Nehemiah 9:24 kjv
So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.
Nehemiah 9:24 nkjv
So the people went in And possessed the land; You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, The Canaanites, And gave them into their hands, With their kings And the people of the land, That they might do with them as they wished.
Nehemiah 9:24 niv
Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased.
Nehemiah 9:24 esv
So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.
Nehemiah 9:24 nlt
"They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased.
Nehemiah 9 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | "To your offspring I will give this land." | God's initial land promise to Abram. |
| Gen 15:18-21 | "To your descendants I have given this land..." | Covenant established with Abraham. |
| Gen 17:8 | "Also I give to you and your descendants after you...all the land of Canaan..." | Promise reiterated as an everlasting covenant. |
| Exo 32:13 | "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Yourself..." | Moses reminds God of His sworn promise. |
| Deut 1:8 | "See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore..." | God's command to enter and possess. |
| Deut 6:10 | "When the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers..." | Fulfillment anticipated, promise highlighted. |
| Deut 7:1-2 | "When the LORD your God brings you into the land...and has cast out many nations..." | God's active role in the conquest. |
| Deut 9:4-6 | "Do not think...‘Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in...’" | Israel's entry not by merit, but God's grace. |
| Josh 1:6 | "For to these people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers..." | God commissions Joshua to fulfill the promise. |
| Josh 10:42 | "All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel." | God's direct involvement in conquest. |
| Josh 11:23 | "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel..." | The land was completely taken and distributed. |
| Josh 21:43-45 | "So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers..." | Explicit declaration of promise fulfillment. |
| Psa 44:3 | "For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them..." | Affirms God's hand in the conquest. |
| Isa 45:23 | "By Myself I have sworn; from My mouth has gone forth in righteousness..." | God's swearing power and reliability. |
| Jer 32:21-22 | "You have brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt...and have given them this land, as You swore to their fathers..." | Retrospective affirmation of fulfillment. |
| Eze 36:24 | "For I will take you from among the nations...and bring you into your own land." | Echoes the idea of being brought into their land. |
| Amos 9:15 | "I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them..." | Prophetic promise of future dwelling. |
| Rom 4:13 | "For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." | Spiritual inheritance through faith, echoing land promise. |
| Gal 3:18 | "For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise." | Inheritance by promise, not by law. |
| Heb 3:18-19 | "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?" | Foreshadows spiritual rest/inheritance denied due to disobedience. |
| Heb 4:1-11 | "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God... Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest..." | Spiritual parallel to entering the promised land. |
| Acts 7:4-5 | "Then he moved from there... and settled in this country, in which he received no inheritance... and yet God promised that He would give it to him for a possession..." | Stephen's summary of the land promise. |
Nehemiah 9 verses
Nehemiah 9 24 Meaning
This verse proclaims God's faithfulness in fulfilling His covenant promise to the descendants of Israel by enabling them to enter and take possession of the promised land of Canaan. Despite the formidable presence of "great nations and strong kings," God empowered Israel to conquer these inhabitants and secure their territory, thus completely fulfilling the oath He had made to their patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Nehemiah 9 24 Context
Nehemiah chapter 9 records a lengthy prayer of confession offered by the Levites on behalf of the people during a solemn assembly, following the reading of the Law. This prayer begins with a historical review of God's covenant faithfulness from creation through the calling of Abraham, the Exodus, the giving of the Law at Sinai, and the wilderness wandering. Verse 24 falls within this historical recounting (Neh 9:9-31), specifically highlighting the moment of God's fulfillment of His promise to bring Israel into the land of Canaan after their forty years in the wilderness. Historically, this refers to the events under Joshua’s leadership, where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and engaged in the conquest of Canaan, overcoming various strong indigenous peoples and their fortified cities. The placement of this verse within the prayer emphasizes God's unwavering commitment to His ancient oath despite Israel's frequent disobedience, serving as a powerful reminder to the post-exilic community of God's ability to deliver on His Word.
Nehemiah 9 24 Word analysis
- So: (Hebrew: וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ, vayavo'u - implied at the start of "and they came/went in") Signals a direct consequence or the progression in the divine plan and historical narrative.
- the children of Israel: Refers to the collective identity of the nation, emphasizing that it was the specific descendants of Jacob, God's covenant people, who were granted this fulfillment.
- went in: (Hebrew: וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ, vayavo'u, "and they came/went") Signifies their literal entry into the promised land of Canaan, marking the end of the wilderness journey and the beginning of the inheritance.
- and possessed: (Hebrew: וַיִּֽירְשׁ֣וּ, vayyirshu, "and they inherited/took possession") A crucial term denoting that the land was not merely taken by conquest but inherited as a divinely granted right and gift, based on the covenant promise.
- the land: Refers specifically to Canaan, often described as "a land flowing with milk and honey," the ultimate destination of God's promise.
- the land that You had sworn: (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִשְׁבַּ֙עְתָּ֙ , asher nishba'ta, "which You had sworn") Emphasizes God's commitment secured by an unbreakable oath, referring to the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:7; 15:18; 17:8). This highlights the divine initiative and reliability behind the promise.
- to their fathers: Primarily points to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, establishing a direct lineage of the covenant promise across generations.
- to give them: Reaffirms that the land was a divine gift, underscoring that its acquisition was entirely by God's grace and not due to Israel's merit or strength.
- and they conquered: (Hebrew: וַיִּכְבְּשׁ֤וּ, vayyichbeshu, "and they subdued/conquered") This indicates the active military engagement undertaken by Israel to subdue the inhabitants, a task in which they were supernaturally empowered by God.
- great nations: Refers to the numerous and formidable indigenous peoples of Canaan (e.g., Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites). Their "greatness" signifies their strength and number, emphasizing the miraculous nature of Israel's victory.
- and strong kings: Refers to the rulers of these fortified cities and nations, further underscoring the formidable opposition that Israel faced, and thus highlighting God's mighty power in overthrowing them.
- and took possession of their lands: A conclusive statement, reiterating and emphasizing the complete and definite transfer of ownership from the original inhabitants to the Israelites. This double emphasis on "possessing" solidifies the fulfillment.
Nehemiah 9 24 Bonus section
This verse's assertion of God's fulfilled promise regarding the land implicitly counteracts any notion that Israel achieved this monumental task through their own strength or pagan deities. It aligns with other biblical texts (e.g., Psa 44:3; Deut 9:4-6) that consistently credit God, not Israel's prowess, for the conquest. The transition from the general "children of Israel went in and possessed the land" to the specific actions "conquered great nations and strong kings" shows both the overall divine giving of the land and the human participation in the process, which was only successful because God fought for them. The physical "rest" Israel found in Canaan, achieved by God's hand, serves as a powerful foreshadowing for the ultimate spiritual "rest" that believers are called to enter in the New Covenant (Heb 4).
Nehemiah 9 24 Commentary
Nehemiah 9:24 stands as a profound testament to the unblemished faithfulness and omnipotent power of God within a prayer recounting Israel's history. It asserts that the ultimate act of bringing Israel into and securing the promised land was a direct fulfillment of God’s ancient, sworn oath. The challenges faced by Israel—represented by "great nations and strong kings"—were formidable, underscoring that their success was not a result of their own might, but entirely of divine enablement. This historical realization serves as a powerful theological anchor, assuring believers in all ages that God meticulously fulfills every word He promises. For the post-exilic community listening to this prayer, it offered hope and courage: if God delivered on such a grand, historical promise, He would surely provide for them in their current struggles, reminding them that the source of their strength and future rested solely on His fidelity. The land given by divine gift also foreshadows the spiritual inheritance believers receive in Christ.