Nehemiah 9:24

KJV

So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

KJV (with Strong's)

So the children {H1121} went in {H935} and possessed {H3423} the land {H776}, and thou subduedst {H3665} before {H6440} them the inhabitants {H3427} of the land {H776}, the Canaanites {H3669}, and gavest {H5414} them into their hands {H3027}, with their kings {H4428}, and the people {H5971} of the land {H776}, that they might do {H6213} with them as they would {H7522}.

Complete Jewish Bible

So the children went in and possessed the land, as you subdued ahead of them the Kena'ani living in the land, and handed them over to them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, for them to do with as they wished.

Berean Standard Bible

So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished.

American Standard Version

So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Nehemiah 9:24 stands as a profound declaration within the Levites' sweeping prayer of confession and praise, encapsulating God's unwavering fidelity to His ancient covenant promises. It vividly recounts the miraculous fulfillment of God's pledge to Israel, specifically detailing the divine conquest and subsequent possession of the Promised Land. This verse powerfully underscores God's sovereign hand in subduing the indigenous Canaanite inhabitants and delivering them, along with their kings, into the hands of the Israelites, thereby demonstrating His absolute power and His steadfast commitment to His people's inheritance and destiny.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Nehemiah 9:24 is deeply embedded within a lengthy and pivotal prayer of national confession and historical recounting, offered by the Levites during a solemn assembly in post-exilic Jerusalem. This prayer, which spans the entirety of [Nehemiah 9](/nehemiah/9 "Nehemiah 9 - The Great Prayer of Confession"), provides a comprehensive theological narrative of God's dealings with Israel, commencing with the call of Abraham and progressing through the Exodus, the wilderness wanderings, the conquest of Canaan, the periods of the judges and monarchy, the Babylonian exile, and finally, the return. The historical review serves as a powerful testament to God's consistent faithfulness despite Israel's recurrent cycles of disobedience. Verse 24 specifically falls within the section of the prayer (Nehemiah 9:22-25) that celebrates God's miraculous provision, power, and generosity in bringing Israel into the land He had sworn to them, recalling the decisive period of the conquest under Joshua. It highlights God's active intervention in contrast to Israel's subsequent failures.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The setting for this prayer is Jerusalem in the mid-5th century BC, a period marked by the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon under the leadership of Nehemiah. Though the Temple had been rebuilt, the city walls remained in ruins, symbolizing the community's vulnerability and spiritual brokenness. This post-exilic community grappled with significant internal challenges, including social injustice and spiritual apathy, alongside external opposition from surrounding peoples. Culturally, the practice of public confession and the recitation of sacred history were integral to ancient Israelite worship and identity formation. Such acts were designed to reinforce covenant commitment, recall divine acts of salvation, and re-establish the people's relationship with God. The reference to "the Canaanites" evokes a foundational historical period, reminding the returned exiles that their very presence in the land was a direct result of God's powerful intervention against formidable adversaries. This memory of God's past faithfulness in overcoming powerful enemies served as a crucial source of encouragement and hope for a community facing its own daunting challenges of restoration.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully encapsulates several major theological and narrative themes central to the book of Nehemiah and the broader biblical narrative. Foremost is the theme of **Divine Faithfulness and Promise Fulfillment**, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to His covenant promises, specifically the land grant made to Abraham centuries earlier, as detailed in [Genesis 12:7](/genesis/12-7 "Genesis 12:7 - God's Promise to Abraham to Abraham"). The phrasing "thou subduedst before them" and "gavest them into their hands" profoundly emphasizes **God's Sovereignty in Conquest**, highlighting that the victory was not achieved by Israel's military might alone, but by God's direct, active, and powerful intervention. This divine agency is a recurring motif throughout the book of Joshua, particularly in passages such as [Joshua 21:43-45](/joshua/21-43-45 "Joshua 21:43-45 - God Gives Israel Rest and Land"), which explicitly states that God gave Israel all the land He had sworn to their fathers. Furthermore, the verse underscores **Israel's Inheritance of the Land**, portraying it not merely as a territorial acquisition but as the fulfillment of a divine grant, allowing "the children" (Israel) to "possess the land" and exercise dominion. Implicit in the subjugation of the Canaanites is God's righteous **Judgment on the Canaanites**, whose iniquity had reached its full measure, as prophesied in [Genesis 15:16](/genesis/15-16 "Genesis 15:16 - The Iniquity of the Amorites").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Subduedst (Hebrew, _kânaʻ'_):** The Hebrew verb כָּנַע (kânaʻ) literally means "to bend the knee," and metaphorically, "to be humbled" or "to be subdued." In the Hiphil stem, as used here ("thou subduedst"), it conveys the active sense of "to bring low, to humble, to vanquish, to subdue." This emphasizes God's direct, forceful, and effective action in bringing the powerful Canaanite nations to submission before Israel. It highlights divine agency as the primary force behind the conquest, rather than Israel's own strength, underscoring God's absolute control over the outcomes of history.
* **Possessed (Hebrew, _yârash'_):** The Hebrew verb יָרַשׁ (yârash) means "to occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place); by implication, to seize, to rob, to inherit." Here, it signifies Israel's active entry and taking hold of the land. Coupled with God's action of "subduing" and "giving," it illustrates the divine-human partnership in the conquest: God cleared the way, and Israel stepped in to claim their inheritance. This word carries the weight of covenant fulfillment, as the land was their promised inheritance, not something they earned or conquered purely by their own might.
* **Gavest (Hebrew, _nâthan'_):** The common Hebrew verb נָתַן (nâthan) is a versatile word meaning "to give, to place, to set, to put." Its repeated use here ("gavest them into their hands") reinforces the idea that the land, its inhabitants, and even their kings were a sovereign gift from God. This is not a mere transfer of possession but a divine bestowal, underscoring God's absolute authority over all nations and His benevolent provision for His covenant people. This emphasizes the gratuity of God's actions and Israel's status as recipients of His grace.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"So the children went in and possessed the land":** This clause describes the culmination of the wilderness wandering and the beginning of Israel's settled life in Canaan. "The children" refers to the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, emphasizing their identity as God's covenant people. Their "going in" signifies their entry into the Promised Land, and "possessed" emphasizes their taking ownership and establishing dominion over it, fulfilling centuries-old promises made to their patriarchs.
* **"and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites":** This is a direct address to God ("thou"), attributing the military success and the overcoming of the indigenous peoples directly to His power. "The inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites" specifies the formidable nations that occupied Canaan, whose subjugation was a divine act, not merely a human military feat. This highlights God's active, pre-emptive role in clearing the way for His people to enter and settle without overwhelming resistance.
* **"and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land":** This further emphasizes God's sovereign control and generosity. He "gave" not just the land, but its people and their leadership ("their kings, and the people of the land") into Israel's power. This signifies a complete transfer of authority and dominion, demonstrating God's absolute power over all earthly rulers and nations, and His ability to deliver even the most powerful adversaries into the hands of His chosen people.
* **"that they might do with them as they would":** This final phrase indicates the extent of the authority granted to Israel over the subdued inhabitants. It implies full control and the right to establish their own laws and governance, consistent with the divine mandate to dispossess the wicked nations and establish a holy land for God's people. This authority was to be exercised within the bounds of God's broader covenant law, ensuring the purity and holiness of the land and the people.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices that amplify its theological message. **Emphasis** is placed on divine agency through the repeated use of second-person singular verbs directed at God ("thou subduedst," "gavest"), clearly attributing the success of the conquest not to Israel's might but to God's sovereign power. This creates a strong sense of **Theocentricity**, placing God at the absolute center of the historical narrative as the primary, decisive actor. The concise, declarative statements contribute to a sense of **Historical Recounting**, summarizing a vast and complex period of Israel's history with definitive finality and authority. The phrase "the children went in and possessed the land" immediately followed by God's actions creates a clear **Cause and Effect** relationship, where Israel's possession is a direct and undeniable result of God's prior subduing and giving. The specific naming of "the Canaanites" serves as a **Synecdoche**, representing all the various nations inhabiting the land at the time of the conquest, thereby encapsulating a diverse array of enemies under a single, well-known identifier.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Nehemiah 9:24 is a profound theological statement on God's unwavering faithfulness, His sovereign power, and His commitment to His covenant promises. It asserts that the possession of the Promised Land was not a human accomplishment but a divine gift, a direct fulfillment of the oath God made to Abraham. This historical act of God subduing powerful nations for His people underscores His absolute control over history and His active involvement in the affairs of humanity. It teaches that God is true to His word, even across generations and despite human unfaithfulness, providing a powerful anchor of hope for the post-exilic community and for believers today. The verse also implicitly touches on themes of divine justice, as the subjugation of the Canaanites was a consequence of their deep-seated wickedness, and the establishment of Israel in the land was part of God's redemptive plan for humanity.

