Nehemiah 1:8
Nehemiah 1:8 in Multiple Translations
Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples:
Keep in mind, O Lord, the order you gave your servant Moses, saying, If you do wrong I will send you wandering among the peoples:
Please remember what you told Moses when you said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
I beseeche thee, remember the worde that thou commandedst thy seruant Moses, saying, Ye wil transgresse, and I will scatter you abroade among the people.
'Remember, I pray Thee, the word that Thou didst command Moses Thy servant, saying, Ye — ye trespass — I scatter you among peoples;
“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you among the peoples;
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
Remember the word that thou commandedst to Moses thy servant, saying: If you shall transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
“But please remember what you told your servant Moses. You said, ‘If you sin, I will scatter you among the ◄heathen nations/nations that do not believe in me►.
Berean Amplified Bible — Nehemiah 1:8
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Nehemiah 1:8 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
זְכָר
נָא֙
אֶת
הַ/דָּבָ֔ר
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
צִוִּ֛יתָ
אֶת
מֹשֶׁ֥ה
עַבְדְּ/ךָ֖
לֵ/אמֹ֑ר
אַתֶּ֣ם
תִּמְעָ֔לוּ
אֲנִ֕י
אָפִ֥יץ
אֶתְ/כֶ֖ם
בָּ/עַמִּֽים
זְכָר
zâkar
H2142
to remember
V-Qal-Impv-2ms
נָא֙
nâʼ
H4994
please
Part
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
הַ/דָּבָ֔ר
dâbâr
H1697
Chronicles
Art | N-ms
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
ʼăsher
H834
which
Rel
צִוִּ֛יתָ
tsâvâh
H6680
to command
V-Piel-Perf-2ms
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
מֹשֶׁ֥ה
Môsheh
H4872
Moses
N-proper
עַבְדְּ/ךָ֖
ʻebed
H5650
servant/slave
N-ms | Suff
לֵ/אמֹ֑ר
ʼâmar
H559
to say
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a
אַתֶּ֣ם
ʼattâh
H859
you(m.s.)
Pron
תִּמְעָ֔לוּ
mâʻal
H4603
be unfaithful
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp
אֲנִ֕י
ʼănîy
H589
I
Pron
אָפִ֥יץ
pûwts
H6327
to scatter
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs
אֶתְ/כֶ֖ם
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM | Suff
בָּ/עַמִּֽים
ʻam
H5971
Amaw
Prep | N-mp
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Nehemiah 1:8
זְכָר
zâkar
H2142
"to remember"
V-Qal-Impv-2ms
To remember means to recall or mark something, like God remembering his covenant with Abraham in Genesis 9:1 and Exodus 2:24.
Definition: 1) to remember, recall, call to mind 1a) (Qal) to remember, recall 1b) (Niphal) to be brought to remembrance, be remembered, be thought of, be brought to mind 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to remember, remind 1c2) to cause to be remembered, keep in remembrance 1c3) to mention 1c4) to record 1c5) to make a memorial, make remembrance
Usage: Occurs in 223 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] burn (incense), [idiom] earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, [idiom] still, think on, [idiom] well. See also: Genesis 8:1; Psalms 74:2; Psalms 8:5.
נָא֙
nâʼ
H4994
"please"
Part
The Hebrew word 'nâ'' is used to express a polite request, like 'please' or 'I pray', and is often added to verbs to make them more polite. In the Bible, it appears in passages like Ezra's reading of the law to the people.
Definition: 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation
Usage: Occurs in 374 OT verses. KJV: I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh. See also: Genesis 12:11; Judges 4:19; 1 Kings 13:6.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
הַ/דָּבָ֔ר
dâbâr
H1697
"Chronicles"
Art | N-ms
A word or thing, like a matter or affair, as seen in the book of Chronicles where it refers to the events and words of kings. It can also mean a cause or reason for something.
Definition: This name means word, speaking
Usage: Occurs in 1290 OT verses. KJV: act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work. See also: Genesis 11:1; Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 18:21.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
ʼăsher
H834
"which"
Rel
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Definition: A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when
Usage: Occurs in 4440 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever, when, where ([phrase] -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, [phrase] whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 31:16.
