּ֧וּןgracious
chanunH2587 →
וְרַח֛וּםand compassionate
verachumH7349 →
אֶֽרֶךְ־long of
ʾerekh-H750 →
אַפַּ֥יִםanger<s>
ʾapayimH639 →
וְרַב־and great
verav-H7227 →454 times
חֶ֖סֶדof covenant loyalty
vechesedH2617 →247 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
עֲזַבְתָּֽם׃you abandoned them
ʾazavtamH5800 →215 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
Psalms 86:15But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
it leads to
- Psalms 103:8
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ephesians 2:4–7
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
- Psalms 130:7
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance.
- Psalms 103:8
Through
Joel 2:13So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
it leads to
- Psalms 86:15
But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
- Psalms 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
- Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit,…
- Exodus 34:6–7
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,
- Matthew 5:3–4
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Psalms 86:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, A God Ready to Pardon (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, No. 1272); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1272: “A God Ready to Pardon” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.