Discovery BoxNehemiah 9:16-18
Context9:16 “But they – our ancestors 1 – behaved presumptuously; they rebelled 2 and did not obey your commandments. 9:17 They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. 3 But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. 4 You did not abandon them, 9:18 even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,’ or when they committed atrocious 5 blasphemies.
Nehemiah 9:26
Context9:26 “Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they disregarded your law. 6 They killed your prophets who had solemnly admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed atrocious blasphemies.
Nehemiah 9:33-35
Context9:33 You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully. 7 It is we who have been in the wrong! 9:34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them. 9:35 Even when they were in their kingdom and benefiting from your incredible 8 goodness that you had lavished 9 on them in the spacious and fertile land you had set 10 before them, they did not serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.
[9:16] 1 tn Heb “and our fathers.” The vav is explicative.
[9:16] 2 tn Heb “they stiffened their neck” (so also in the following verse).
[9:17] 3 tc The present translation follows a few medieval Hebrew
[9:17] 4 tc The translation follows the Qere reading חֶסֶד (khesed, “loyal love”) rather than the Kethib reading וְחֶסֶד (vÿkhesed, “and loyal love”) of the MT.
[9:26] 6 tn Heb “they cast your law behind their backs.”
