Nehemiah 9:28
in Nehemiah 9But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee; therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies,
KJV
But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThat which was designed in all the testimonies which the prophets bore against them was to bring them again to God's law, to lay their necks under its yoke, and walk by its rule. The end of our ministry is to bring people to God by bringing them to his law, not to bring them to ourselves by bringing them under any law of ours.
This site's exposition
So You delivered them into the hands of enemies
on Nehemiah 9:27-28
"So You delivered them into the hands of enemies" begins the rhythm the book of Judges tells in full. Verse 28 repeats the cycle so each deliverance becomes the ground of the next relapse. Gill names the deliverers of Judges, Othniel, Ehud, Barak and Gideon.
This site's exposition
as soon as they had rest
The pattern is the one Judges 3:11-12 sets out: the land had rest forty years under Othniel, and then Israel again did evil. Judges 2:19 adds that each generation grew more corrupt after its judge died. The prayer credits each rescue to God's compassion.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
They were not wrought upon either by their troubles or their deliverances out of trouble. Neither fear nor love would hold them to their duty. They at length come nearer to their own day, and lament the sins which had brought those judgments upon them which they had long been groaning under and were now but in part delivered from: We have done wickedly (
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
But after they had rest,....
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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּכְנ֣וֹחַ | ukhenoach | and just as was rest | H5117 → | |
| לָהֶ֔ם | lahem | to them | ||
| יָשׁ֕וּבוּ | yashuvu | they returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| רַ֖ע | ra' | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
| לְפָנֶ֑יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַתַּֽעַזְבֵ֞ם | vataazvem | and you abandoned them | H5800 → | 215 times |
| בְּיַ֤ד | beyad | in [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֹֽיְבֵיהֶם֙ | ʾoyeveihem | enemies their | H341 → | 282 times |
| וַיִּרְדּ֣וּ | vaiyirdu | and they ruled | H7287 → | |
| בָהֶ֔ם | vahem | over them | ||
| וַיָּשׁ֙וּבוּ֙ | vaiyashuvu | and they returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| וַיִּזְעָק֔וּךָ | vaiyizakucha | and they cried out to you | H2199 → | |
| וְאַתָּ֞ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| מִשָּׁמַ֧יִם | mishamayim | from heaven | H8064 → | 421 times |
| תִּשְׁמַ֛ע | tishma' | you heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וְתַצִּילֵ֥ם | vetatzilem | and you rescued them | H5337 → | |
| כְּֽרַחֲמֶ֖יךָ | kerachameikha | according to compassion<s> your | H7356 → | 45 times |
| רַבּ֥וֹת | rabot | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| עִתִּֽים׃ | ʾitim | times | H6256 → | 296 times |
וּכְנ֣וֹחַand just as was rest
ukhenoachH5117 →
לָהֶ֔םto them
lahem
יָשׁ֕וּבוּthey returned
yashuvuH7725 →1056 times
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
רַ֖עevil
ra'H7451 →662 times
לְפָנֶ֑יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
וַתַּֽעַזְבֵ֞םand you abandoned them
vataazvemH5800 →215 times
בְּיַ֤דin [the] hand of
beyadH3027 →1618 times
אֹֽיְבֵיהֶם֙enemies their
ʾoyeveihemH341 →282 times
וַיִּרְדּ֣וּand they ruled
vaiyirduH7287 →
בָהֶ֔םover them
vahem
וַיָּשׁ֙וּבוּ֙and they returned
vaiyashuvuH7725 →1056 times
וַיִּזְעָק֔וּךָand they cried out to you
vaiyizakuchaH2199 →
וְאַתָּ֞הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
מִשָּׁמַ֧יִםfrom heaven
mishamayimH8064 →421 times
תִּשְׁמַ֛עyou heard
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
וְתַצִּילֵ֥םand you rescued them
vetatzilemH5337 →
כְּֽרַחֲמֶ֖יךָaccording to compassion<s> your
kerachameikhaH7356 →45 times
רַבּ֥וֹתmany
rabotH7227 →454 times
עִתִּֽים׃times
ʾitimH6256 →296 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
Judges 5:31So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:6
He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.
- 2 Samuel 23:4
is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’
- James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
- Psalms 19:4–5
their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.
- 1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
- Psalms 37:6
Through
1 Kings 8:39be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and act, and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 28:9
As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought.…
- Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- 1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the…
- 1 Chronicles 28:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Berean Standard Bible, Judges 3:11-12; Judges 2:19; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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 W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).