Nehemiah 9:28
What does Nehemiah 9:28 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 9:28 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 9:28 means
After experiencing rest, they did evil again, so God left them to their enemies who ruled over them. Yet whenever they returned and cried out, He heard from heaven and delivered them “many times” according to His mercies. The verse stresses the tragic repetition of sin and the astonishing repetition of grace. Human resolve proved fleeting; God’s compassion proved enduring. This teaches that salvation rests in God’s character, not Israel’s constancy. Still, the cost of relapse was real—domination and distress. The cycle warns against complacency while inviting renewed turning to God, who remains ready to save despite repeated failures.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee; therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies,
KJV
King James Version · 1611But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee; therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies,
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949But when they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their haters, who had rule over them: but when they came back and made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`And when they have rest, they turn back to do evil before Thee, and Thou dost leave them in the hand of their enemies, and they rule over them; and they turn back, and call Thee, and Thou from the heavens dost hear, and dost deliver them, according to Thy mercies, many times,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752But after they had rest, they returned to do evil in thy sight: and thou leftest them in the hand of their enemies, and they had dominion over them. Then they returned, and cried to thee: and thou heardest from heaven, and deliveredst them many times in thy mercies.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890But when they had rest, they did evil again before thee; and thou didst leave them in the hand of their enemies, and they had dominion over them; and again they cried unto thee, and thou heardest [them] from the heavens, and many times didst thou deliver them, according to thy mercies.
Context
The prayer deepens its portrayal of the cycle. Verse 29 will add that God persistently testified against them to bring them back to His Law, but they hardened themselves. This sets the stage for verse 30’s mention of long-suffering prophetic ministry and, eventually, exile among the nations as a climactic discipline.
v.27Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries.
v.28This passage
v.29and testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law. Yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances (which if a man do, he shall live in them), and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Judges 4:1
And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, when Ehud was dead.
- 1 Kings 8:33
When thy people Israel are smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication unto thee in this house:
- Isaiah 63:15
Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where are thy zeal and thy mighty acts? the yearning of thy heart and thy compassions are restrained toward me.
- Psalms 106:43
Many times did he deliver them; But they were rebellious in their counsel, And were brought low in their iniquity.
- 1 Kings 8:39
then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
- Judges 3:11
And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
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