Nehemiah 9:20
in Nehemiah 9You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
KJV
Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
did not forsake them in the wilderness
on Nehemiah 9:19-20
Even after the calf the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night keep leading. Verse 20 adds more unbroken gifts: "You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst".
This site's exposition
You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them
Adam Clarke reads the pillar of verse 19 as the sign of God's presence, and verse 20 adds the Spirit's instruction. Numbers 11:25 records the Spirit resting on the seventy elders in the wilderness. Exodus 16:35 dates the manna to all forty years.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
Besides the law given on Mount Sinai, the five books of Moses, which he wrote as he was moved by the Holy Ghost, were constant instructions to them, particularly the book of Deuteronomy, in which God's Spirit by Moses instructed them fully. Bezaleel was filled with the Spirit of God ( Exod. xxxi. 3 ), so was Joshua ( Num. xxvii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — 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
Good statutes - The moral and judicial precepts were all founded on natural equity. And even the ceremonial were tokens of God's goodness, being types of gospel-grace. Made - Designed, and resolved to do so, Num. xiv, 4, and therefore they are said to do so, as Abraham is said to have offered up Isaac, Heb. xi, 17, because he intended to do it.
Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them,....
If we will not suffer God's word to teach and rule us, it will accuse and judge us. God sends prophets, in compassion to his people ( 2 Chron. xxxvi. 15 ), that he may not send judgments.
1 more voice on this verse
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְרוּחֲךָ֨ | veruchakha | and spirit your | H7307 → | |
| הַטּוֹבָ֔ה | hatovah | <the> good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| נָתַ֖תָּ | natata | you gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְהַשְׂכִּילָ֑ם | lehaskilam | to instruct them | H7919 → | |
| וּמַנְךָ֙ | umankha | and manna your | H4478 → | |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מָנַ֣עְתָּ | mana'ta | you withheld | H4513 → | |
| מִפִּיהֶ֔ם | mipihem | from mouth their | H6310 → | |
| וּמַ֛יִם | umayim | and water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| נָתַ֥תָּה | natatah | you gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | to them | ||
| לִצְמָאָֽם׃ | litzmaam | for thirst their | H6772 → |
וְרוּחֲךָ֨and spirit your
veruchakhaH7307 →
הַטּוֹבָ֔ה<the> good
hatovahH2896 →538 times
נָתַ֖תָּyou gave
natataH5414 →2011 times
לְהַשְׂכִּילָ֑םto instruct them
lehaskilamH7919 →
וּמַנְךָ֙and manna your
umankhaH4478 →
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
מָנַ֣עְתָּyou withheld
mana'taH4513 →
מִפִּיהֶ֔םfrom mouth their
mipihemH6310 →
וּמַ֛יִםand water
umayimH4325 →581 times
נָתַ֥תָּהyou gave
natatahH5414 →2011 times
לָהֶ֖םto them
lahem
לִצְמָאָֽם׃for thirst their
litzmaamH6772 →
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
John 4:10Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
it leads to
- John 4:14
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- John 7:37–39
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
- Revelation 21:6
And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
- John 4:14
Through
Psalms 143:10Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
it leads to
- Psalms 25:4–5
Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.
- Psalms 25:4–5
Through
2 Peter 1:21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 3:15–17
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
- 2 Samuel 23:2
The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.
- 2 Timothy 3:15–17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.