and testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law. Yet they were arrogant, and didn’t listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances (which if a man does, he shall live in them), turned their backs, stiffened their neck, and would not hear.
Parallel Translations
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and testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law. Yet they were arrogant, and didn’t listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances (which if a man does, he shall live in them), turned their backs, stiffened their neck, and would not hear.
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And 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 thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
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and didst forewarn them, that Thou mightest bring them back 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 by them, and presented a stubborn shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
Cross-references (26)
Passages linked to Nehemiah 9:29 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Nehemiah 9:16 “But they and our fathers behaved proudly, hardened their neck, didn’t listen to your commandments,
- Leviticus 18:5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh.
- Nehemiah 9:10 and showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, and against all his servants, and against all the people of his land; for you knew that they dealt proudly against them, and made a name for yourself, as it is today.
- Nehemiah 9:26 “Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, cast your law behind their back, killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies.
- Jeremiah 43:2 then Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely. Yahweh our God has not sent you to say, ‘You shall not go into Egypt to live there;’
- Hosea 6:5 Therefore I have cut them to pieces with the prophets; I killed them with the words of my mouth. Your judgments are like a flash of lightning.
- Zechariah 7:11-12 But they refused to listen, and turned their backs, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. Yes, they made their hearts as hard as flint, lest they might hear the law, and the words which Yahweh of Armies had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from Yahweh of Armies.
- James 4:6-10 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
- Exodus 10:3 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.
- Deuteronomy 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from off the land which you go over the Jordan to possess it. You will not prolong your days on it, but will utterly be destroyed.
- Deuteronomy 31:21 It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.”
- 2 Kings 17:13 Yet Yahweh testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”
- 2 Chronicles 24:19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again to Yahweh, and they testified against them; but they would not listen.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15 Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place;
- Jeremiah 7:26 Yet they didn’t listen to me or incline their ear, but made their neck stiff. They did worse than their fathers.
- Jeremiah 13:15-17 Hear, and give ear. Don’t be proud, for Yahweh has spoken. Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you look for light, he turns it into the shadow of death, and makes it deep darkness. But if you will not hear it, my soul will weep in secret for your pride. My eye will weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because Yahweh’s flock has been taken captive.
- Jeremiah 17:23 But they didn’t listen. They didn’t turn their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, and might not receive instruction.
- Jeremiah 19:15 “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says, ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all its towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have made their neck stiff, that they may not hear my words.’ ”
- Jeremiah 25:3-7 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years, Yahweh’s word has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; but you have not listened. Yahweh has sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them (but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear), saying, “Return now everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your fathers, from of old and even forever more. Don’t go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and don’t provoke me to anger with the work of your hands; then I will do you no harm.” “Yet you have not listened to me,” says Yahweh; “that you may provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt.”
- Jeremiah 44:10 They are not humbled even to this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.’
- Jeremiah 44:16-17 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in Yahweh’s name, we will not listen to you. But we will certainly perform every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.
- Ezekiel 20:11 I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he will live in them.
- Daniel 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
- Luke 10:28 He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”
- Romans 10:5 For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.”
- Galatians 3:12 The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (8 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain When thou didst admonish them by thy Prophets.
When thou didst admonish them by thy Prophets.
Which is a similitude taken of oxen that shrink at the yoke or burden, as Zech. 7:11.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Neh 9:29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest…
Neh 9:29 And 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 thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
Ver. 29. And testifiedst against them] Toldest them of their sins, foretoldest them of their dangers, didst all that could be done to do them good; but nothing would do.
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Yet they dealt proudly] See Neh 9:16.
And hearkened not] intus existens prohibuit alienum, Hear, and give ear, be not proud, Jer 13:15.
But sinned against thy judgments] i.e. Thy statutes, though made with so much reason and respect to our good, that if God did not command them, yet were it every way our best way to practise them: Isa 48:17, "I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldest go." As who should say, It is for thy profit that I command thee this or that, and not for mine own.
Which if a man do] But that, as now, he cannot do, and, therefore, not be saved by the law, Rom 10:5. Our Saviour indeed said to that young justiciary, "This do, and thou shalt live," Luk 10:28. But that was all one, saith Luther, as if Christ had said unto him, Vade et morere, Go upon thy death; for do this of thyself, and live thereby, thou art never able.
