Devine Scripture

Nehemiah 1:5

What does Nehemiah 1:5 mean?

A plain-English look at Nehemiah 1:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Nehemiah 1:5 means

Nehemiah begins with reverent adoration: “O Jehovah, the God of heaven, the great and terrible God.” He recognizes God’s majesty and awe-inspiring holiness, yet he also clings to God’s covenant faithfulness and lovingkindness toward those who love Him and keep His commandments. By invoking both God’s transcendence and steadfast love, Nehemiah anchors his prayer in God’s revealed character. He is not trying to move a reluctant deity but appealing to promises God delights to keep. This balance keeps prayer from presumption on one hand and despair on the other. It is right to ask boldly when requests rest on God’s enduring covenant and on the obedience that flows from genuine love for Him.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

and said, I beseech thee, O Jehovah, the God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and lovingkindness with them that love him and keep his commandments:

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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:

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

and said, I beseech thee, O Jehovah, the God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and lovingkindness with them that love him and keep his commandments:

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And said, O Lord, the God of heaven, the great God, greatly to be feared, keeping faith and mercy with those who have love for him and are true to his laws:

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And I say, `I beseech thee, O Jehovah, God of the heavens, God, the great and the fearful, keeping the covenant and kindness for those loving Him, and for those keeping His commands,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And I said: I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, strong, great, and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy with those that love thee, and keep thy commandments:

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

and said, I beseech thee, Jehovah,God of the heavens, the great and terribleGod, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and keep his commandments.

Context

Verse 5 opens the content of Nehemiah’s prayer after his mourning. It begins not with needs but with who God is—great, awe-inspiring, and covenant-keeping. This theological grounding frames everything that follows. The next verses move to confession, showing that appeal to covenant love includes honest acknowledgment of sin. The structure—adoration then confession—guides the reader to see that requests for restoration must stand on the truth of God’s character and on a humbled, obedient heart.

v.4And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

v.5This passage

v.6let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee. Yea, I and my father’s house have sinned:

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Deuteronomy 7:9

    Know therefore that Jehovah thy God, he is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and lovingkindness with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations,

  • 1 Chronicles 17:21

    And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem unto himself for a people, to make thee a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou redeemedst out of Egypt?

  • Nehemiah 9:32

    Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and lovingkindness, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

  • Hebrews 6:13

    For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself,

  • Deuteronomy 7:21

    Thou shalt not be affrighted at them; for Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a great God and a terrible.

  • Daniel 9:4

    And I prayed unto Jehovah my God, and made confession, and said, Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keepeth covenant and lovingkindness with them that love him and keep his commandments,

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