Nehemiah 9:28

But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The Levites recite this verse during a corporate confession before the assembled community, recounting Israel’s historical cycle of rebellion and rescue. The speaker addresses the people directly to frame their current covenant renewal within that established pattern.

The words — יָשׁ֕וּבוּ (ya.Shu.vu, "they returned") paired with לַ/עֲשׂ֥וֹת רַ֖ע (la./'a.Sot ra', "to do evil") denotes a deliberate turn back into sin. וַ/תַּֽעַזְבֵ֞/ם בְּ/יַ֤ד אֹֽיְבֵי/הֶם (va./ta.'az.Ve/m be./Yad 'o.ye.vei./Hem, "and You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies") records the judicial consequence of that turn.

The thread — The text explicitly links this pattern to the rest periods recorded in Judges 3:11, Judges 3:30, and Judges 5:31. These references establish a recurring historical framework where military relief follows periods of peace broken by disobedience.

Why it lands — The verse states that divine abandonment is a direct response to renewed rebellion, while repeated deliverance follows renewed cries for help. It requires the reader to accept that covenant faithfulness does not suspend historical consequences, even as it sustains mercy.

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

וּכְנ֣וֹחַu./khe./No.achand/ just as/ was restלָהֶ֔םla./Hemto/ themיָשׁ֕וּבוּya.Shu.vuthey returned לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla./'a.Sotto/ do רַ֖עra'evil לְפָנֶ֑יךָle./fa.Nei./kha<to>/ before/ you וַתַּֽעַזְבֵ֞םva./ta.'az.Ve/mand/ you abandoned/ them בְּיַ֤דbe./Yadin/ [the] hand of אֹֽיְבֵיהֶם֙'o.ye.vei./Hemenemies/ their וַיִּרְדּ֣וּva/i.yir.Duand/ they ruledבָהֶ֔םva./Hemover/ themוַיָּשׁ֙וּבוּ֙va/i.ya.Shu.vuand/ they returned וַיִּזְעָק֔וּךָva/i.yiz.'a.Ku./chaand/ they cried out to/ you וְאַתָּ֞הve./'a.Tahand/ you מִשָּׁמַ֧יִםmi./sha.Ma.yimfrom/ heaven תִּשְׁמַ֛עtish.Ma'you heard וְתַצִּילֵ֥םve./ta.tzi.Le/mand/ you rescued/ them כְּֽרַחֲמֶ֖יךָke./ra.cha.Mei./khaaccording to/ compassion<s>/ your רַבּ֥וֹתra.Botmany עִתִּֽים׃'i.Timtimes

King James Version

But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

Cross-references

Judges 5:31 So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
Judges 3:11 So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Judges 3:30 So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.
Judges 4:1 After Ehud died, the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD.
1 Kings 8:33 When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, praying and pleading with You in this temple,
1 Kings 8:39 be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and act, and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts of all men—
Psalms 106:43 Many times He rescued them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank down in their iniquity.
Isaiah 63:15 Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and might? Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained.