Nehemiah 9 31

Nehemiah 9:31 kjv

Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

Nehemiah 9:31 nkjv

Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; For You are God, gracious and merciful.

Nehemiah 9:31 niv

But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Nehemiah 9:31 esv

Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Nehemiah 9:31 nlt

But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!

Nehemiah 9 verses

Nehemiah 9 31 Meaning

Nehemiah 9:31 proclaims that despite the repeated failures and rebellion of the people of Israel, God, by virtue of His profound compassion and vast mercies, did not completely destroy or abandon them. This enduring preservation and faithfulness are directly attributed to His unchangeable divine character as a gracious and merciful God, underscoring that His actions towards His covenant people are rooted in who He is rather than what they deserve.

Nehemiah 9 31 Context

This verse is part of the extensive prayer and confession of the Levites found in Nehemiah chapter 9, offered during the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) after Ezra had read the Law to the returned exiles. The prayer begins with a historical review of God's covenant faithfulness to Israel from creation, contrasting it with Israel's chronic and rebellious disobedience.

Specifically, Nehemiah 9:31 concludes a section (verses 26-31) that recounts Israel's particularly grievous apostasy during the periods of the Judges and Monarchy: their refusal to listen to God's prophets, their murder of prophets, and their turn to idolatry. Despite God delivering them repeatedly from their oppressors in His great mercies, they persistently rebelled. Within this cyclical narrative of sin, judgment, and rescue, verse 31 serves as a pivotal summary of God's character. It highlights the incredible patience and mercy of God as the sole reason Israel was not utterly consumed, despite their ongoing spiritual infidelity and rejection of His commands, leading up to the Babylonian exile which the Levites acknowledged (v.30). It transitions the prayer from dwelling on Israel's sin to focusing on God's inherent goodness as the foundation of any hope for restoration.

Nehemiah 9 31 Word analysis

• Nevertheless (אָכֵן - 'āḵēn): This word functions as a strong affirmation or emphasis, often used to introduce a contrasting or surprising truth after a previous statement. Here, it contrasts the people's repeated disobedience (described in the preceding verses) with God's persistent mercy. It emphasizes that despite their unworthiness, God's nature prevailed.
• in your great mercies (רַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים - raḥamêḵā hārabbîm):
  • mercies (רַחֲמֶיךָ - raḥamêḵā): Plural of raḥam (רַחַם), meaning "womb" or "bowels." In its plural form, raḥamim denotes a deep, tender compassion, like that of a mother for her child. It conveys profound, gut-level pity and tender affection, signifying an emotional bond.
  • great (הָרַבִּים - hārabbîm): Signifies abundance, vastness, or overwhelming quantity. The "greatness" of God's mercies underscores their profoundness and sufficiency to cover Israel's persistent and "great" sins. It speaks of inexhaustible compassion.
• you did not make an end of them (לֹא כִלִּיתָם - lōʾ ḵillîtām):
  • make an end (כִלִּיתָם - ḵillîtām): From the verb kālâ (כָּלָה), meaning to complete, finish, or utterly destroy/consume. This phrase signifies that God did not allow His people to be annihilated, consumed, or completely wiped out, even when His justice might have demanded it. It implies preservation, maintaining a remnant.
• or forsake them (וְלֹא עֲזַבְתָּם - wəloʾ 'azaḇtām):
  • forsake ('azaḇtām - עֲזַבְתָּם): From the verb 'āzaḇ (עָזַב), meaning to leave, abandon, or desert. This emphasizes God's sustained presence and commitment to His covenant people. Despite their straying, He did not withdraw His relational support, help, or presence entirely, ensuring their survival as a distinct people.
• for you are (כִּי אַתָּה - kî 'attāh):
  • for (כִּי - kî): A causal conjunction, meaning "because" or "for." It introduces the fundamental reason or explanation for God's actions described earlier in the verse.
  • you are (אַתָּה - 'attāh): Personal pronoun emphasizing the divine subject; "it is You who are." This grounds God's actions in His unchanging essence and identity.
• a gracious (חַנּוּן - ḥannûn):
  • gracious (חַנּוּן - ḥannûn): From the root ḥānan (חָנַן), meaning to show favor, pity, or mercy. It signifies giving favor or benefit freely, not as a response to merit or deservingness, but as an expression of divine generosity. It implies a willingness to show unmerited favor.
• and merciful God (וְרַחוּם אֵל - wəraḥûm 'ēl):
  • merciful (וְרַחוּם - wəraḥûm): Similar to raḥamim (mercies), this adjective (raḥum) describes one full of deep, tender compassion and pity. It emphasizes the active, tender empathy God has for those in distress.
  • God (אֵל - 'ēl): A common, strong Hebrew word for God, referring to the mighty, sovereign deity. Placing El at the end powerfully confirms that these attributes (gracious and merciful) are inherent qualities of the divine nature of the One True God.

Words-group analysis:

• "Nevertheless, in your great mercies": This phrase beautifully sets up the core theological tension and resolution of the verse. It acknowledges the severity of Israel's transgressions ("Nevertheless") but immediately attributes God's subsequent preserving actions not to any worthiness in Israel, but purely to the immeasurable depth and vastness of His compassion. It shows God's mercy triumphs over judgment.
• "you did not make an end of them or forsake them": This specific pair of negative statements defines the practical manifestation of God's "great mercies." "Did not make an end" indicates divine restraint from total destruction, preserving their existence, potentially a remnant. "Did not forsake" implies a sustained relationship and active involvement in their continued survival, preventing complete abandonment. These two aspects ensure the continuation of the covenant people despite their severe failings.
• "for you are a gracious and merciful God": This concluding phrase provides the ultimate theological bedrock. It asserts that God's actions of preservation and non-abandonment are not arbitrary but flow directly from His essential character. His graciousness means He gives what is undeserved, and His mercy means He deeply feels and responds to their distress. This attributes the ultimate causality of Israel's survival to God's unchanging nature, ensuring His continued faithfulness.

Nehemiah 9 31 Bonus section

The consistent attributes of God described in this verse—gracious and merciful (ḥannûn wəraḥûm)—are direct echoes of the quintessential self-revelation of YHWH to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7, often considered the most important statement of God's character in the Old Testament. The prayer in Nehemiah 9 repeatedly draws upon this deep theological well, applying it to Israel's entire history. By invoking these specific attributes, the Levites emphasize that God's long-suffering with Israel and His ultimate preservation of them is not an aberration, but the very essence of who He is. This understanding provided the foundation for their renewed hope and their covenant commitment in the post-exilic period, demonstrating that God's grace always transcends human failure, leading to restoration rather than annihilation. This also foreshadows the New Testament concept of God's unwavering love demonstrated in Christ, a love that saves and sustains even the most unfaithful.

Nehemiah 9 31 Commentary

Nehemiah 9:31 serves as a profound theological anchor in a prayer acknowledging profound human failure. It highlights that God's faithfulness and preservation of Israel are rooted entirely in His unchanging nature as a gracious and merciful God, rather than in their covenant loyalty or performance. Despite generations of rebellion, idolatry, and even murder of prophets, God restrained His judgment and did not allow His covenant people to be utterly destroyed or permanently abandoned. This verse eloquently distills the divine principle seen throughout biblical history: God's character dictates His actions. His great mercies provided the foundation for their survival and for hope for future restoration, offering a profound testimony to divine long-suffering and covenant faithfulness. It underscores that repentance and reliance on God's mercy are the only pathways for a rebellious people. For practical application, this verse reminds us that even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful, grounding our hope in His immutable character and not our shifting worthiness. It invites us to humbly acknowledge our failings and rely completely on His boundless grace.