So 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. Now therefore, our GodThis phrase begins with a direct appeal to God, emphasizing a personal relationship. The Hebrew word for "God" here is "Elohim," which denotes majesty and power. The use of "our" signifies a collective acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty and a communal relationship with Him, reflecting the covenantal bond between God and His people. the great, mighty, and awesome God
These attributes of God highlight His transcendence and power. "Great" (Hebrew: "gadol") underscores His supremacy over all creation. "Mighty" (Hebrew: "gibbor") conveys His strength and ability to act powerfully on behalf of His people. "Awesome" (Hebrew: "yare") reflects the reverence and awe that His presence commands. Together, these descriptors remind the Israelites of God’s unparalleled nature and His ability to deliver and protect. who keeps His covenant of loving devotion
The phrase "keeps His covenant" emphasizes God’s faithfulness. The Hebrew word for "covenant" is "berith," a solemn agreement that God initiated with His people. "Loving devotion" (Hebrew: "chesed") is a rich term that encompasses mercy, kindness, and steadfast love. This highlights God’s unwavering commitment to His promises and His enduring love for His people, despite their failures. do not let all this hardship seem insignificant in Your sight
Here, the plea is for God to recognize and respond to the suffering of His people. "Hardship" (Hebrew: "telaah") refers to the trials and tribulations they have endured. The request that it not be "insignificant" underscores the severity of their plight and their hope that God will intervene with compassion and justice. the hardship that has come upon us, our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our fathers, and all Your people
This enumeration of those affected by the hardship illustrates the widespread impact of their suffering. It includes all levels of society, from rulers to religious leaders, to ancestors, and the entire community. This comprehensive list serves to remind God of the collective suffering and the need for His mercy and intervention. from the days of the kings of Assyria until today
This historical reference situates their current suffering within a long history of oppression, beginning with the Assyrian conquest. It acknowledges the enduring nature of their trials and serves as a reminder of past deliverances, invoking God’s past faithfulness as a basis for hope in present circumstances. The mention of Assyria connects their plight to a specific historical context, emphasizing the continuity of God’s relationship with His people through time. Persons / Places / Events 1. NehemiahA Jewish leader who played a crucial role in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls and leading spiritual renewal among the Israelites. 2. GodReferred to as "the great, mighty, and awesome God," emphasizing His power and faithfulness. 3. Kings of AssyriaHistorical rulers who oppressed Israel, leading to significant hardship and exile. 4. IsraelitesThe people of God who experienced suffering and exile due to their disobedience but are now seeking restoration. 5. CovenantThe sacred agreement between God and His people, highlighting His steadfast love and faithfulness. Teaching Points God's FaithfulnessDespite Israel's repeated failures, God remains faithful to His covenant. This encourages believers to trust in God's unchanging nature. Acknowledgment of SinRecognizing past failures and hardships is crucial for spiritual renewal. Confession and repentance are vital steps in restoring our relationship with God. The Power of PrayerNehemiah's prayer demonstrates the importance of interceding for others and seeking God's intervention in times of distress. God's SovereigntyAcknowledging God's greatness and power helps believers maintain perspective during trials, trusting that He is in control. Community RestorationThe collective acknowledgment of sin and seeking God's mercy highlights the importance of community in spiritual growth and restoration. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Nehemiah's description of God as "great, mighty, and awesome" influence your understanding of His character? 2. In what ways can acknowledging past hardships and sins lead to spiritual renewal in your life? 3. How does the concept of God's covenant faithfulness provide comfort and assurance in your current circumstances? 4. What role does prayer play in seeking God's intervention and mercy for yourself and your community? 5. How can you contribute to the spiritual restoration and growth of your community, following the example set in Nehemiah 9:32? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 7:9This verse emphasizes God's faithfulness in keeping His covenant, similar to Nehemiah's acknowledgment of God's loving devotion. Psalm 145:3This Psalm praises God's greatness and might, paralleling Nehemiah's description of God as "great, mighty, and awesome." 2 Kings 17:6-23Provides historical context for the Assyrian exile, explaining the hardships mentioned in Nehemiah 9:32. Lamentations 3:22-23Highlights God's mercies and faithfulness, reinforcing the theme of God's covenant love. Ezra 9:13-15Similar to Nehemiah, Ezra acknowledges the people's sins and God's righteousness, seeking mercy and restoration. People Abram, Amorites, Bani, Bunni, Canaanites, Chenani, Egyptians, Ezra, Girgashite, Girgashites, Hashabniah, Hittites, Hodiah, Hodijah, Israelites, Jebusites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Levites, Og, Perizzites, Pethahiah, Pharaoh, Shebaniah, Sherebiah, SihonPlaces Assyria, Bashan, Egypt, Gate of Ephraim, Heshbon, Mount Sinai, Red Sea, UrTopics Asshur, Assyria, Awesome, Awful, Covenant, Faith, Fathers, Feared, Fearful, Hardship, Heads, Insignificant, Keepest, Keeping, Keeps, Kindness, Kings, Leaders, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Mercy, Mighty, O, Priests, Princes, Prophets, Rulers, Seem, Steadfast, Strong, Terrible, Till, Travail, Trifling, TroubleDictionary of Bible Themes Nehemiah 9:32 6667 grace, in OT
8713 discouragement Library The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength. Neh 9:10
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John Newton—Olney HymnsQuestions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be Moral.