צִוִּ֛יתָ
tsâvâh
H6680
"to command"
V-Piel-Perf-2ms
To command or give orders, as seen in the Bible when God gives charge to his people. It can also mean to appoint or ordain someone for a task. This word is used in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: 1) to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order 1a)(Piel) 1a1) to lay charge upon 1a2) to give charge to, give command to 1a3) to give charge unto 1a4) to give charge over, appoint 1a5) to give charge, command 1a6) to charge, command 1a7) to charge, commission 1a8) to command, appoint, ordain (of divine act) 1b) (Pual) to be commanded
Usage: Occurs in 475 OT verses. KJV: appoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order. See also: Genesis 2:16; Leviticus 10:13; Deuteronomy 12:11.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
מֹשֶׁ֥ה
Môsheh
H4872
"Moses"
N-proper
Moses, the Israelite leader, was born to Amram and Jochebed and led the Exodus from Egypt. He received the law from God and is considered a key figure in the Bible. Moses means 'drawn' in Hebrew.
Definition: A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10; son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115); brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855); father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?) § Moses = "drawn" the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus
Usage: Occurs in 704 OT verses. KJV: Moses. See also: Exodus 2:10; Exodus 13:1; Exodus 32:21.
עַבְדְּ/ךָ֖
ʻebed
H5650
"servant/slave"
N-ms | Suff
This word refers to a servant or slave, often in the context of serving God or a human master. It can also describe a prophet or Levite. The KJV translates it as bondage, bondman, or servant.
Definition: 1) slave, servant 1a) slave, servant, man-servant 1b) subjects 1c) servants, worshippers (of God) 1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc) 1e) servant (of Israel) 1f) servant (as form of address between equals) Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)
Usage: Occurs in 714 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant. See also: Genesis 9:25; Exodus 11:3; 1 Samuel 8:16.
לֵ/אמֹ֑ר
ʼâmar
H559
"to say"
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Usage: Occurs in 4337 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. See also: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:32.
אַתֶּ֣ם
ʼattâh
H859
"you(m.s.)"
Pron
You is the translation of a Hebrew word used to address someone directly, like when God says you to someone in the Bible. It can be singular or plural, and is often translated as thee, thou, or ye.
Definition: you (second pers. sing. masc.)
Usage: Occurs in 997 OT verses. KJV: thee, thou, ye, you. See also: Genesis 3:11; Exodus 23:9; Deuteronomy 14:1.
תִּמְעָ֔לוּ
mâʻal
H4603
"be unfaithful"
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp
This Hebrew word means to be unfaithful or act treacherously, covering up or acting secretly against someone. It's used to describe actions against people or God, such as committing a trespass or transgressing. The Bible translates it as 'transgress' or 'trespass'.
Definition: 1) to act unfaithfully, act treacherously, transgress, commit a trespass 1a) (Qal) to act unfaithfully or treacherously 1a1) against man 1a2) against God 1a3) against devoted thing 1a4) against husband
Usage: Occurs in 35 OT verses. KJV: transgress, (commit, do a) trespass(-ing). See also: Leviticus 5:15; 2 Chronicles 28:19; Proverbs 16:10.
אֲנִ֕י
ʼănîy
H589
"I"
Pron
This Hebrew word is a simple way of saying 'I' or 'me', often used for emphasis. It is used by people like David in the Psalms to express their thoughts and feelings. The word is a basic part of the Hebrew language.
Definition: I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
Usage: Occurs in 803 OT verses. KJV: I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who. See also: Genesis 6:17; Leviticus 19:36; 1 Samuel 25:24.
אָפִ֥יץ
pûwts
H6327
"to scatter"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs
To shatter means to break something into pieces, either physically or figuratively. It can also mean to disperse or scatter people or things, as seen in various Bible translations.
Definition: 1) to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered 1a) (Qal) to be dispersed, be scattered 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be scattered 1b2) to be spread abroad 1c) (Hiphil) to scatter 1d) Hithpael) scatter
Usage: Occurs in 66 OT verses. KJV: break (dash, shake) in (to) pieces, cast (abroad), disperse (selves), drive, retire, scatter (abroad), spread abroad. See also: Genesis 10:18; Jeremiah 10:21; Psalms 18:15.
אֶתְ/כֶ֖ם
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM | Suff
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
בָּ/עַמִּֽים
ʻam
H5971
"Amaw"
Prep | N-mp
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Definition: This name means nation, people
Usage: Occurs in 1655 OT verses. KJV: folk, men, nation, people. See also: Genesis 11:6; Exodus 16:4; Leviticus 17:9.
Study Notes — Nehemiah 1:8
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Nehemiah 1:8 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Nehemiah 1:8
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 1:8
- Trapp's Commentary on Nehemiah 1:8
- Ellicott's Commentary on Nehemiah 1:8
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Nehemiah 1:8
- Cambridge Bible on Nehemiah 1:8
- Sermons on Nehemiah 1:8
Context — Nehemiah’s Prayer
6let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.
