You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, gave him the name of Abraham, found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his offspring, and have performed your words; for you are righteous.
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Nehemiah 9:7-8 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! You are Yahweh, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you. You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, gave him the name of Abraham, found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his offspring, and have performed your words; for you are righteous.
Parallel Translations
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You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, gave him the name of Abraham,
found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his offspring, and have performed your words; for you are righteous.
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Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:
Show all 3 translations
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Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
and foundest his heart faithful before Thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, even to give it unto his seed, and hast performed Thy words; for Thou art righteous;
Cross-references (39)
- Genesis 11:31 (v7) Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of…
- Genesis 15:6 (v8) He believed in Yahweh, who credited it to him for righteousness.
- Genesis 15:18-21 (v8) In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great…
- Genesis 17:5 (v7) Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
- Hebrews 6:18 (v8) that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to…
Show all 39 cross-references
- Joshua 23:14 (v8) “Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all…
- Isaiah 51:2 (v7) Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for when he was but one I called him, I blessed him, and made him many.
- Genesis 12:7 (v8) Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.
- Genesis 17:7-8 (v8) I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to…
- Joshua 21:43-45 (v8) So Yahweh gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers. They possessed it, and lived in it. Yahweh gave them rest…
- Acts 7:2-4 (v7) He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in…
- Titus 1:2 (v8) in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;
- Genesis 12:1-2 (v7) Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will…
- Genesis 12:1-3 (v8) Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will…
- Genesis 15:7 (v7) He said to Abram, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”
- Genesis 22:12 (v8) He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son,…
- Genesis 22:16-18 (v8) and said, “ ‘I have sworn by myself,’ says Yahweh, ‘because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I…
- Exodus 3:8 (v8) I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a…
- Exodus 3:17 (v8) I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the…
- Numbers 23:19 (v8) God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and…
- Deuteronomy 7:1 (v8) When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you—the Hittite, the…
- Deuteronomy 7:8-9 (v8) but because Yahweh loves you, and because he desires to keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a…
- Deuteronomy 9:5 (v8) Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart do you go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations…
- Deuteronomy 10:15 (v7) Only Yahweh had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their offspring after them, even you above all peoples, as it is today.
- Deuteronomy 26:3 (v8) You shall come to the priest who shall be in those days, and tell him, “I profess today to Yahweh your God, that I have come to the land…
- Joshua 9:1 (v8) When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of…
- Joshua 11:3 (v8) to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite…
- Joshua 11:23 (v8) So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Yahweh spoke to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to…
- Joshua 24:2-3 (v7) Joshua said to all the people, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father…
- Psalms 92:14-15 (v8) They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green, to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is…
- Psalms 105:8-9 (v8) He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which he made with Abraham, his…
- Psalms 105:43-44 (v8) He brought his people out with joy, his chosen with singing. He gave them the lands of the nations. They took the labor of the peoples in…
- Isaiah 41:8-9 (v7) “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend, You whom I have taken hold of from the ends of…
- Luke 1:72-73 (v8) to show mercy toward our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
- Acts 13:22 (v8) When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after…
- 1 Timothy 1:12-13 (v8) I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service; although I used to be a…
- Hebrews 11:17 (v8) By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son,
- James 2:21-23 (v8) Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith worked with his works,…
- 1 John 1:9 (v8) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv7–8 Neh 9:7 Thou [art] the LORD the God, who…
Neh 9:7 Thou [art] the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
Ver. 7. Thou art the Lord the God] Heb. That Lord, with an emphasis, with an accent; and besides thee there is none other. See Neh 9:6. This is proved by his free favours to Israel, and patient bearing with their evil manners in the wilderness; there being not any God like unto our God, for pardoning of sin, and passing by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage, Mic 7:18.
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Who didst choose Abram] God first chose him for his love, and then loved him for his choice.
And broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees] Pulling him as a brand out of that fire, where, till then, he had lived (and might else have died) an idolater, Jos 24:2.
And gavest him the name of Abraham] {See Trapp on "Gen 17:5"}
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 On vv7–8 Didst choose Abram out of the midst of all…
Didst choose Abram out of the midst of all his nation and family. When thou didst pass by and neglect the rest of them, suffering them to walk on in their idolatrous and destructive courses; thou didst choose and single out him to serve and glorify thee, to be father of all the faithful, the progenitor of the Messias, and the person in whom, not we only, but all nations, should be blessed, and to enjoy thee to all eternity.
