Nehemiah 9 30

Nehemiah 9:30 kjv

Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

Nehemiah 9:30 nkjv

Yet for many years You had patience with them, And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Nehemiah 9:30 niv

For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.

Nehemiah 9:30 esv

Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Nehemiah 9:30 nlt

In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn't listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them.

Nehemiah 9 verses

Nehemiah 9 30 Meaning

Nehemiah 9:30 declares God's enduring patience and grace toward disobedient Israel across many years. Despite their persistent rebellion, God bore long with them, continuously sending warnings through His Spirit-empowered prophets. Yet, because they willfully refused to listen and obey, God, in His just sovereignty, delivered them into the hands of surrounding hostile nations as a consequence of their sin. This verse encapsulates a recurring pattern in Israel's history: divine forbearance, human stubbornness, and consequential judgment.

Nehemiah 9 30 Context

Nehemiah 9 presents a powerful and penitential prayer recited by the Levites during a great national fast and confession following the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. The prayer meticulously recounts Israel's history from creation, through the covenant with Abraham, the exodus from Egypt, wilderness wanderings, conquest of Canaan, and the periods of the Judges and Monarchy, leading up to their present state of subjugation under foreign rule. Verses 26-31 form a specific segment describing God's unwavering faithfulness and Israel's consistent disobedience, particularly focusing on how God patiently provided for them, warned them through prophets, and yet, they persistently rebelled. Verse 30 directly speaks to God's sustained patience despite Israel's hard-heartedness, emphasizing the divine warnings given through the Spirit-empowered prophets before the eventual judgment of being delivered into enemy hands. This section provides a theological reflection on God's justice and mercy in their national narrative, preparing the ground for renewed covenant commitment.

Nehemiah 9 30 Word analysis

• Many years:

  • Hebrew: שָׁנִים רַבּוֹת (shanim rabbot)
  • Significance: Emphasizes the extended period of divine forbearance and tolerance, highlighting God's boundless patience over generations of Israelite rebellion. It underlines the magnanimity of God's character.

• you put up with them:

  • Hebrew: וַתִּמְשְׁכֵם (vattimshkeim)
  • Root: מָשַׁךְ (mashakh) - 'to draw out', 'to prolong', 'to endure', 'to show forbearance'.
  • Significance: Denotes God's active, patient endurance. It suggests He stretched out the time for them, allowing ample opportunity for repentance rather than immediate punishment, evidencing His slowness to anger.

• and warned them:

  • Hebrew: וַתָּעֵד (vatta'ed)
  • Root: עָדַד (aadad) - 'to testify', 'to warn', 'to admonish'.
  • Significance: Indicates God's consistent communication of His will and consequences. It's a legal or judicial term, showing God's just actions; He provides ample witness and instruction before bringing judgment.

• by your Spirit:

  • Hebrew: בְּרוּחַךְ (beruchacha) - literally 'in your Spirit' or 'with your Spirit'.
  • Significance: Affirms the divine inspiration and authority behind the prophets' messages. It highlights the direct involvement of God's Spirit in empowering the prophets to speak His truth, lending irrefutable authority to the warnings. It contrasts divine spiritual power with human weakness and spiritual deafness.

• through your prophets:

  • Hebrew: בִּידֵי נְבִיאֶיךָ (bidei nevi'eykha) - 'by the hands of your prophets'.
  • Significance: Identifies the specific human instruments through whom God's warnings were delivered. Prophets were the appointed spokespersons, demonstrating God's consistent and varied methods of communication. This also underscores the historical reality of the prophetic ministry in Israel.

• Yet they would not listen:

  • Hebrew: וְלֹא הִאֲזִינוּ (ve'lo hi'azinu)
  • Root: אָזַן (azan) - 'to listen intently', 'to give ear', 'to heed'.
  • Significance: Points to a deliberate, active refusal to pay attention or obey. It's not mere ignorance but willful deafness and rebellion, underscoring human culpability in their suffering. It shows the heart of the problem was active rejection, not passive lack of knowledge.

• So you gave them:

  • Hebrew: וַתִּתְּנֵם (vattiteneim)
  • Significance: Marks the divine consequence of their refusal to heed the warnings. God's action here is an act of just judgment, an administrative decision to hand them over to the natural outcome of their disobedience. It reveals God's sovereignty even in judgment.

• into the hands of:

  • Hebrew: בְּיַד (be'yad) - 'in the hand of'.
  • Significance: A common biblical idiom for exercising power or authority over someone, especially in defeat or subjugation. It explicitly states that their suffering under oppressors was not random chance, but a divine allowing or orchestration as a result of their choices.

• the neighboring peoples:

  • Hebrew: עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת (ammei ha'aratzot) - 'peoples of the lands'.
  • Significance: Refers generally to the surrounding nations or foreign powers that often oppressed Israel, functioning as God's instruments of judgment. It represents the external consequence of internal spiritual decay.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Many years you put up with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets.": This phrase highlights God's sustained, proactive engagement with a rebellious people. It showcases His divine attributes of patience, long-suffering, justice (in giving warning), and sovereignty (in inspiring prophets). This sequence underscores that God never abandoned His people nor left them without guidance. It's a polemic against any notion of an indifferent or arbitrary deity; instead, God is intensely personal and invested in His covenant people.
  • "Yet they would not listen. So you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.": This pairing starkly illustrates the cause-and-effect relationship in Israel's history: stubborn human rebellion leads directly to divine punitive action. It emphasizes human moral agency and culpability. The 'so' acts as a clear causal link, showing that God's judgment was a measured response to unheeded warnings, rather than an unprovoked act. This phrase establishes the divine justice where suffering is linked to disobedience.

Nehemiah 9 30 Bonus section

• This verse captures a central theological tenet in the Old Testament: the repeated divine attempts to draw His people back and their persistent failure to respond, leading to predictable judgments. This historical pattern serves as a sober warning for all generations regarding the consequences of spurning divine grace.
• The emphasis on God's "Spirit" as the source of prophetic inspiration points towards the enduring work of the Holy Spirit, foreshadowing His expanded role in the New Covenant in empowering believers (Acts 2:17). The Spirit's voice through prophets was clear, but the human ear was deaf.
• The phrase "many years" also subtly alludes to God fulfilling His covenant promises of land and prosperity while the people violated their covenant responsibilities, highlighting God's faithfulness even amidst their unfaithfulness, yet leading to a point where divine forbearance transitions to just consequence.
• This specific historical reference covers significant periods of the Old Testament, showcasing that God did not neglect His people but continuously guided and corrected them. Their falling into the hands of enemies like the Midianites, Ammonites, Philistines, and eventually the Assyrians and Babylonians, was a direct result of ignoring the Spirit's warnings.

Nehemiah 9 30 Commentary

Nehemiah 9:30 is a powerful summary of God's character and Israel's recurring failure during a long historical period, particularly the Judges and early monarchy. It accentuates God's boundless patience (many years you put up with them), far beyond human measure. God did not passively tolerate; He actively provided grace and continuously intervened, delivering clear warnings through Spirit-inspired prophets. This prophetic ministry was critical, providing divine revelation and admonition. Yet, the stubborn heart of the people would not listen – a phrase indicating not just passive ignorance but willful disregard for God's explicit commands and calls to repentance. Consequently, God, being righteous and just, executed judgment by giving them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. This was not God abandoning them, but justly delivering them to the consequences of their persistent sin. The verse highlights a cyclical pattern of sin, divine warning, human defiance, and consequential judgment, illustrating God's justice, who brings suffering only after prolonged patience and clear warning. It emphasizes that consequences are tied to choices.