←Nehemiah 9→BSB

In This Chapter 22 people 10 places 115 terms 1 theme

People

Chenani 4 Israel 2 Jeshua 2 Bani (Nehemiah 9:4b) 2 Kadmiel 2 Shebaniah (Nehemiah 9:4) 2 Sherebiah 2 Pethahiah (Nehemiah 9:5) 2 Pharaoh 2 Sihon 2 Og 2 Jacob (Patriarch) Jeshurun (Israel) Bunni Bani Binnui (Bani) Hashabneiah (Nehemiah 9:5) Hodiah Judah (Hodiah) Abram (Abraham) Abraham Moses

Places

    Key Terms

    Instruction 12 Take Possession 11 Sin 6 Delight 6 Kindness (Solidarity) 5 To Admit 4 Bless (Approval) 4 Generous 4 Compassionate 4 Be Rebellious 4 Transgression 3 Covenant 3 Decree 3 To Make an Oath 3 Forgiveness (Pardon) 3 Have Insight 3 Save (Help) 3 To Act Wickedly 3 Guilt (State) 2 Greatness 2 Miracle 2 Truth (Faithfulness) 2 Rebel (Act) 2 Fear 2 Testimony 2 Serve 2 Repent Repentance Change One's Mind To Sin Sin (Act) Sin (Incur Guilt) Guilty (Responsible) Guilt (Consequence) Guiltiness Trespass (Sin) Sinful Sin (Offense) To Stand Guilty Sin (Guilty) Sin (Wrongdoing) Guilty Considered Guilty Guilty Of Sin Previously Sin Against Blessing (Act) Bless (Favor) Blessing (Content) Blessed Bless (Request Favor) Glory (Presence of God) Glory (Splendor) Praise (Glorify) Praise (Respect) Well-Established Covenant (NT) Covenant of Salt Miraculous Sign Symbol (Sign) Sign (Miracle) Upright Straightness Straight Be Straight Truthfulness Fixed Allowance Fixed Quota Sabbath Sabbath (Day of Week) Sabbath Rest Dispossess Inherit Forgive Forgive (Remove Guilt) Forgive (Grant Pardon) Spare (Release) Hand Over Forgiveness (Remove Guilt) Forgive (Wipe Out) Have Mercy To Cover (Forgive) Cover (Figurative) Forgiving Compassionate (NT) Be Kind Kindness (Benevolence) Kindness (Graciousness) Kindness (Affection) Rebellion (Offense) Rebel (Against Authority) Rebellion Rebelliousness Salvation (Rescuer) Salvation Salvation (State) Save (Restore) Salvation (Physical) Salvation (Deliverance) Save (Rescue) Salvation (Means) Saving (Means) Fear (State) Awe (State) Fear (Terror) Fear (Reverence) Fear (Awe) Fearful Respect Respect (Among People) Act Unjustly Force to Serve Enslave Hold in Bondage Gain Control Over

    Themes

    Nehemiah’s Confidence in God

    The People Confess Their Sins

    1On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads. 2Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

    3While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.

    4And the Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani—stood on the raised platform and cried out in a loud voice to the LORD their God.

    ⓘ This lengthy prayer admits the nation's sins and...

    This lengthy prayer admits the nation's sins and praises God for his compassion throughout history (compare Psalms 105–106; 135–136). It encouraged listeners to admit their own unfaithfulness and ask God for compassion and forgiveness.
    ⓘ The Levites' prayer praised God for his great...

    The Levites' prayer praised God for his great reputation and his unique divinity. They acknowledged his creation of the universe and his care for life on earth. Angels worship him. Focusing on God helped Israel understand their current situation better.

    5Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting:

    Blessed be Your glorious name,and may it be exaltedabove all blessing and praise.6You alone are the LORD.You created the heavens,the highest heavens with all their host,the earth and all that is on it,the seas and all that is in them.You give life to all things,and the host of heaven worships You.
    ⓘ God's actions with Abram—calling him (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:7),...

    God's actions with Abram—calling him (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:7), giving him a new name and identity (Genesis 17:5), making a covenant with him (Genesis 15:6–21; 17:4–5), and fulfilling his promises of land and descendants (Genesis 15:18–21)—showed God's faithfulness and inspired confidence in God's future actions.
    7You are the LORD,the God who chose Abram,who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeansand gave him the name Abraham.8You found his heart faithful before You,and made a covenant with himto give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites,of the Amorites and Perizzites,of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants.You have kept Your promise,because You are righteous.
    9You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt;You heard their cry at the Red Sea.†
    ⓘ You made a name for Yourself: In the...

    You made a name for Yourself: In the Exodus, God showed his power with plagues, parting the sea, and defeating the proud Egyptian army (Exodus 15:5, 9–10, 19).
    10You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,all his officials, and all the people of his land,for You knew they had acted with arroganceagainst our fathers.You made a name for Yourselfthat endures to this day.11You divided the sea before them,and they crossed through it on dry ground.You hurled their pursuers into the depthslike a stone into raging waters.
    ⓘ This prayer reminded the people of God's miraculous...