7We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.
8Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
9but if you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name.’ 10They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and mighty hand.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 28:64 | Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 4:25–27 | After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger— I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed. Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. |
| 3 | Leviticus 26:33–46 | But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste. Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies. At that time the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not receive during the Sabbaths when you lived in it. As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. And they will flee as one flees the sword, and fall when no one pursues them. They will stumble over one another as before the sword, though no one is behind them. So you will not be able to stand against your enemies. You will perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you. Those of you who survive in the lands of your enemies will waste away in their iniquity and will decay in the sins of their fathers. But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me— and I acted with hostility toward them and brought them into the land of their enemies—and if their uncircumcised hearts will be humbled and they will make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land will be abandoned by them, and it will enjoy its Sabbaths by lying desolate without them. And they will pay the penalty for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and abhorred My statutes. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject or despise them so as to destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their fathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the LORD.” These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws that the LORD established between Himself and the Israelites through Moses on Mount Sinai. |
| 4 | 1 Kings 9:6–7 | But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples. |
| 5 | Deuteronomy 32:26–28 | I would have said that I would cut them to pieces and blot out their memory from mankind, if I had not dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest their adversaries misunderstand and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it was not the LORD who did all this.’” Israel is a nation devoid of counsel, with no understanding among them. |
| 6 | Luke 1:72 | to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, |
| 7 | Psalms 119:49 | Remember Your word to Your servant, upon which You have given me hope. |
Nehemiah 1:8 Summary
Nehemiah 1:8 is a prayer where Nehemiah asks God to remember the promise He made to Moses, that if the Israelites are unfaithful, God will scatter them among the nations. This shows that God is a God of justice and discipline, but also of love and restoration, as seen in Deuteronomy 30:1-10. Nehemiah is reminding God of His promise, not because God forgets, but because Nehemiah wants to align his heart with God's heart. This verse teaches us that our actions have consequences, but also that God is always willing to forgive and restore us if we return to Him, as promised in 1 John 1:9.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the context of Nehemiah's prayer in Nehemiah 1:8?
Nehemiah's prayer is a response to the sins of Israel, as confessed in Nehemiah 1:6-7, and a plea for God to remember His promises to His people, as stated in Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and Leviticus 26:33.
What does it mean for God to 'scatter' His people among the nations?
This refers to the judgment of God upon His people for their disobedience, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:64 and Ezekiel 12:15, where God scatters Israel among the nations as a result of their idolatry and rebellion.
Is Nehemiah 1:8 a promise of judgment or restoration?
While the verse does contain a warning of judgment, it is part of a larger context that ultimately points to God's promise of restoration, as seen in Nehemiah 1:9, where God promises to gather His people from exile if they return to Him.
How does Nehemiah's prayer in Nehemiah 1:8 relate to the overall theme of the book of Nehemiah?
Nehemiah's prayer sets the stage for the rest of the book, which tells the story of God's faithfulness to His people and His promise to restore them to their homeland, as seen in Nehemiah 2:1-10 and Ezra 1:1-4.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I, like Nehemiah, can remember and reflect on God's promises to me, especially in times of difficulty or uncertainty?
- How can I, like Israel, be tempted to be 'unfaithful' to God, and what are some strategies for remaining faithful to Him?
- What does it mean for me to 'return' to God, as mentioned in Nehemiah 1:9, and how can I take steps to deepen my relationship with Him?
- How can I, like Nehemiah, use Scripture to inform and guide my prayers, especially when praying for myself or others?
Gill's Exposition on Nehemiah 1:8
Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses,.... To publish and declare to the children of Israel, Deuteronomy 28:64, saying, if ye transgress; the law of God: I will
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 1:8
And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: No JFB commentary on these verses.
Trapp's Commentary on Nehemiah 1:8
Nehemiah 1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, [If] ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:Ver. 8. Remember, I beseech thee, the word] It befalleth not the Lord to forget or remember (to speak properly), for all things are present with him. Nevertheless metaphorically God is said to do both; as when, being provoked by the horrid sins of the Jews, he so punished them as if he had forgotten that they were his people, or that he had ever made them any promises. And in this case God gives his prophets and praying people leave to be his remembrancers, Isaiah 62:6-7. Ye that are the Lord’ s remembrancers, keep not silence, and give him no rest till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. This Nehemiah doth here most vigorously, and sped accordingly; let us do likewise. Cast the labouring Church into God’ s everlasting arms, and remind him of his promises burden him with them, as that martyr said; put them into suit, they are nigh the Lord day and night, 1 Kings 8:59. Say, remember thy word unto thy servant, whereupon thou hast caused me to trust, Psalms 119:49. And in the want of other rhetoric urge this, with repetition, Lord, thou hast promised, thou hast promised, &c. He loves to be urged with his word, to be used upon his bond, &c.