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 On vv7–8 Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose…
Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram,.... From among the Chaldeans, and out of his father's family:
and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees; by calling him from thence, of which see Gen 11:28, to which may be added what Amama (x) on that place observes; that some think that the sacred fire, which the Chaldeans worshipped, was kept in this city, from whence it was called Ur, that being worshipped by them and by the Assyrians under the name of Ur (y):
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and gavest him the name of Abraham; which was changed when the covenant of circumcision was given him, Gen 17:5.
(x) Anti-barbar. Biblic. l. 3. p. 652. (y) Fortunati Schaech. Elaeochrism. Myrothec. l. 1. c. 9. col. 44.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v7 Verse 7. Who didst choose Abram] See the notes…
Verse 7. Who didst choose Abram] See the notes on the passages referred to in the margin.
The name of Abraham] For the explanation of this name, See Clarke on Ge 17:5.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv7–8 Neh 9:7. Thou art the Lord who didst choose…
Neh 9:7. Thou art the Lord who didst choose Abraham — Here follows a compendious history of the affairs of the Hebrew nation, which, it is likely was composed by Ezra or Nehemiah in the form of a prayer, and delivered to the Levites, that they might pronounce it distinctly before the whole congregation, from their several scaffolds, which were conveniently placed, in several parts of the assembly, for that purpose.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v7 The fire of the Chaldeans. The city of Ur,…
The fire of the Chaldeans. The city of Ur, in Chaldea, the name of which signifies fire. Or out of the fire of tribulations and temptations, to which he was there exposed. The ancient Rabbins understood this literally, affirming that Abraham was cast into the fire by the idolaters, and brought out by a miracle without any hurt. (Challoner) --- The Chaldeans adored fire, (St. Jerome, q. Heb. in Genesis xi. 31.) and the Persians probably imitated them. (Strabo xv.) --- The emperor Heraclius destroyed their Pyreia. (Suidas.) --- St. Jerome translates Ur of the Chaldeans, in all other places. (Amama) --- Septuagint, "the country of," &c. (Calmet) --- It is supposed that he sacred fire preserved in this city, gave name to it, (Ur, "fire,") as Heliopolis was so called, from the particular worship of "the sun." (Haydock) --- Abraham, to imply some mystery, Genesis xvii. (Worthington) --- See Isaias xliii. 27.
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 On v7 7. Abram… Abraham — See Gen_17:5. For the various…
7. Abram… Abraham — See Gen_17:5. For the various historical allusions throughout the chapter, see the marginal references.
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 On vv7–8 7, 8. The Patriarch Abraham; the choice, the call,…
7, 8. The Patriarch Abraham; the choice, the call, the name, and the character of the man, and the covenant made with him
Thou art the Lord the God] R.V. marg. ‘Or, O Lord’, i.e. Thou, O Jahveh (Jehovah), art the God, as in 1Ki_18:37.
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didst choose Abram] The Divine ‘choice’ is only mentioned here in reference to the calling of Abraham. The selection of the ‘chosen people’ was the free act of God’s love. This thought lay at the root of the covenant relation between Him and Israel; cf. Deu_4:37, ‘and because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them,’ Neh_7:7, Neh_9:4-6.
and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees] Ur of the Chaldees is only mentioned here and Gen_11:28; Gen_11:31; Gen_15:7, and from these passages the present allusion is almost certainly drawn. According to some scholars, ‘Ur of the Chaldees’ is to be found in S. Babylonia, on the right bank of the Euphrates, and to be identified either with Warka (= Erech, Gen_10:10) or Mugheir = Uru, one of the oldest Babylonian cities. According to others, it was situate in Northern Assyria, with which would agree the descent of Terah from Aram (Gen_10:23) and the home of Abraham’s kinsfolk being Padan-Aram (Gen_25:20). The latter view is perhaps most favoured by Israelite tradition, cf. Deu_26:5; Isa_41:9. It was Terah who moved from Ur of the Chaldees to Haran; but Jewish tradition always regarded this as the expression of a Divine call to Abraham. Compare Act_7:4 with Gen_11:31. The Vulgate ‘de igne Chaldaeorum’ treats ‘Ur’ as if it were the Hebrew word (spelt with the same consonants) meaning ‘light.’
