Nehemiah 9:18
What does Nehemiah 9:18 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 9:18 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 9:18 means
At the height of privilege—fresh from deliverance and revelation—the people made a molten calf and declared it their god who brought them out of Egypt. The prayer calls this a great provocation, underlining the heinousness of idolatry that rewrites God’s salvation story. This is not mere ignorance; it is a willful corruption of worship. The verse confronts the human tendency to replace the true God with manageable substitutes, even while enjoying His benefits. Naming this sin without excuse is part of true confession. It also magnifies the patience of God, because what follows will show that He did not abandon them even after such a blatant affront.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;
KJV
King James Version · 1611Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Even when they had made for themselves an ox of metal, and said, This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had done so much to make you angry;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`Also, when they have made to themselves a molten calf, and say, this <FI>is<Fi> thy god that brought thee up out of Egypt, and do great despisings,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Yea when they had made also to themselves a molten calf, and had said: This is thy God, that brought thee out of Egypt: and had committed great blasphemies:
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thygod that brought thee up out of Egypt! and they had wrought great provocation,
Context
Following the statement of God’s forgiving character, the prayer points to one of Israel’s worst transgressions to illustrate the depth of their guilt. Verse 19 will immediately highlight God’s manifold mercies in not forsaking them, maintaining the pillars of cloud and fire. The juxtaposition intensifies the theme: grace triumphs over grievous sin.
v.17and 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.
v.18This passage
v.19yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of cloud departed not from over them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Exodus 32:4
And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf: and they said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
- Psalms 106:19
They made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped a molten image.
- Ezekiel 20:7
And I said unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Jehovah your God.
- Deuteronomy 9:12
And Jehovah said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people that thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.
- Exodus 32:31
And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
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