The word that thou commandest, &c.] The threatening is also to be acknowledged God’ s word, as well as the promise; and the uprightness of our hearts is, to be approving by believing the one as well as the other. Sour and sweet make the best sauce; promises and menaces mingled serve to keep the heart in the best temper, as Nehemiah’ s was.
Ellicott's Commentary on Nehemiah 1:8
(4-11) Nehemiah’s appeal to God. The prayer is a perfect example of the private and individual devotion with which the later Hebrew Scriptures abound. It begins with formal and appropriate invocation (Nehemiah 1:5-8), flows into earnest confession (Nehemiah 1:6-7), pleads the covenant promises (Nehemiah 1:8-10), and supplicates a present answer (Nehemiah 1:11). The extant Scriptures, freely used, are the foundation of all. (4) Fasted.—Like Daniel, Esther, and Ezra, Nehemiah fasted: fasting appears in later Judaism a prominent part of individual devotion, as it is in the New Testament. (6) Both I and my father’s house have sinned.—The supplication was for the nation; and in such cases of personal intercession the individual assumes the sin of all the past. (8) The spirit of many threatenings and promises is summed up, as in the prayer of Nehemiah 9. (11) This day . . . this man.—During his “certain days” of mourning Nehemiah had fixed upon his plan, suggested by his God. “This day” is “this occasion”: the appeal itself was deferred for some months. The king becomes “this man” in the presence of the “God of heaven.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.—One of his cupbearers, therefore in high authority, having confidential access to him.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Nehemiah 1:8
Verse 8. Thy servant Moses] See the parallel places in the margin, and the notes there Leviticus 26:33 (note), Deuteronomy 4:25-27 (note), Deuteronomy 28:64 (note). Though in an enemy's country, and far from the ordinances of God, Nehemiah did not forget the law: he read his Bible well, and quotes correctly.
Cambridge Bible on Nehemiah 1:8
8. Remember … the word … saying] The reference here made is in general terms. No passage in the Pentateuch exactly agrees with it (cf. Nehemiah 10:34). This may be shown by the words used in the first sentence. The Hebrew word for ‘I will scatter’ is only found in Deuteronomy in the Pentateuch: the Hebrew word for ‘transgress’ only occurs once in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 32:51), but in quite a different context from the threat of dispersion. The threat of dispersion is found in the Pentateuch in Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 4:27; Deuteronomy 28:64; Deuteronomy 30:3. The promise of restoration is given in Deuteronomy 4:29 and in Deuteronomy 30:4-5 (Leviticus 26:40-42). The passage most resembling the words here given is Deuteronomy 30:1-5. On ‘transgress,’ see note on Ezra 9:4. scatter … abroad among the nations] Cf.
Jeremiah 9:16; Ezekiel 11:16; Ezekiel 12:15; Ezekiel 20:23; Ezekiel 22:15; Ezekiel 36:19. In the original the position of the personal pronouns is very emphatic, Ye transgress, I scatter. For the appeal to the Lord to ‘remember,’ cf. Psalms 106:4.
Sermons on Nehemiah 1:8
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(Through the Bible) Nehemiah 1-7 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of discouragement and fear that can hinder people from pursuing the word of God. He encourages the listeners to remember the Lord as |
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Nehemiah - Service for God by John Hunter | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the importance of building a community rather than just physical walls. He emphasizes that it is not enough to protect what is inside, but to |
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Nehemiah #1: Chapter 1, Rebuilding the Wall by Stephen Kaung | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the burden that Nehemiah carried as the cup-bearer to the king. Despite his inner turmoil, Nehemiah had to maintain a joyful appearance before |
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From a Mess to an Enduring Message by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the state of the nation and the loss of their ability to protect themselves from evil. The gates are burned with fire, symbolizing their inabi |
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Israel: What's Going On? What We Can We Do? by Shane Idleman | Shane Idleman addresses the complexities surrounding Israel's current situation, emphasizing the importance of understanding the historical and biblical context. He discusses the o |
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Holl-07 Israel's Final Chastisement by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the experience of the Messiah, who was despised and rejected by men. He emphasizes that the Jewish people, who are called to be a light to the |
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Lukewarm No More - Part 13 by George Verwer | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the life of an evangelist named Roy Hesham who was transformed by the East African revival in the 50s and 60s. The revival emphasized personal |