Nehemiah 9:37
in Nehemiah 9Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have power over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.
KJV
And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
8 notes on this verseIt yieldeth much increase unto the kings - Good and fruitful as the land is, yet it profits us little; as the chief profits on all things go to the kings of Persia. Over our bodies - Exacting personal and feudal services from us, and from our cattle; and this not by any fixed rate, or rule, of so much rent, so much labor, or boons; but at their pleasure; so that we can neither call our persons, our time, our land, nor our cattle, our own: therefore we are in great distress.
This site's exposition
here we are today as slaves
on Nehemiah 9:36-37
"So here we are today as slaves in the land You gave our fathers" (9:36). The recital of creation, Abraham, Egypt and conquest arrives at a people back in their land and still not free in it. The prayer ends: "We are in great distress."
This site's exposition
Its abundant harvest goes to the kings
Deuteronomy 28:33 had warned that a foreign people would eat the harvest of the land and all its labour. Nehemiah 5:4 shows the cost in practice, families borrowing to pay the king's tax on their fields and vineyards. Clarke adds forced labour at the kings' pleasure.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 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
Yieldeth much, &c. - We plow, and sow, and labour, and thou givest thy blessing to our endeavours; and yet in a great measure this is not for ourselves, as formerly it was, but for our kings, to whom we pay heavy tributes.
And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us, because of our sins,....
This, they honestly own, was for their sins. Poverty and slavery are the fruits of sin; it is sin that brings us into all our distresses. Here is their address to God under these calamities.
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
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּתְבוּאָתָ֣הּ | utevuatah | and produce its | H8393 → | |
| מַרְבָּ֗ה | marbah | [is] increasing | H7235 → | 227 times |
| לַמְּלָכִ֛ים | lamelakhim | for the kings | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַ֥תָּה | natatah | you have appointed | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עָלֵ֖ינוּ | ʾaleinu | over us | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּחַטֹּאותֵ֑ינוּ | bechatoteinu | in sins our | H2403 → | 295 times |
| וְעַ֣ל | veal | and over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| גְּ֠וִיֹּתֵינוּ | geviyoteinu | bodies our | H1472 → | |
| מֹשְׁלִ֤ים | moshelim | [they are] ruling | H4910 → | |
| וּבִבְהֶמְתֵּ֙נוּ֙ | uvivhemtenu | and over cattle our | H929 → | 190 times |
| כִּרְצוֹנָ֔ם | kirtzonam | according to will their | H7522 → | |
| וּבְצָרָ֥ה | uvetzarah | and [are] in distress | H6869 → | |
| גְדוֹלָ֖ה | gedolah | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃ פ | ʾanachenu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
וּתְבוּאָתָ֣הּand produce its
utevuatahH8393 →
מַרְבָּ֗ה[is] increasing
marbahH7235 →227 times
לַמְּלָכִ֛יםfor the kings
lamelakhimH4428 →2525 times
אֲשֶׁר־whom
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
נָתַ֥תָּהyou have appointed
natatahH5414 →2011 times
עָלֵ֖ינוּover us
ʾaleinuH5921 →5755 times
בְּחַטֹּאותֵ֑ינוּin sins our
bechatoteinuH2403 →295 times
וְעַ֣לand over
vealH5921 →5755 times
גְּ֠וִיֹּתֵינוּbodies our
geviyoteinuH1472 →
מֹשְׁלִ֤ים[they are] ruling
moshelimH4910 →
וּבִבְהֶמְתֵּ֙נוּ֙and over cattle our
uvivhemtenuH929 →190 times
כִּרְצוֹנָ֔םaccording to will their
kirtzonamH7522 →
וּבְצָרָ֥הand [are] in distress
uvetzarahH6869 →
גְדוֹלָ֖הgreat
gedolahH1419 →526 times
אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃ פwe
ʾanachenuH587 →120 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
John 8:33“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”
it leads to
- Matthew 3:9
And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- John 8:39
“Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.
- Matthew 3:9
Through
Deuteronomy 28:48you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 28:13–14
“Go and tell Hananiah that this is what the LORD says: ‘You have broken a yoke of wood, but in its place you have fashioned a yoke of iron.’
- Lamentations 5:2–6
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
- Jeremiah 28:13–14
Through
Deuteronomy 28:33A people you do not know will eat the produce of your land and of all your toil. All your days you will be oppressed and crushed.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 5:17
They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword…
- Jeremiah 5:17
Through
Ezra 6:8I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal…
it leads to
- Ezra 6:4
with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury.
- Haggai 2:8
The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of Hosts.
- Ezra 6:4
Through
Ezra 7:24And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
it leads to
- Ezra 4:13
Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
- Ezra 4:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and W. F. Adeney, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Expositor's Bible).