Nehemiah 9:31
in Nehemiah 9But in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Nevertheless in thy manifold mercies thou didst not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
KJV
Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
⋯
This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
6 notes on this verseNevertheless, for thy great mercies' sake, For the displaying of that, and the glorifying of it, which is so large and exceeding abundant: thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; some were left in the land, and those that were carried captive found favour in the eyes of those that carried them away, and were suffered to live, and many of them now had returned to their own land: for thou art a gracious and merciful God; of which they had abundant proof and evidence.
This site's exposition
You admonished them to turn back to Your law
on Nehemiah 9:29-31
"You admonished them to turn back to Your law," and recovery for the nation is the purpose behind every warning. Adam Clarke reckons the years of patience mainly against the ten tribes, about two hundred and fifty years of warning before the Assyrian captivity.
This site's exposition
You did not put an end to them
Jeremiah 30:11 promised this limit, discipline without complete destruction, and Lamentations 3:22 confesses the same great compassion. John Gill finds the proof in the exiles who were spared, found favour with their captors, and returned. The gracious and compassionate God kept them.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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
The more thankful we are for God's mercies the more humbled we shall be for our own sins. Here is a penitent confession of sin, their own sins, and the sins of their fathers.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּֽבְרַחֲמֶ֧יךָ | uverachameikha | and in compassion<s> your | H7356 → | 45 times |
| הָרַבִּ֛ים | harabim | <the> great | H7227 → | 454 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עֲשִׂיתָ֥ם | ʾasitam | you made them | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כָּלָ֖ה | kalah | complete destruction | H3617 → | |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עֲזַבְתָּ֑ם | ʾazavtam | you abandoned them | H5800 → | 215 times |
| כִּ֛י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֵֽל־ | ʾel- | [are] a God | H410 → | 241 times |
| חַנּ֥וּן | chanun | gracious | H2587 → | |
| וְרַח֖וּם | verachum | and compassionate | H7349 → | |
| אָֽתָּה׃ | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
וּֽבְרַחֲמֶ֧יךָand in compassion<s> your
uverachameikhaH7356 →45 times
הָרַבִּ֛ים<the> great
harabimH7227 →454 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
עֲשִׂיתָ֥םyou made them
ʾasitamH6213 →2628 times
כָּלָ֖הcomplete destruction
kalahH3617 →
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
עֲזַבְתָּ֑םyou abandoned them
ʾazavtamH5800 →215 times
כִּ֛יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֵֽל־[are] a God
ʾel-H410 →241 times
חַנּ֥וּןgracious
chanunH2587 →
וְרַח֖וּםand compassionate
verachumH7349 →
אָֽתָּה׃you
ʾatahH859 →1094 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
Lamentations 3:22Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Micah 7:18–19
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 1:50
His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
- Malachi 3:6
“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.
- Psalms 78:38
And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.
- Psalms 86:15
Through
Nehemiah 9:17They 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…
it leads to
- Psalms 86:5
For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.
- Joel 2:13
So 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.
- Psalms 145:8–9
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.
- Psalms 86:5
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Mercy35 verses
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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.