The Meaning of Nehemiah 1:9 Explained

Nehemiah 1:9

KJV: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

YLT: and ye have turned back unto Me, and kept My commands, and done them -- if your outcast is in the end of the heavens, thence I gather them, and have brought them in unto the place that I have chosen to cause My name to tabernacle there.

Darby: but if ye return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

ASV: but if ye return unto me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But [if] ye turn  unto me, and keep  my commandments,  and do  them; though there were of you cast out  unto the uttermost part  of the heaven,  [yet] will I gather  them from thence, and will bring  them unto the place  that I have chosen  to set  my name  there. 

What does Nehemiah 1:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 1:1-11 - A Patriot's Prayer
Though living in luxury, in the winter palace of the Persian kings, Nehemiah's heart was keenly sensitive to all that affected his people. But he turned from tears to prayer, from man to God. Oh, that we could cry and sigh for the rents and breaches in the Church of God. We should deal much more successfully with men, if, like Nehemiah, we dealt more largely with God. Gordon used to say that he had met and conquered his enemies before he saw them. This prayer of Nehemiah's is very beautiful, saturated as it is with quotations from Scripture, and so effective with God, because based on His own Word. It was steeped in tears of contrition for sin, and offered without ceasing day and night. Nor was it solitary, for there seems to have been a little band of others united with him, Nehemiah 1:11. Lord, teach us to pray thus, till others are found kneeling with us. Here is a good petition for us as we go forth to our daily calling, in which so much depends on the attitude of our fellow-men. Prosper thy servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 1

1  Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusalem, mourns, fasts, and prays
5  His prayer

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 1:9 mean?

but [if] you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them though there were some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens from there [yet] I will gather them - and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name there
וְשַׁבְתֶּ֣ם אֵלַ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ מִצְוֺתַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אִם־ יִהְיֶ֨ה נִֽדַּחֲכֶ֜ם בִּקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִשָּׁ֣ם אֲקַבְּצֵ֔ם [והבואתים] (וַהֲבִֽיאוֹתִים֙) אֶל־ הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתִּי לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן אֶת־ שְׁמִ֖י שָֽׁם

וְשַׁבְתֶּ֣ם  but  [if]  you  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֵלַ֔י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙  and  keep 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מִצְוֺתַ֔י  My  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם  and  do 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אִם־  though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יִהְיֶ֨ה  there  were 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נִֽדַּחֲכֶ֜ם  some  of  you  were  cast  out 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: נָדַח 
Sense: to impel, thrust, drive away, banish.
בִּקְצֵ֤ה  to  the  farthest  part 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצֶה 
Sense: end, extremity.
הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙  of  the  heavens 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
מִשָּׁ֣ם  from  there 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
אֲקַבְּצֵ֔ם  [yet]  I  will  gather  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
[והבואתים]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
(וַהֲבִֽיאוֹתִים֙)  and  bring  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַמָּק֔וֹם  the  place 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
בָּחַ֔רְתִּי  I  have  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן  as  a  dwelling 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁכַן  
Sense: to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside.
שְׁמִ֖י  My  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.