Nehemiah 9:30
What does Nehemiah 9:30 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 9:30 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 9:30 means
For many years God bore with them and testified against them by His Spirit through the prophets, but they would not give ear. Therefore He gave them into the hands of the peoples of the lands. This verse clarifies that exile was not sudden or arbitrary; it was preceded by patient, Spirit-driven warnings. God’s long-suffering is evident in the duration and means of His appeals. Prophetic words carried divine authority, yet persistent refusal brought just consequences. The “therefore” signals moral causality—judgment is the fruit of hardened hearts. Still, the mention of God’s Spirit prepares for the mercy that follows; even discipline serves His redemptive purposes and does not erase His covenant compassion.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Year after year you put up with them, and gave witness against them by your spirit through your prophets: still they did not give ear: and so you gave them up into the hands of the peoples of the lands.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`And Thou drawest over them many years, and testifiest against them by Thy Spirit, by the hand of Thy prophets, and they have not given ear, and Thou dost give them into the hand of peoples of the lands,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And thou didst forbear with them for many years, and didst testify against them by thy spirit by the hand of thy prophets: and they heard not, and thou didst deliver them into the hand of the people of the lands.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And many years didst thou forbear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets; but they would not give ear: and thou gavest them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
Context
Building on verse 29’s stubbornness, verse 30 shows the culmination of ignored warnings: scattering among the nations. The next verse, however, will affirm that God did not make a full end of His people. This tension between justice and mercy frames the community’s present hope as they appeal to God in their own subjugation.
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.
v.30This passage
v.31Nevertheless in thy manifold mercies thou didst not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Psalms 86:15
But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
- Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
- Nehemiah 9:26
Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their back, and slew thy prophets that testified against them to turn them again unto thee, and they wrought great provocations.
- Acts 7:51
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.
- 1 Peter 1:11
searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.
- Jeremiah 44:22
so that Jehovah could not longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.
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