Nehemiah 9:2
in Nehemiah 9Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
KJV
And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe seed of Israel separated themselves - A reformation of this kind was begun by Ezra, Ezr 10:3; but it appears that either more were found out who had taken strange wives, or else those who had separated from them had taken them again. And stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. - They acknowledged that they had been sinners against God throughout all their generations; that their fathers had sinned and were punished; and that they, with this example before their eyes, had copied their fathers’ offenses.
This site's exposition
fasting and wearing sackcloth
on Nehemiah 9:1-2
Two days after the feast of booths, the congregation returns to mourning, "fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads". Those of Israelite descent confessed "their sins and the iniquities of their fathers," one confession spanning the generations. The crowd that rejoiced now owns what its history was.
This site's exposition
confessed their sins and the iniquities
Those of Israelite descent confess their own sins with the iniquities of their fathers, as Leviticus 26:40 requires of Israel in exile. Adam Clarke links the separation from foreigners to Ezra's reform of mixed marriages at Ezra 10:3. He suggests the reform had lapsed.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
What were the heads of the prayer that was made to God on that occasion, wherein they made a thankful acknowledgment of God's mercies, a penitent confession of sin, and a humble submission to the righteous hand of God in the judgments that were brought upon them, concluding with a solemn resolution of new obedience,
But now they separated themselves from the strange children as well as from the strange wives. Those that intend by prayers and covenants to join themselves to God must separate themselves from sin and sinners; for what communion hath light with darkness? It was a day of communion with God.
And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers--Not only did they read in their recent sufferings a punishment of the national apostasy and guilt, but they had made themselves partakers of their fathers' sins by following the same evil ways.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and [with] earth upon them They had put earth on their heads.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּבָּֽדְלוּ֙ | vaiyibadelu | and they separated themselves | H914 → | 42 times |
| זֶ֣רַע | zera' | [the] offspring of | H2233 → | 229 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מִכֹּ֖ל | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נֵכָ֑ר | nekhar | foreignness | H5236 → | |
| וַיַּעַמְד֗וּ | vaiyaamdu | and they stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| וַיִּתְוַדּוּ֙ | vaiyitvadu | and they confessed | H3034 → | 114 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חַטֹּ֣אתֵיהֶ֔ם | chatoteihem | sins their | H2403 → | 295 times |
| וַעֲוֹנ֖וֹת | vaavonot | and [the] iniquities of | H5771 → | |
| אֲבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ | ʾavoteihem | ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
וַיִּבָּֽדְלוּ֙and they separated themselves
vaiyibadeluH914 →42 times
זֶ֣רַע[the] offspring of
zera'H2233 →229 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מִכֹּ֖לfrom all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
בְּנֵ֣יsons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
נֵכָ֑רforeignness
nekharH5236 →
וַיַּעַמְד֗וּand they stood
vaiyaamduH5975 →521 times
וַיִּתְוַדּוּ֙and they confessed
vaiyitvaduH3034 →114 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
חַטֹּ֣אתֵיהֶ֔םsins their
chatoteihemH2403 →295 times
וַעֲוֹנ֖וֹתand [the] iniquities of
vaavonotH5771 →
אֲבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ancestors their
ʾavoteihemH1 →1212 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
Daniel 9:20While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—
it leads to
- Psalms 145:18
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.
- Daniel 9:3–4
So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
- Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- Isaiah 58:9
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and…
- Psalms 145:18
Through
Ezra 10:11Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.”
it leads to
- Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
- Leviticus 26:40–42
But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me—
- Romans 12:2
Through
Nehemiah 13:3As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.
it leads to
- Exodus 12:38
And a mixed multitude also went up with them, along with great droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.
- Exodus 12:38
Through
Nehemiah 13:30Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
it leads to
- Nehemiah 10:30
We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons.
- Nehemiah 10:30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Alfred Edersheim, Bible History: Old Testament; 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.