Nehemiah 1:9 kjv

But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

Nehemiah 1:9 nkjv

but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.'

Nehemiah 1:9 niv

but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'

Nehemiah 1:9 esv

but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.'

Nehemiah 1:9 nlt

But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.'

Nehemiah 1 verses

Nehemiah 1 9 Meaning

Nehemiah 1:9 is a pivotal verse in Nehemiah’s prayer, reflecting God’s ancient covenant promises concerning the nation of Israel. It emphasizes that despite the consequences of their disobedience, if the scattered people return to God through genuine repentance and faithful obedience to His commands, God Himself will gather them from the farthest ends of the earth and bring them back to Jerusalem, the unique place He has chosen to establish His presence and manifest His glory among His people. This verse underpins Nehemiah’s petition, reminding God of His conditional promises for restoration.

Nehemiah 1 9 Context

Nehemiah 1:9 is a direct appeal within Nehemiah's passionate prayer to God after hearing of Jerusalem's desolate state, specifically that its walls were broken down and its gates burned (Neh 1:3). The prayer itself, spanning Nehemiah 1:5-11, is a masterpiece of intercession, acknowledging God's covenant faithfulness (v. 5), confessing the corporate sin of Israel (vv. 6-7), recalling God’s warning regarding disobedience and scattering (v. 8), and then quoting this powerful promise of restoration upon repentance (v. 9). This verse serves as the theological foundation for Nehemiah's petition to return and rebuild Jerusalem, grounding his plea in God's own word from the Mosaic Law, particularly echoing the promises found in Deuteronomy 30. The historical context is the post-exilic period, roughly 445 BC, when many Jews were still scattered across the Persian Empire, longing for a return to their ancestral land and a secure dwelling in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 1 9 Word analysis

• but if you return to me (וְאַתֶּם תָּשׁוּבוּ אֵלַי - ve'attem tashuvu elay):

  • but if: Marks a conditional clause, establishing the condition for God's action. It contrasts with the warning in the previous verse about dispersion due to unfaithfulness.
  • you return: Hebrew shuv (שוב), meaning to turn, return, or repent. This signifies a fundamental change of heart and direction, moving away from disobedience back towards God. It implies both a physical and spiritual turning. This concept of repentance is foundational to the covenant relationship with God.
  • to me: Emphasizes the personal nature of the return – it's a turning specifically back to God, the covenant Lord.

• and keep my commandments and perform them (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם מִצְוֺתַי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם - u'shmartem mitzvotai va'asitem otam):

  • keep my commandments: Hebrew shamar (שמר) implies guarding, protecting, preserving, observing carefully. This denotes an attentive adherence to God's revealed will.
  • and perform them: Hebrew asah (עשה) signifies active doing, carrying out, or obeying. This moves beyond mere intellectual knowledge or internal resolve to outward, tangible action. True obedience involves both guarding (understanding/holding fast to) and doing. These phrases highlight comprehensive obedience—both inward devotion and outward action.

• though your dispersed ones are at the farthest horizons under the heavens (אִם־יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲכֶם בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם מִשָּׁם - im yihyeh niddahkhem biketzeh ha'shamayim misham):

  • though your dispersed ones: Hebrew niddach (נדח) refers to those driven out, scattered, exiled. It poignantly describes the state of the Israelite people post-exile.
  • farthest horizons: Hebrew qatzeh ha'shamayim (קצה השמים), literally "end of the heavens" or "fringe of the sky/heaven." This is a hyperbolic expression emphasizing the extreme limits of the known world, indicating total and utter dispersion, making gathering seem humanly impossible. It stresses the depth of their scattering, underscoring the miraculous nature of God’s promise.
  • under the heavens: A phrase confirming the vast global reach of the dispersion.

• I will gather them from there and bring them to the place (אֲקַבְּצֵם מִשָּׁם וַהֲבִיאֹתִים אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם - akabtzem misham va'havi'otim el ha'maqom):

  • I will gather them: Hebrew qavats (קבץ) signifies to collect, assemble, bring together. This is a divine action, demonstrating God's sovereign power and commitment to His covenant, overcoming the seemingly insurmountable challenge of scattering.
  • from there: Reaffirms that no matter how far, God's reach extends.
  • and bring them: Signifies movement and establishment in the new location.

• which I have chosen to make My name dwell there (אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּן אֶת־שְׁמִי שָׁם - asher bakharti leshakken et-sh’mi sham):

  • which I have chosen: Hebrew bakhar (בחר) means to select, choose, elect. This highlights God’s sovereign, specific choice of Jerusalem/Zion as His special dwelling place, dating back to King David's time and the construction of the Temple. It underlines the uniqueness and sanctity of the location.
  • to make My name dwell there: Hebrew shakan (שכן) implies to settle down, reside, dwell, often associated with the Divine Presence (Shekinah). God's "Name" represents His revealed character, presence, authority, and glory. God chose this place not just for the people, but for the manifestation of Himself among them, establishing His redemptive purposes. This phrase affirms God's commitment to His special presence among His people in a particular place, which by Nehemiah's time was undeniably Jerusalem, especially the Temple site.

Nehemiah 1 9 Bonus section

The theological significance of "making My Name dwell there" is profound. God's Name encapsulates His essence, character, and power. For His Name to "dwell" (שכן, shakan) in a place signifies His unique, sanctifying presence, His visible glory, and the locus of true worship and communion. This concept originates with the Tabernacle, then the Temple in Jerusalem, emphasizing that God, while transcendent, chooses to reside among His people. It acts as a polemic against the idea of dispersed deities or absent gods; Yahweh actively engages with His people in a chosen space. Furthermore, Nehemiah’s confident appeal based on this specific promise underscores a key principle of prayer: praying God’s own words back to Him, particularly His covenant promises, is a powerful and effective form of intercession. This verse served as a beacon of hope for a scattered people, reassuring them that their sin had not eternally broken God's plan for them.

Nehemiah 1 9 Commentary

Nehemiah 1:9 encapsulates a core biblical truth: God's covenant with His people includes both discipline for disobedience and restoration upon genuine repentance. It serves as Nehemiah's powerful plea to God, rooted in the divine promise articulated in the Mosaic Law, particularly Deuteronomy 30. This promise ensures that even when the Israelites face extreme scattering due to their transgressions, God's faithfulness endures. Should they turn back to Him with obedient hearts and actions, He is bound by His word to gather them from the very ends of the earth and bring them back to the specific place He Himself designated for His Name to reside – Jerusalem, site of His temple. This isn't merely a geographic return but a restoration to covenant relationship and divine presence. Nehemiah’s reliance on this specific promise demonstrates his understanding that God's plan for His people, even after their failure, is ultimately one of redemption and dwelling among them.