* [Genesis 12:7](/genesis/12-7 "Genesis 12:7 - God's Covenant Promise of Land to Abraham")
* [Joshua 21:43-45](/joshua/21-43-45 "Joshua 21:43-45 - God Gives Israel Rest and Land")
* [Psalm 44:2-3](/psalms/44-2-3 "Psalm 44:2-3 - God's Hand in Israel's Possession of the Land")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Nehemiah 9:24 serves as a powerful reminder that our ultimate victories, blessings, and inheritances are rooted in God's faithfulness and sovereign power, not in our own strength, ingenuity, or strategic prowess. Just as God cleared the way for Israel to possess their promised inheritance, He continues to work on behalf of His people today, subduing obstacles, overcoming spiritual adversaries, and opening doors that no human effort could. This verse encourages us to cultivate a deep and unwavering trust in God's promises, knowing that He is utterly true to His word and will bring to completion what He has begun in our lives and in the world. It calls us to acknowledge His hand in every success and every breakthrough, recognizing that our achievements are often the fruit of His prior, unseen work in overcoming spiritual "giants" and preparing the ground. Spiritually, this passage can be understood as a metaphor for God's power to subdue the "enemies" of our souls—sin, fear, doubt, despair, and the forces of darkness—enabling us to "possess" the spiritual inheritance and abundant life He has promised us in Christ. It invites a posture of grateful dependence and confident expectation in the God who always fulfills His word, empowering us to walk in the freedom and dominion He has secured for us.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does remembering God's past faithfulness in your life or in the history of the church strengthen your trust in His promises for the future?**
* **In what areas of your life are you currently facing "giants" or seemingly insurmountable obstacles that you need God to subdue? How does this verse encourage you to rely on His power rather than your own?**
* **How can acknowledging God's sovereignty in your successes and breakthroughs lead to greater humility and profound gratitude rather than self-reliance or pride?**
* **What "spiritual inheritance" do you believe God has promised you in Christ, and how does this verse inspire you to "possess" it through faith and obedience, knowing He has already secured the victory?**

### FAQ
**Why is it important for the post-exilic community to recount this ancient history of the conquest?**

Answer: For the post-exilic community, recounting the conquest narrative was critically important for several reasons. First, it served as a powerful reminder of God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, particularly the land grant. This bolstered their hope and trust in God at a time when they were vulnerable, disheartened, and facing opposition while rebuilding Jerusalem. Second, it re-established their national identity and legitimacy in the land, emphasizing that their presence was not by human might or political maneuvering, but by divine decree and power. Third, it provided a historical precedent for God's ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, encouraging them in their contemporary challenges of rebuilding and spiritual renewal. Finally, it underscored the principle that God's blessings come through obedience and reliance on Him, a lesson crucial for a people prone to backsliding, as seen throughout the comprehensive historical review in [Nehemiah 9](/nehemiah/9 "Nehemiah 9 - The Great Prayer of Confession").

**Does "that they might do with them as they would" imply unrestricted violence or cruelty?**

Answer: While the phrase "that they might do with them as they would" grants extensive authority, it must be understood within the broader context of God's covenant law and the specific divine mandate for the conquest of Canaan. God's command to dispossess the Canaanites (e.g., [Deuteronomy 7:1-5](/deuteronomy/7-1-5 "Deuteronomy 7:1-5 - Command to Destroy Canaanites")) was a unique, divinely ordained act of judgment against peoples whose wickedness and idolatry had reached a climax (cf. [Genesis 15:16](/genesis/15-16 "Genesis 15:16 - The Iniquity of the Amorites")). The purpose was to prevent the spiritual corruption of Israel and establish a holy nation. The authority granted was for the purpose of establishing a holy land for God's people, not for wanton cruelty or indiscriminate violence. While the conquest was undeniably harsh by modern standards, it was a specific, limited commission with a theological purpose, distinct from general warfare or license for unbridled aggression. The Israelites were also given laws regarding the treatment of foreign residents and prisoners of war in other contexts, indicating that even within conquest, there were divine parameters and a moral framework.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Nehemiah 9:24, with its powerful portrayal of God's faithfulness in fulfilling promises, His sovereignty in subduing enemies, and His gracious gift of an inheritance, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The "children" who entered and possessed the land foreshadow the new Israel, the church, who by faith in Christ enter into a spiritual inheritance that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" ([1 Peter 1:4](/1_peter/1-4 "1 Peter 1:4 - Our Heavenly Inheritance")). Just as God "subduedst" the Canaanites before Israel, Christ, through His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection, has definitively "subdued" the ultimate enemies of humanity: sin, death, and the devil ([Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14-15 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Christ's Victory Over Death")). He "gavest" us, His redeemed people, victory over these spiritual adversaries, empowering us to live in freedom and exercise spiritual dominion ([Romans 8:37](/romans/8-37 "Romans 8:37 - More Than Conquerors")). The promise of land finds its eschatological fulfillment in the new heavens and new earth, where righteousness dwells and believers will reign with Christ in eternal peace ([Revelation 21:1-4](/revelation/21-1-4 "Revelation 21:1-4 - The New Heaven and New Earth")). Thus, Nehemiah 9:24 is not merely a historical recounting but a prophetic echo of God's greater redemptive plan, culminating in Christ's triumphant work to secure for His people an eternal inheritance and ultimate victory over all opposing forces.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Joshua 21:43

¶ And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

Joshua 18:1

¶ And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

Joshua 11:23

So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

Psalms 44:2

[How] thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; [how] thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

Psalms 44:3

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.

1 Chronicles 22:18

[Is] not the LORD your God with you? and hath he [not] given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people.

2 Timothy 2:26

And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.