Nehemiah 9:38
in Nehemiah 9In view of all this, we make a binding agreement, putting it in writing and sealing it with the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal unto it.
KJV
And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseOur princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it - Persuaded that we have brought all the miseries upon ourselves by our transgressions, feeling much and fearing more, we make a covenant with thee to devote ourselves to thy service; to do with us as thou pleasest. From this sealing we learn that at this time the government of the Jews was a mixed aristocracy; composed of the nobles for the civil department, and the priests and Levites for the ecclesiastical.
This site's exposition
we make a binding agreement
"In view of all this, we make a binding agreement, putting it in writing," so a day of confession ends in a legal act. Leaders, Levites and priests put their names to it. The chapter that opened in fasting and sackcloth closes with ink and seals.
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.
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And because of all this,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
we make a sure covenant, and write--that is, subscribe or sign it. This written document would exercise a wholesome influence in restraining their backslidings or in animating them to duty, by being a witness against them if in the future they were unfaithful to their engagements.
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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
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Seal unto it - The exact force of the phrase used is doubtful; but its general sense must be that the classes named took part in the sealing. It was usual in the East to authenticate covenants by appending the seals of those who were parties to them (see Jer 32:10).
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| זֹ֕את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| אֲנַ֛חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| כֹּרְתִ֥ים | koretim | [are] making | H3772 → | |
| אֲמָנָ֖ה | ʾamanah | a trustworthy arrangement | H548 → | |
| וְכֹתְבִ֑ים | vekhotevim | and writing | H3789 → | 224 times |
| וְעַל֙ | veal | and [are] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הֶֽחָת֔וּם | hechatum | the sealed [document] | H2856 → | |
| שָׂרֵ֥ינוּ | sareinu | leaders our | H8269 → | 421 times |
| לְוִיֵּ֖נוּ | leviyenu | Levites our | H3881 → | 291 times |
| כֹּהֲנֵֽינוּ׃ | kohaneinu | priests our | H3548 → | 750 times |
וּבְכָל־and in all
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
זֹ֕אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
אֲנַ֛חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
כֹּרְתִ֥ים[are] making
koretimH3772 →
אֲמָנָ֖הa trustworthy arrangement
ʾamanahH548 →
וְכֹתְבִ֑יםand writing
vekhotevimH3789 →224 times
וְעַל֙and [are] on
vealH5921 →5755 times
הֶֽחָת֔וּםthe sealed [document]
hechatumH2856 →
שָׂרֵ֥ינוּleaders our
sareinuH8269 →421 times
לְוִיֵּ֖נוּLevites our
leviyenuH3881 →291 times
כֹּהֲנֵֽינוּ׃priests our
kohaneinuH3548 →750 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
2 Chronicles 29:10Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 23:16
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 50:5
They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.
- 2 Chronicles 23:16
Through
Ezra 10:3So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:2–3
and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
- Ezra 9:4
Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.
- 1 Corinthians 7:12–13
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
- Deuteronomy 7:2–3
Through
Nehemiah 10:29hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 36:27
And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
- Psalms 119:106
I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.
- John 15:14
You are My friends if you do what I command you.
- Ezekiel 36:27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.