Nehemiah 9:17

They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Levites speak on behalf of the assembled Israelites during a corporate confession of ancestral rebellion. The address is directed to God while the community stands in repentance.

The words — וַ/יְמָאֲנ֣וּ (va/y.ma.'a.Nu) translates literally as "and they refused," paired with לִ/שְׁמֹ֗עַ (li/sh.Mo.a') "to listen." These terms describe a deliberate, collective rejection of divine instruction rather than passive ignorance.

The thread — The confession of God's forgiving nature aligns with the divine character formula in Joel 2:13 and Psalms 86:15. Psalm 86:5 similarly records God as kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to those who call on Him.

Why it lands — The text states that human rebellion persists alongside God's deliberate choice to remain present. Readers must acknowledge their own capacity to stiffen their necks while accepting that divine forbearance does not depend on human faithfulness.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּva/y.ma.'a.Nuand/ they refused לִשְׁמֹ֗עַli/sh.Mo.a'to/ listen וְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not זָכְר֤וּza.khe.Ruthey remembered נִפְלְאֹתֶ֙יךָ֙nif.le.'o.Tei./khawonders/ your אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich עָשִׂ֣יתָ'a.Si.tayou had done עִמָּהֶ֔ם'i.ma./Hemwith/ them וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙va/i.yak.Shuand/ they stiffened אֶת־'et-<obj.>עָרְפָּ֔ם'a.re.Pa/mneck/ their וַיִּתְּנוּ־va/i.yi.te.nu-and/ they appointed רֹ֛אשׁrosha leader לָשׁ֥וּבla./Shuvto/ return לְעַבְדֻתָ֖םle./'av.du.Ta/mto/ servitude/ their בְּמִרְיָ֑םbe./mir.Ya/min/ rebellion/ their וְאַתָּה֩ve./'a.Tahand/ you אֱל֨וֹהַּ'e.Lo.ah[are] a God סְלִיח֜וֹתse.li.Chotforgiveness<es>חַנּ֧וּןcha.Nungracious וְרַח֛וּםve./ra.Chumand/ compassionate אֶֽרֶךְ־'e.rekh-long of אַפַּ֥יִם'a.Pa.yimanger<s>וְרַב־ve./rav-and/ great חֶ֖סֶדve.che.sedof covenant loyalty וְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ not עֲזַבְתָּֽם׃'a.zav.Ta/myou abandoned/ them

King James Version

And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

Cross-references

Psalms 86:5 For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.
Joel 2:13 So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
Psalms 86:15 But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
Psalms 145:8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.
Exodus 34:6 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
Micah 7:18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
Numbers 14:18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’
1 Kings 6:13 And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not abandon My people Israel.”
Psalms 78:38 And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.
Psalms 78:42 They did not remember His power—the day He redeemed them from the adversary,