Nehemiah 9:17
What does Nehemiah 9:17 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 9:17 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 9:17 means
They refused to obey, forgot God’s wonders, and in rebellion sought to appoint a leader to return to bondage. Yet the prayer holds up God’s character: He is “ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness,” and He did not forsake them. The contrast is the heart of the gospel-shaped pattern later seen throughout Scripture: human unfaithfulness met by steadfast divine mercy. The description echoes God’s own self-revelation of His patience and covenant love. This verse teaches that hope does not rest on human resolve but on God’s nature. Even when people long for the old chains, God stands ready to forgive and restore.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and forsookest them not.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and forsookest them not.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And would not do them, and gave no thought to the wonders you had done among them; but made their necks stiff, and turning away from you, made a captain over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt: but you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862yea, they refuse to hearken, and have not remembered Thy wonders that Thou hast done with them, and harden their neck and appoint a head, to turn back to their service, in their rebellion; and Thou <FI>art<Fi> a God of pardons, gracious, and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, and hast not forsaken them.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they would not hear, and they remembered not thy wonders which thou hadst done for them. And they hardened their necks, and gave the head to return to their bondage, as it were by contention. But thou, a forgiving God, gracious, and merciful, longsuffering, and full of compassion, didst not forsake them.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and refused to obey, neither were they mindful of thy wonders which thou hadst done among them; but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion made a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art aGod ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great loving-kindness, and thou forsookest them not.
Context
The confession intensifies from stubbornness to active plans to return to Egypt, representing a deep rejection of God’s salvation. Verse 18 will name the molten calf as a concrete example of such provocation. Yet already, the prayer emphasizes God’s pardoning character, preparing the reader to see mercy preserved even through shocking idolatry.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Numbers 16:14
Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.
- Numbers 14:11
And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?
- Ephesians 1:6
to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:
- Psalms 78:11
And they forgat his doings, And his wondrous works that he had showed them.
- Psalms 86:5
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness unto all them that call upon thee.
- Acts 7:39
to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt,
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