1. Because all the reasons of this commandment are moral and perpetual; and God has bound us to the obedience of this commandment with more forcible reasons than to any of the rest--First, because he foresaw that irreligious men would either more carelessly neglect, or more boldly break this commandment than any other; secondly, because that in the practice of this commandment the keeping of all the other consists; which makes God so often complain that all his worship is neglected or overthrown, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The "Fraternity" of Pharisees
To realise the state of religious society at the time of our Lord, the fact that the Pharisees were a regular "order," and that there were many such "fraternities," in great measure the outcome of the original Pharisees, must always be kept in view. For the New Testament simply transports us among contemporary scenes and actors, taking the then existent state of things, so to speak, for granted. But the fact referred to explains many seemingly strange circumstances, and casts fresh light upon all. …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh. "Thou Art all Fair, My Love; There is no Spot in Thee. " --Song of Solomon iv. 7.
FRAGRANT SPICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF MYRRH. HOW marvellous are these words! "Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee." The glorious Bridegroom is charmed with His spouse, and sings soft canticles of admiration. When the bride extols her Lord there is no wonder, for He deserves it well, and in Him there is room for praise without possibility of flattery. But does He who is wiser than Solomon condescend to praise this sunburnt Shulamite? Tis even so, for these are His own words, and were …
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come The Personality of the Holy Spirit.
Before one can correctly understand the work of the Holy Spirit, he must first of all know the Spirit Himself. A frequent source of error and fanaticism about the work of the Holy Spirit is the attempt to study and understand His work without first of all coming to know Him as a Person. It is of the highest importance from the standpoint of worship that we decide whether the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, worthy to receive our adoration, our faith, our love, and our entire surrender to Himself, …
R. A. Torrey—The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit The Early Life of Malachy. Having Been Admitted to Holy Orders He Associates with Malchus
[Sidenote: 1095.] 1. Our Malachy, born in Ireland,[134] of a barbarous people, was brought up there, and there received his education. But from the barbarism of his birth he contracted no taint, any more than the fishes of the sea from their native salt. But how delightful to reflect, that uncultured barbarism should have produced for us so worthy[135] a fellow-citizen with the saints and member of the household of God.[136] He who brings honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock[137] …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh The Prophecy of Obadiah.
We need not enter into details regarding the question as to the time when the prophet wrote. By a thorough argumentation, Caspari has proved, that he occupies his right position in the Canon, and hence belongs to the earliest age of written prophecy, i.e., to the time of Jeroboam II. and Uzziah. As bearing conclusively against those who would assign to him a far later date, viz., the time of the exile, there is not only the indirect testimony borne by the place which this prophecy occupies in …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Preface to the Commandments
And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God,' &c. Exod 20: 1, 2. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? The preface to the Ten Commandments is, I am the Lord thy God.' The preface to the preface is, God spake all these words, saying,' &c. This is like the sounding of a trumpet before a solemn proclamation. Other parts of the Bible are said to be uttered by the mouth of the holy prophets (Luke 1: 70), but here God spake in his own person. How are we to understand that, God spake, …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Of Immediate Revelation.
Of Immediate Revelation. [29] Seeing no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth him; and seeing the revelation of the Son is in and by the Spirit; therefore the testimony of the Spirit is that alone by which the true knowledge of God hath been, is, and can be only revealed; who as, by the moving of his own Spirit, he disposed the chaos of this world into that wonderful order in which it was in the beginning, and created man a living soul, to rule and govern it, so by …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity Influences that Gave Rise to the Priestly Laws and Histories
[Sidenote: Influences in the exile that produced written ceremonial laws] The Babylonian exile gave a great opportunity and incentive to the further development of written law. While the temple stood, the ceremonial rites and customs received constant illustration, and were transmitted directly from father to son in the priestly families. Hence, there was little need of writing them down. But when most of the priests were carried captive to Babylonia, as in 597 B.C., and ten years later the temple …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament The Holy War,
MADE BY SHADDAI UPON DIABOLUS, FOR THE REGAINING OF THE METROPOLIS OF THE WORLD; OR, THE LOSING AND TAKING AGAIN OF THE TOWN OF MANSOUL. THE AUTHOR OF 'THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.' 'I have used similitudes.'--Hosea 12:10. London: Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms in the Poultry; and Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1682. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Bunyan's account of the Holy War is indeed an extraordinary book, manifesting a degree of genius, research, and spiritual …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Nehemiah 9:32 NIVNehemiah 9:32 NLTNehemiah 9:32 ESVNehemiah 9:32 NASBNehemiah 9:32 KJV
Nehemiah 9:32 Commentaries
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