the name of Abraham] The change of the patriarch’s name from Abram to Abraham is recorded in Gen_17:5, to which the reference is probably made. That Abram means ‘lofty father’ and Abraham ‘the father of a multitude’ is probably only an instance of popular Israelite etymology. ‘Abu-ra-mu’ is found as the proper name of a man in Assyrian inscriptions; and the change from the shorter to the longer form, is perhaps a return to an older and more venerated form of the name. The precise meaning of the name is of slight moment. The important point to notice is, that the change of name corresponds with the institution of the covenant sign of circumcision. The change of the name was a pledge of the new relation, into which Abraham and his seed passed; cf. ‘Jacob’ and ‘Israel’ (Gen_35:10).
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.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v8 (8) The Hivites are for some reason omitted.
(8) The Hivites are for some reason omitted.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv7–8 Vers. 7-31. Compare with this long historical resume the…
Vers. 7-31. Compare with this long historical resume the still longer ones in Psa_78:5-72 and Act_7:2-47. God"s dealings with his people furnished a moral lesson of extraordinary force, and moral teachers, naturally, made frequent reference to them. But it is not often that we have so complete and elaborate a recapitulation as the present, which, beginning with the call of Abraham, brings the history down to the time of the Persian servitude. God"s goodness and his people"s ingratitude form the burthen of the whole.
Vers. 7, 8. God"s favour to Abraham.
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The multitude, led by the Levites, now begin the recital of God"s gracious dealings with their race; and, first, with their great ancestor, Abraham. By the words, "Thou art Jehovah God," they allege that it was the only living and true God, the Creator of all things, who distinguished Abraham, and through him their nation, by his favour. They then recount
I His CHOICE of Abraham. Of his own gracious will separating him from others, to preserve the knowledge and worship of himself, and to be the Father of the people whom he appointed to be peculiarly his own.
II His LEADING him from Chaldaea to Canaan.
III His CHANGE of his name from Abram to Abraham. Thus promising him a numerous posterity.
IV His RECOGNITION Of his faithfulness. A reference to Gen_15:6, where "believed" is part of the same verb as the word "faithful" here. (comp. Gal_3:9 faithful Abraham) Abraham was faithful in heart, and that before God. He trusted God, and continued to trust him through all trials of his faith. He was faithful in maintaining the worship of God in the midst of idolaters, and in teaching his household to "keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment". (Gen_18:19) And God marked and rewarded his fidelity.
V His COVENANT with him. Gen_15:18-21 seems especially referred to. The larger promises, that Abraham and his posterity should be a blessing to all men, do not here come into view.
VI His PERFORMANCE Of the covenant. In which God"s righteousness is recognised (ver. 6).
Reflections:
1. All blessings enjoyed by men have their origin in the free grace and choice of God.
2. Yet God in his treatment of men has regard to their faithfulness to him.
3. The righteousness, as well as the goodness, of God assures us that he will fulfil all his promises.
4. We as well as the Jews have reason to praise God for the grace shown to Abraham. For he is our spiritual ancestor, "the father of all them that believe". (Rom_4:11)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v8 faithful Gen 22:1-3; Jas 2:21-23
faithful Gen 22:1-3; Jas 2:21-23
covenant (See Scofield "Gen 15:18")
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v7 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
The Levites continue their prayer before all the people.
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Ur of the Chaldees
"Ur, where the Chaldean people group lived"
You found his heart was faithful before you
The heart, the inner being of the person, represents the person. AT: "You saw that he was completely faithful to you" (See: Synecdoche)
Canaanites ... Hittites ... Amorites ... Perizzites ... Jebusites ... Girgashites
people group names (See: How to Translate Names)
translationWords
Yahweh
God
Abraham
Ur
Chaldea
name
heart
faithful
covenant
descend
Canaan
Hittite
Amorite
Perizzite
Jebus
promise
righteous
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v7 9:7-8 God’s actions with Abram—calling him (Gen 12:1-3; 15:7),…
9:7-8 God’s actions with Abram—calling him (Gen 12:1-3; 15:7), giving him a new name and identity (Gen 17:5), making a covenant with him (Gen 15:6-21; 17:4-5), and fulfilling his promises of land and descendants (Gen 15:18-21)—demonstrated God’s faithfulness and inspired confidence about what God would do in the future.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.