    This prayer reminded the people of God's miraculous guidance of Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21–22), his personal appearance at Mount Sinai to reveal his covenant laws through Moses (see Exodus 19–20), and his faithfulness in providing bread and water (see Exodus 16:4; 17:1–6). Despite all of that, Israel's ancestors were proud and stubborn and refused to obey (see Exodus 32; Numbers 14:4). Yet in his grace, God remained faithful and compassionate (see Exodus 34:6) and provided his spirit to guide and teach them (compare Exodus 33:2; Numbers 11:17).
    12You led them with a pillar of cloud by dayand a pillar of fire by night,to light for them the wayin which they should travel.13You came down on Mount Sinaiand spoke with them from heaven.You gave them just ordinances, true laws,and good statutes and commandments.14You revealed to them Your holy Sabbathand gave them commandments and statutes and lawsthrough Your servant Moses.15In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven;in their thirst You brought them water from the rock.You told them to go in and possess the landthat You had sworn to give them.
    16But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-neckedand did not obey Your commandments.17They refused to listen and failed to rememberthe wonders You performed among them.They stiffened their necks and appointed a leaderto return them to their bondage in Egypt.†But You are a forgiving God,gracious and compassionate,slow to anger and rich in loving devotion,and You did not forsake them.
    18Even when they cast for themselvesan image of a calf and said,‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’and when they committed terrible blasphemies,19You in Your great compassiondid not forsake them in the wilderness.By day the pillar of cloud never turned awayfrom guiding them on their path;and by the night the pillar of fireilluminated the way they should go.20You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them.You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths,and You gave them water for their thirst.21For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness,so that they lacked nothing.Their clothes did not wear outand their feet did not swell.
    22You gave them kingdoms and peoplesand allotted to them every corner of the land.So they took the land of Sihon† king of Heshbonand of Og king of Bashan.23You multiplied their descendantslike the stars of heavenand brought them to the landYou had told their fathers to enter and possess.24So their descendants went in and possessed the land;You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land.You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land,to do with them as they wished.25They captured fortified cities and fertile landand took houses full of all goods,wells already dug,vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance.So they ate and were filled;they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.
    ⓘ The prayer describes the events in the book...

    The prayer describes the events in the book of Judges (see Judges 2:11–23).
    26But they were disobedient and rebelled against You;they flung Your law behind their backs.They killed Your prophets,who had admonished them to return to You.They committed terrible blasphemies.27So You delivered them into the handsof enemies who oppressed them,and in their time of distress they cried out to You.From heaven You heard them,and in Your great compassion You gave them delivererswho saved them from the hands of their enemies.
    ⓘ The people did not learn from the mistakes...

    The people did not learn from the mistakes made during the time of the judges (Nehemiah 9:26–27). The same pattern of disobedience appeared during the monarchy (compare 2 Kings 17). Despite the nation's ongoing disobedience (Nehemiah 9:29), God remained steadfast in his love, patience, compassion, and guidance through the spirit and the prophets.
    28But as soon as they had rest,they again did evil in Your sight.So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies,who had dominion over them.When they cried out to You again,You heard from heaven,and You delivered them many timesin Your compassion.
    29You admonished them to turn back to Your law,but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments.They sinned against Your ordinances,by which a man will live if he practices them.They turned a stubborn shoulder;they stiffened their necks and would not obey.30You were patient with them for many years,and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets.Yet they would not listen,so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.†31But 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.
    ⓘ The prayer now addresses the current situation, asking...

    The prayer now addresses the current situation, asking the great God—who has unfailing love—for ongoing love and mercy for his people in their difficult times (Nehemiah 9:32). The leaders acknowledged God's justice in punishing them for their sins (Nehemiah 9:33–35), and they expressed sorrow over their enslavement by the Persians (9:36–37).
    32So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome Godwho keeps His gracious covenant,do not view lightly all the hardshipthat 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.33You are just in all that has befallen us,because You have acted faithfully,while we have acted wickedly.34Our kings and leaders and priests and fathersdid not obey Your lawor listen to Your commandmentsand warnings that You gave them.35For even while they were in their kingdom,with the abundant goodnessthat You had given them,and in the spacious and fertile landthat You had set before them,they would not serve Youor turn from their wicked ways.
    36So here we are today as slavesin the land You gave our fathers to enjoy its fruit and goodness—here we are as slaves!37Its abundant harvest goes to the kingsYou 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.
    ⓘ The people, embracing the prayer, renewed their dedication...

    The people, embracing the prayer, renewed their dedication to God and his word. They signed their names to show their commitment (Nehemiah 9:38–10:27) and took an oath to follow the covenant (10:28–39).

    38In 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.”