Nehemiah 9:32
in Nehemiah 9So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and lovingkindness, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.
KJV
Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
9 notes on this verseOn our kings, on our princes - I believe Nehemiah in this place mentions the whole of civil society in its officers as they stand related to each other in dignity: - 1. Kings, as supreme. 2. Princes. 3. Priests. 4. Prophets. 5. The Fathers, heads or chiefs of tribes and families. 6. The Common People. Those who disturb this natural order (for it subsists even in Britain) are enemies to the peace of the whole, whatever they may pretend to the contrary.
This site's exposition
the great and mighty and awesome God
"So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant" turns the prayer to petition. It asks God not to "view lightly all the hardship" that has come on them. The trouble spans every rank, "our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets."
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
Mercy - He adds mercy, because the covenant in itself was not a sufficient ground of hope, because they had so basely broken it. God was discharged from keeping it, and therefore they fly to God's free and rich mercy for relief.
In this request they have an eye to God as one that is to be feared (for he is the great, the mighty, and the terrible, God ), and as one that is to be trusted, for he is our God in covenant, and a God that keeps covenant and mercy.
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
It is the only petition in all this prayer. The trouble was universal; it had come on their kings, princes, priests, prophets, fathers, and all their people; they had all shared in the sin (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Now therefore, our God . . . who keepest covenant and mercy--God's fidelity to His covenant is prominently acknowledged, and well it might; for their whole national history bore testimony to it.
The words behind it
30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֣ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| אֱ֠לֹהֵינוּ | ʾeloheinu | O God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָאֵ֨ל | hael | <the> God | H410 → | 241 times |
| הַגָּד֜וֹל | hagadol | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| הַגִּבּ֣וֹר | hagibor | <the> mighty | H1368 → | 158 times |
| וְהַנּוֹרָא֮ | vehanora' | and <the> awesome | H3372 → | 315 times |
| שׁוֹמֵ֣ר | shomer | [the] keeper | H8104 → | 468 times |
| הַבְּרִ֣ית | haberit | of the covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
| וְהַחֶסֶד֒ | vehachesed | and <the> covenant loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יִמְעַ֣ט | yimat | it be small | H4591 → | |
| לְפָנֶ֡יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֵ֣ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַתְּלָאָ֣ה | hatelaah | the hardship | H8513 → | |
| אֲֽשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מְ֠צָאַתְנוּ | metzaatnu | it has come upon us | H4672 → | 455 times |
| לִמְלָכֵ֨ינוּ | limlakheinu | to kings our | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| לְשָׂרֵ֧ינוּ | lesareinu | to leaders our | H8269 → | 421 times |
| וּלְכֹהֲנֵ֛ינוּ | ulekhohaneinu | and to priests our | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְלִנְבִיאֵ֥נוּ | velinvienu | and to prophets our | H5030 → | 314 times |
| וְלַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ | velaavoteinu | and to ancestors our | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וּלְכָל־ | ulekhol- | and to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עַמֶּ֑ךָ | ʾamekha | people your | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| מִימֵי֙ | mimei | since [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| מַלְכֵ֣י | malkhei | [the] kings of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַשּׁ֔וּר | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | |
| עַ֖ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֥וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וְעַתָּ֣הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
אֱ֠לֹהֵינוּO God our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
הָאֵ֨ל<the> God
haelH410 →241 times
הַגָּד֜וֹל<the> great
hagadolH1419 →526 times
הַגִּבּ֣וֹר<the> mighty
hagiborH1368 →158 times
וְהַנּוֹרָא֮and <the> awesome
vehanora'H3372 →315 times
שׁוֹמֵ֣ר[the] keeper
shomerH8104 →468 times
הַבְּרִ֣יתof the covenant
haberitH1285 →284 times
וְהַחֶסֶד֒and <the> covenant loyalty
vehachesedH2617 →247 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
יִמְעַ֣טit be small
yimatH4591 →
לְפָנֶ֡יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
אֵ֣ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַתְּלָאָ֣הthe hardship
hatelaahH8513 →
אֲֽשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
מְ֠צָאַתְנוּit has come upon us
metzaatnuH4672 →455 times
לִמְלָכֵ֨ינוּto kings our
limlakheinuH4428 →2525 times
לְשָׂרֵ֧ינוּto leaders our
lesareinuH8269 →421 times
וּלְכֹהֲנֵ֛ינוּand to priests our
ulekhohaneinuH3548 →750 times
וְלִנְבִיאֵ֥נוּand to prophets our
velinvienuH5030 →314 times
וְלַאֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּand to ancestors our
velaavoteinuH1 →1212 times
וּלְכָל־and to all
ulekhol-H3605 →5413 times
עַמֶּ֑ךָpeople your
ʾamekhaH5971 →1873 times
מִימֵי֙since [the] days of
mimeiH3117 →2304 times
מַלְכֵ֣י[the] kings of
malkheiH4428 →2525 times
אַשּׁ֔וּרAssyria
ʾashurH804 →
עַ֖דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֥וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
Deuteronomy 7:9Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
- 2 Timothy 2:13
if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
- Daniel 9:4
And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,
- 1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
- Hebrews 10:23
Through
Nehemiah 1:5Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments,
it leads to
- Exodus 20:6
but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 9:4–19
And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,
- Exodus 20:6
Through
Daniel 9:4And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,
it leads to
- Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
- Romans 8:28
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; 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.