Nehemiah 9:9 kjv
And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;
Nehemiah 9:9 nkjv
"You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, And heard their cry by the Red Sea.
Nehemiah 9:9 niv
"You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea.
Nehemiah 9:9 esv
"And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea,
Nehemiah 9:9 nlt
"You saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their cries from beside the Red Sea.
Nehemiah 9 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 29:32 | And Leah conceived and bore a son and called his name Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction..." | God sees affliction (Leah) |
| Ex 2:23-25 | During those many days the king of Egypt died... their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant... God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. | God sees, hears, remembers covenant |
| Ex 3:7 | Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sufferings." | God sees, hears, knows suffering |
| Deut 4:34 | Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm... | God's mighty deliverance |
| Deut 26:7 | And we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. | Cry, heard, affliction, oppression |
| Josh 24:6-7 | 'When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians... | Exodus, Red Sea pursuit, cry heard |
| Psa 6:8 | Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping. | God hears sorrow/prayer |
| Psa 44:25 | For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body clings to the ground. | Represents deep affliction |
| Psa 78:13 | He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. | Red Sea division |
| Psa 105:27-38 | He sent among them signs and wonders in the land of Ham. ... He brought them out with silver and gold... | Details of Exodus, God's intervention |
| Psa 106:44 | Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry; | God saw distress, heard cry |
| Psa 107:19 | Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. | God hears cries and delivers |
| Psa 114:3 | The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. | Red Sea's reaction to God's presence |
| Psa 136:10-15 | To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, ...and brought Israel out from among them,... who divided the Red Sea in two,... and made Israel pass through the midst of it,... but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea... | God's power in Exodus and Red Sea |
| Isa 51:10 | Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to pass over? | God's power at the Red Sea (prophetic) |
| Jer 31:3 | The LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with steadfast love I have drawn you. | God's everlasting love/steadfast love |
| Lam 3:55-58 | I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, "Do not close your ear to my cry for help!" You came near when I called on you; you said, "Do not fear!" You have redeemed my life, O Lord... | God hears cry from distress, redeems |
| Zec 1:3 | Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. | God's willingness to respond |
| Joel 2:12-13 | "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart... For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love..." | God's gracious and merciful nature |
| Jon 4:2 | "...for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." | God's attributes of mercy |
| Acts 7:34 | 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them...' | Stephen quoting Exodus, God sees/hears |
| Heb 11:29 | By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry ground, but when the Egyptians attempted to do the same they were drowned. | Faith and Red Sea deliverance |
| Jas 5:4 | Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. | God hears cries of the oppressed |
Nehemiah 9 verses
Nehemiah 9 9 Meaning
Nehemiah 9:9 begins a profound prayer by acknowledging God's compassionate attentiveness to His people's distress. It states that God saw the deep suffering and forced labor of their ancestors in Egypt and heard their desperate cry for help, particularly at the climactic moment of peril by the Red Sea. This verse highlights God's active involvement, perfect understanding of their misery, and His immediate response, which led to their miraculous deliverance from bondage and certain death. It establishes God's unchanging character as one who is mercifully present with His afflicted people.
Nehemiah 9 9 Context
Nehemiah 9:9 forms a pivotal part of a grand confessional prayer delivered by the Levites during a solemn assembly. This assembly followed the completion of the city wall, the public reading and understanding of the Law, and the joyful celebration of the Feast of Booths (Sukkot), signifying a moment of spiritual awakening and national recommitment to God. The prayer systematically recounts Israel's history from Abraham through the return from exile, consistently highlighting God's steadfast faithfulness and benevolent intervention contrasted with Israel's persistent disobedience. Verse 9 opens this historical narrative by harkening back to the foundational event of their national identity: the Exodus from Egypt. By reminding God of His initial act of compassionate rescue from a dire situation, the people were both acknowledging His past faithfulness and appealing to that very character for their present needs under foreign rule, seeking God's continued mercy despite their long history of rebellion.
Nehemiah 9 9 Word analysis
- You saw (וַתֵּ֣רֶא, va-te-re): Derived from the Hebrew verb ra'ah (רָאָה), meaning "to see, perceive, understand." This implies not merely casual observation but an active, comprehensive, and empathetic understanding of the affliction. God's seeing is always linked to His immediate knowledge and impending action, signifying His personal involvement and deep compassion for their suffering.
