Nehemiah 9:35
What does Nehemiah 9:35 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 9:35 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 9:35 means
They admit that, even while enjoying God’s great goodness—having a kingdom and dwelling in a large and fertile land—their forebears did not serve God or turn from wicked works. Prosperity did not lead to piety. This is a sober recognition that external blessings, without heart obedience, can foster complacency and sin. The verse strips away any illusion that suffering alone brought repentance; instead, it was persistent hardness in the midst of abundance that led to their downfall. By confessing ingratitude at the height of privilege, they reinforce that God’s judgments were warranted and that future faithfulness must be rooted in gratitude and obedience, not merely in circumstances.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
KJV
King James Version · 1611For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949For they have not been your servants in their kingdom, and in all the good things you gave them, and in the great and fat land you gave them, and they have not been turned away from their evil-doing.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and they, in their kingdom, and in Thine abundant goodness, that Thou hast given to them, and in the land, the large and the fat, that Thou hast set before them, have not served Thee, nor turned back from their evil doings.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they have not served thee in their kingdoms, and in thy manifold goodness, which thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land, which thou deliveredst before them, nor did they return from their most wicked devices.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land that thou didst set before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
Context
The confession sharpens: leaders failed, and the people squandered abundance. Verse 36 will pivot to the immediate reality—they are now servants in the very land God gave their fathers. This contrast between former kingdom and present servitude intensifies the plea for God to look upon their condition with mercy and to renew His favor.
v.34neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies wherewith thou didst testify against them.
v.35This passage
v.36Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Romans 3:4
God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.
- Deuteronomy 31:21
And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they frame this day, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.
- Nehemiah 9:25
And they took fortified cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit-trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.
- Deuteronomy 28:47
Because thou servedst not Jehovah thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things;
- Deuteronomy 32:12
Jehovah alone did lead him, And there was no foreign god with him.
- Deuteronomy 8:7
For Jehovah thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills;
Related questions readers ask
Keep reading
Want to dig deeper? Explore Nehemiah 9
Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Nehemiah 9.
Topics that quote it
Topic
Bible Verses About Confession of Sin
Confession of sin is an essential step in drawing near to God and receiving His forgiveness and cleansing.
Topic
Bible Verses About Fasting
Fasting in the Bible is a spiritual discipline involving abstinence from food for a period, often coupled with prayer and repentance.
What the Bible says about…