And withdrew the shoulder] When called to take up Christ’s yoke, or to bear his cross. See the note on Zec 7:11.
And hardened their neck] To sinews of iron they added brows of brass.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Which if a man do, he shall live in…
Which if a man do, he shall live in them; of which see on Lev 18:5; Eze 20:11; Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12.
Withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, i.e. would not submit to thy yoke, like stubborn oxen.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And testifiedst against them,.... By sending prophets to them,…
And testifiedst against them,.... By sending prophets to them, to admonish them of their sins, and remind them of their duty:
that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law; to regard it, and walk according it:
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yet they dealt proudly; with an haughty air rejected the counsel of God:
and hearkened not unto thy commandments; yielded not obedience to them:
but sinned against thy judgments; transgressed his laws, which were so just, righteous, reasonable, and equitable:
which if a man do, he shall live in them; or by them, in the land of Canaan, see Lev 18:5,
and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear; like oxen, that wriggle and struggle, and draw back, and will not admit the yoke upon them.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Shoulder. Slipping from under the burden of the law.…
Shoulder. Slipping from under the burden of the law. (Haydock) --- It seems this and the following verses chiefly regard the ten tribes, which proudly rebelled against Juda, (Calmet) and against the Lord. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 29. Withdrew the shoulder — Like the refractory ox…
29. Withdrew the shoulder — Like the refractory ox or the “backsliding heifer” (Hos_4:16) that rebels against the yoke. Compare Zec_7:11.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 29. The Stubbornness of Israel
29. The Stubbornness of Israel
29. testifiedst] Cf. 2Ki_17:13, ‘Yet the Lord testified unto Israel and unto Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and of every seer.’
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dealt proudly] Cf. Neh_9:16.
which if a man do, he shall live in them] Quoted from Lev_18:5, as also in Eze_20:11. Cf. Luk_10:28, ‘This do and thou shalt live.’
withdrew the shoulder] R.V. marg. ‘Heb. they gave a stubborn shoulder’. The metaphor of an ox refusing to submit to the yoke, as applied to Israel, who rejected the service of Jehovah, is familiar to us from Hos_4:16; Zec_7:11.
hardened their neck] Cf. Neh_9:17.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Withdrew the shoulder. Compare Hos_4:16 ("Israel slideth back as…
Withdrew the shoulder. Compare Hos_4:16 ("Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer") and Zec_7:11. The metaphor is taken from the action of a beast of burthen which, when required to draw, shrinks from the yoke and starts back.
The Divine testimony against sin.
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"And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law." The Divine testimony against sin and sinners is repeatedly mentioned in this confession (see vers. 26, 30). We may take a general view of it.
I THE WITNESS OF GOD AGAINST SIN AND SINNERS.
1. In his holy laws. Declaring his will, denouncing disobedience, and warning against its consequences.
2. In his revelations of eternity, judgment, hell, heaven. "There shall in nowise enter into it anything that defileth.
3. In the nature of man. The testimony of conscience; the evil effects of sin on the body (diseases, death) and the soul, disordering, debasing, blunting the conscience, hardening the heart, etc.
4. In the effects of sin on the circumstances of the sinner.
5. In the effects of sin on society. Destruction of mutual esteem and confidence. Disorders, divisions, miseries.
6. In the methods of salvation from sin. The sufferings borne by our Lord in atoning for sin. The pains of conviction, penitence, etc. produced by the word and Spirit of God.
7. By the Church. Its constitution as a society avowedly renouncing sin, and called to battle against it everywhere. Its ministry, ordinances, examples of holiness, discipline on offenders.
II ITS DESIGN.
1. To deter from sin.
2. To produce repentance.
"That thou mightest bring them again unto thy law.
III THE REVELATION OF GOD WHICH IS THUS MADE. Manifestations of
1. His hatred to sin. Which his permission of its prevalence might seem to put in question.
2. His benevolence. His testimonies against sin are so many entreaties that men would not injure themselves, so many safeguards against their doing so, so many strong reasons for turning from sin to holiness, and thus from misery to blessedness.
3. His justice in condemning the impenitent. Disregard of the Divine testimony against sin will work final ruin, but the lost sinner will have only himself to blame. "To-day," then, "if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart." Let it not be said of you, "Yet would they not give ear" (ver. 30).
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.