- the affliction (אֶת־עֳנִ֖י, et-'oni): From ‘oni (עֳנִי), meaning "affliction, oppression, misery, forced labor, distress." It comprehensively describes the deep physical, emotional, and spiritual pain and hardship experienced by the Israelites under Egyptian bondage. It emphasizes the severity of their suffering.
- of our fathers (אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ, avo-tei-nu): Acknowledges the ancestors of the current generation. This collective remembrance underscores the generational aspect of God's covenant and His enduring faithfulness throughout Israel's history, highlighting that God's commitment transcends individual generations.
- in Egypt (בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם, be-mitz-ra-yim): Specifies the historical location of their servitude. Egypt represents the ultimate place of human bondage and serves as the archetypal backdrop for God's power in liberation.
- and heard (וְאֶת־זַעֲקָתָ֥ם שָׁמַֽעְתָּ, ve-'et-za-'a-ka-tam sha-ma'-ta): From shama' (שָׁמַע), meaning "to hear, listen, obey, understand, respond." This term indicates God's receptiveness and attentiveness to their pleas. Coupled with "saw," it shows God's complete sensory awareness and cognitive understanding of their situation.
- their cry (זַעֲקָתָ֥ם, za-a-ka-tam): From za'aqah (זַעֲקָה), meaning "outcry, cry, shout for help." It signifies a desperate, urgent appeal from a helpless state, indicating the intensity of their distress and their sole reliance on divine intervention.
- by the Red Sea (עַל־יַם־ס֖וּף, 'al-yam-suf): This explicitly names the location of their ultimate crisis and most profound miracle of deliverance, known as the "Sea of Reeds." It signifies God's intervention at the precise moment of their greatest peril, demonstrating His sovereign power over creation and His enemies.
- "You saw the affliction... and heard their cry": This pairing is a profound demonstration of God's holistic engagement with His people's suffering. "Seeing" conveys His complete knowledge and awareness of their internal and external pain, while "hearing" emphasizes His responsiveness to their specific pleas. This dual action is a consistent biblical motif, preceding God's benevolent intervention and confirming His personal care. It signifies that God is not distant but deeply empathetic and responsive.
- "our fathers in Egypt... by the Red Sea": These phrases precisely anchor God's action within a defined historical narrative. "Egypt" represents the oppressive environment of their servitude, and "the Red Sea" symbolizes the seemingly impossible barrier and immediate threat. Together, they establish a clear trajectory of profound suffering followed by extraordinary divine liberation, serving as a foundational historical precedent for God's redemptive power and faithfulness to His covenant people.
Nehemiah 9 9 Bonus section
- The pattern of "seeing" and "hearing" preceding God's intervention is a recurring theological theme in the Old Testament, showcasing God's intimate relationship with humanity. It underscores that God's justice and mercy are initiated by His profound understanding of suffering.
- The specific mention of the "Red Sea" (Yam Suph) serves as a potent theological symbol. It represents the point of absolute helplessness where human effort failed, making God's supernatural deliverance uniquely His own and foundational to Israel's understanding of His power and sovereignty over all creation and earthly empires.
- This verse implicitly establishes a standard for faithful leaders: just as God was attentive to His people, those entrusted with leadership (like the Levites leading this prayer) should also be attentive to the needs and cries of their flock, seeking God's intervention on their behalf.
Nehemiah 9 9 Commentary
Nehemiah 9:9 powerfully establishes God's profound attentiveness and compassionate involvement in the suffering of His people. The combination of God "seeing" their affliction and "hearing" their cry signifies His comprehensive awareness and empathetic response. This was not a mere passive observation but an active understanding of their deep misery and desperate appeals. The historical markers, "in Egypt" for their initial prolonged bondage, and "by the Red Sea" for their immediate peril and miraculous salvation, highlight that God intervenes at crucial moments of profound distress and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. This verse reminds the gathered Israelites, and us today, that God is not indifferent to suffering. Instead, He initiates salvation by first recognizing the plight of His beloved, demonstrating His character as an active deliverer and a faithful covenant God who hears the cries of the oppressed and acts on their behalf. This foundational truth instills hope and trust in His continuing faithfulness.