Nehemiah 9 2

Nehemiah 9:2 kjv

And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

Nehemiah 9:2 nkjv

Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

Nehemiah 9:2 niv

Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.

Nehemiah 9:2 esv

And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

Nehemiah 9:2 nlt

Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors.

Nehemiah 9 verses

Nehemiah 9 2 Meaning

Nehemiah 9:2 describes a profound act of national repentance and dedication among the post-exilic Jewish community. The people publicly separated themselves from all foreign elements, acknowledging and confessing their personal sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. This action symbolized a collective return to the covenant, purifying the community by removing influences contrary to God's law and expressing a deep sorrow for generations of disobedience that had led to their exile.

Nehemiah 9 2 Context

Nehemiah chapter 9 records a grand day of confession, repentance, and prayer following the joyous Feast of Booths described in Nehemiah 8. After hearing the Law of God read by Ezra, which included instructions on their separation as a holy people, the community was convicted of their sins and those of their ancestors. This verse specifically describes the action taken immediately following the fasting and wearing of sackcloth mentioned in 9:1. It marks a decisive moment where the people not only acknowledged their guilt verbally but also took practical steps to cleanse their community from practices that violated God's covenant, particularly their foreign alliances and marriages that had plagued Israel for centuries. The overall context is one of post-exilic spiritual revival, covenant renewal, and a sincere desire to walk obediently before God.

Nehemiah 9 2 Word analysis

• separated themselves: Hebrew bādal (בָּדַל). Meaning to "divide," "set apart," or "distinguish."
  • Significance: This was a deliberate, active choice, not merely a passive state. It signifies a profound commitment to purify the community. It speaks to a clear breaking with past ungodly alliances, particularly mixed marriages that led to idolatry.
  • Cross-reference to other uses: Gen 1:4 (God separating light from darkness), Lev 20:24 (God separating Israel for Himself). The separation here reflects God's own holiness.
• all foreigners: Hebrew kol nēkhar (כֹּל נֵכָר). Refers to "every alien person" or "all those of foreign lineage."
  • Significance: This term highlights the extent of their commitment to spiritual purity. While not anti-foreigner in a xenophobic sense, it specifically targeted foreign influences and mixed marriages that introduced idolatry and compromised the covenant community's distinctiveness (cf. Ezra 9-10; Deut 7:3-4).
• stood: Hebrew ʿāmədū (עָמְדוּ). Meaning "to stand," often implying readiness, firm resolve, or a posture of respect and public acknowledgement.
  • Significance: The posture suggests a formal, public, and serious act of repentance, demonstrating their readiness to accept responsibility. It conveys a unified, collective decision.
• confessed: Hebrew wāyyitvaddū (וַיִּתְוַדּוּ), from the root yādā (יָדָה) in the Hitpael stem, meaning "to praise," "to thank," but also "to confess" (as in acknowledging sin, with thanks for anticipated forgiveness).
  • Significance: This reflexive form (Hitpael) implies a deep, inward action leading to outward expression – they "caused themselves to confess" or "poured out confession." It denotes sincere admission, not just recitation. This confession involved taking personal and corporate responsibility.
• their sins: Hebrew ḥaṭṭoʾtām (חַטֹּאותָם). Refers to "missing the mark," "falling short," or acts of transgression.
  • Significance: Acknowledging their individual actions that violated God's law. This moves beyond merely recognizing error to admitting culpability.
• the iniquities: Hebrew ʿăwonot (עֲוֹנוֹת). Often implies perversity, twistedness, or consequences of sin; something done crookedly.
  • Significance: This highlights the deep-seated, morally warped nature of their wrongdoings, leading to distortion or guilt. It is a heavier word than "sins."
• of their fathers: Hebrew ʾăvotehem (אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם). Refers to "their ancestors."
  • Significance: The recognition that their current state and collective patterns of sin were rooted in the historical disobedience of previous generations (cf. Ezra 9:7; Lam 5:7). This does not negate individual responsibility but acknowledges the generational legacy and corporate solidarity in sin that led to the exile.

Words-group analysis

• separated themselves from all foreigners: This phrase highlights the foundational act of spiritual purification. It's not just a religious ritual, but a practical disassociation from anything that compromises their covenant with YHWH. This act of "separation" is a direct application of God's command for Israel to be a holy nation, distinct from the surrounding pagan cultures (Lev 11:44-45, Deut 7:6). The concern was spiritual defilement, not racial exclusion.
• stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers: This whole phrase encapsulates a deep and corporate act of repentance. "Stood" denotes public witness and resolve. The dual confession of "their sins" (personal) and "the iniquities of their fathers" (corporate/ancestral) indicates a profound understanding of their identity, both as individuals and as part of a historical nation prone to disobedience. It recognizes that the exile was a consequence of generations of corporate unfaithfulness.

Nehemiah 9 2 Bonus section

The acknowledgment of "the iniquities of their fathers" in corporate confession is a recurring theme in Israelite prophetic and prayer literature (e.g., Jer 14:20; Lam 5:7; Dan 9:5-11). This concept does not imply inherited guilt where individuals are punished for sins they did not commit. Instead, it signifies several crucial aspects:

1. Corporate Solidarity: In ancient Israel, there was a strong sense of national identity where the destiny of the individual was tied to the community's obedience.
2. Inherited Consequences/Patterns: The sins of previous generations often set negative patterns, corrupted cultural norms, and led to consequences that affected later generations (e.g., the exile itself was a consequence of long-term national apostasy).
3. Humble Identification: The confessors identified with the historical trajectory of their people's rebellion, recognizing that they were part of a continuous line that had consistently fallen short of God's standards. It expresses humility and a lack of self-righteousness, understanding that but for God's grace, they too might have committed the same errors.
4. Learning from History: By acknowledging the past, they aimed to break the cycle of disobedience and avoid repeating the mistakes that brought God's judgment upon the nation.This profound corporate repentance was a prerequisite for rebuilding not just walls and gates, but the spiritual foundation of their covenant relationship with God.

Nehemiah 9 2 Commentary

Nehemiah 9:2 marks a pivotal moment in the post-exilic revival, demonstrating a heartfelt and comprehensive repentance. The act of "separating themselves from all foreigners" was not xenophobia but a concrete application of God's covenant commands concerning holiness and distinction, particularly in response to the pervasive problem of intermarriage with idol-worshiping peoples that historically led Israel astray (e.g., in Ezra's time and throughout the pre-exilic period). This action publicly renounced their previous alliances and practices that defiled the community and broke the covenant. Following this physical separation, they adopted a posture of humility and resolve – "stood" – to engage in a profound act of confession. Their confession included both their "sins" (individual acts of disobedience) and "the iniquities of their fathers" (the deep-seated patterns of rebellion and their accumulated guilt as a nation). This acknowledged a shared corporate history of faithlessness that culminated in the exile. It demonstrates a genuine understanding that true repentance involves both a turning away from sin and a turning toward God's righteous standards. This spiritual transformation was foundational for their subsequent renewal of the covenant (Neh 9:38).