The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:7 Explained

Nehemiah 9:7

KJV: 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;

YLT: Thou art He, O Jehovah God, who didst fix on Abraham, and didst bring him out from Ur of the Chaldeans, and didst make his name Abraham,

Darby: Thou art the Same, Jehovah Elohim, who didst choose Abram and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

ASV: Thou art Jehovah the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Nehemiah 9:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 9:1-21 - God's Hand In History
What a blessed result of the Bible-study of the previous chapter. It led to confession, separation from evil association and worship. It is good to review the dealings of God with us and with our people in bygone days. There are hilltops in our experience where the air is clear, and we can see the way by which we have been led. At such times we look beyond second causes to the great Orderer of our lives, and our history is one perpetual assertion of THOU. The history of God's dealings with Israel is an epitome of His dealings with ourselves. The choice in Ur, the redemption from Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, the land of rest-all these have their counterparts in our life-story. Side by side with the story of God's care runs the story of transgression, Nehemiah 9:16-18. The gold and black strands are closely interwoven. In the midst of God's best gifts, we break out into sin; yet He still gives us His good spirit, and withholds not the manna which He promised, Nehemiah 9:20. [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 9:7 mean?

You are Yahweh God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham
אַתָּה־ הוּא֙ יְהוָ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֙רְתָּ֙ בְּאַבְרָ֔ם וְהוֹצֵאת֖וֹ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים וְשַׂ֥מְתָּ שְּׁמ֖וֹ אַבְרָהָֽם

יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בָּחַ֙רְתָּ֙  chose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
בְּאַבְרָ֔ם  Abram 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָם  
Sense: original name of Abraham.
וְהוֹצֵאת֖וֹ  and  brought  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מֵא֣וּר  out  of  Ur 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אוּר 
Sense: city in southern Babylonia, city of the Chaldeans, centre of moon worship, home of Abraham’s father, Terah, and departure point for the Abraham’s migration to Mesopotamia and Canaan.
כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים  of  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
וְשַׂ֥מְתָּ  and  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
שְּׁמ֖וֹ  him  the  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
אַבְרָהָֽם  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.