The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:34 Explained

Nehemiah 9:34

KJV: Neither 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.

YLT: and our kings, our heads, our priests, and our fathers, have not done Thy law, nor attended unto Thy commands, and to Thy testimonies, that Thou hast testified against them;

Darby: And our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers, have not performed thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

ASV: neither 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither 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. 

What does Nehemiah 9:34 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 9:22-38 - The Penalty Of Ingratitude And Disobedience
The theme of this prayer is the covenant mercy of God. However great the provocation of the Chosen People, He never swerved from His ancient promise to their fathers. He testified against them by His Spirit and chastened them for their sins. He allowed them to be oppressed by their enemies and carried into captivity. But when they returned and cried for His help they found His manifold mercies waiting to welcome, forgive, and restore them. They were conscious that there was nothing in themselves or even in their fathers to explain these wonderful dealings, and the secret had ever to be found in His great mercies. In this hour of distress, they turned back to Him and bound themselves by a faithful covenant. But, alas, even written promises will not hold the wayward heart of man. What a picture this is of our own lives, and how often have all these experiences been repeated in us! Fortunately for us we are represented now, not by our promises and prayers, but by Jesus Christ, in whom we stand and are accepted and kept. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 9

1  A solemn fast, and repentance of the people
4  The Levites make a confession of God's goodness, and their wickedness

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 9:34 mean?

and neither our kings nor our princes Our priests nor our fathers nor have kept Your law nor heeded unto Your commandments and Your testimonies with which You testified against them
וְאֶת־ מְלָכֵ֤ינוּ שָׂרֵ֙ינוּ֙ כֹּהֲנֵ֣ינוּ וַאֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ לֹ֥א עָשׂ֖וּ תּוֹרָתֶ֑ךָ וְלֹ֤א הִקְשִׁ֙יבוּ֙ אֶל־ מִצְוֺתֶ֔יךָ וּלְעֵ֣דְוֺתֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַעִידֹ֖תָ בָּהֶֽם

וְאֶת־  and  neither 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מְלָכֵ֤ינוּ  our  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
שָׂרֵ֙ינוּ֙  nor  our  princes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
כֹּהֲנֵ֣ינוּ  Our  priests 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וַאֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ  nor  our  fathers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָשׂ֖וּ  have  kept 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
תּוֹרָתֶ֑ךָ  Your  law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
וְלֹ֤א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הִקְשִׁ֙יבוּ֙  heeded 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָשַׁב  
Sense: to hear, be attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מִצְוֺתֶ֔יךָ  Your  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
וּלְעֵ֣דְוֺתֶ֔יךָ  and  Your  testimonies 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֵדוּת  
Sense: testimony.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  with  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הַעִידֹ֖תָ  You  testified 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
בָּהֶֽם  against  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural

What are the major concepts related to Nehemiah 9:34?

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