Nehemiah 9:26

Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

Nevertheless they were disobedient {H4784}, and rebelled {H4775} against thee, and cast {H7993} thy law {H8451} behind {H310} their backs {H1458}, and slew {H2026} thy prophets {H5030} which testified {H5749} against them to turn {H7725} them to thee, and they wrought {H6213} great {H1419} provocations {H5007}.

"'Yet they disobeyed and rebelled against you, throwing your Torah behind their backs. They killed your prophets for warning them that they should return to you and committed other gross provocations.

But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.

Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their back, and slew thy prophets that testified against them to turn them again unto thee, and they wrought great provocations.

Context

Nehemiah 9:26 is part of a lengthy prayer offered by the Levites during a time of national repentance and renewal after the return from Babylonian exile. This prayer, recorded in Nehemiah 9:5-38, provides a sweeping historical overview of God's faithfulness to Israel and Israel's persistent unfaithfulness. Following a recounting of God's miraculous provision and guidance in the wilderness, this verse starkly contrasts divine grace with human rebellion, setting the stage for the confession of deep-seated sin that led to their exile.

Key Themes

  • Persistent Disobedience: The verse highlights Israel's recurring pattern of rebellion against God, despite His unwavering goodness and covenant promises. It emphasizes that their disobedience was not an isolated incident but a consistent characteristic.
  • Rejection of Divine Law: The phrase "cast thy law behind their backs" is a powerful idiom signifying a deliberate and contemptuous disregard for God's commandments. It speaks to an intentional turning away from divine instruction and wisdom.
  • Persecution of Prophets: The ultimate act of rebellion was the slaying of God's prophets, who were His messengers sent to call the people back to Him. This rejection of divine warnings and appeals underscores the depth of their spiritual blindness and stubbornness, a theme lamented by Jesus in Matthew 23:37.
  • Divine Provocation: Their actions "wrought great provocations," meaning they deeply offended and angered God, leading to just consequences. This emphasizes the seriousness of sin and its impact on the divine-human relationship.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "cast thy law behind their backs" vividly portrays a deliberate and scornful rejection. It's not merely forgetting the law, but actively turning away from it, treating it as something worthless to be discarded. The word "provocations" (Hebrew: מִכְעָסִים, mikh'asim) denotes actions that cause anger, vexation, or indignation, underscoring the severity of their offenses against God's holiness.

Related Scriptures

This verse reflects a long history of Israel's unfaithfulness, echoing themes found throughout the Old Testament. For example, their cycles of disobedience are well documented in the book of Judges 2:11-19. The consistent rejection of God's word and His messengers is a lamentable truth seen in many prophetic books, such as Jeremiah 7:25-26. Despite these acts of rebellion, God's character of great mercy and slowness to anger is emphasized earlier in this very chapter, highlighting His enduring patience even in the face of persistent human sin.

Practical Application

Nehemiah 9:26 serves as a powerful reminder of the human tendency towards rebellion against God, even in the face of His abundant grace and provision. It calls us to:

  • Self-Examination: To consider areas in our own lives where we might be disregarding God's word or His gentle corrections.
  • Heed Warnings: To take seriously the messages and promptings God sends, whether through His Word, His Spirit, or His people, rather than rejecting them.
  • Confession and Repentance: To acknowledge our own failures and turn back to God, trusting in His enduring mercy and forgiveness. The Levites' prayer demonstrates the importance of corporate and individual confession as a pathway to renewal.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 1 Kings 14:9

    But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:

  • Judges 2:11

    And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

  • Judges 2:12

    And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

  • Nehemiah 9:18

    Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

  • Acts 7:52

    Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

  • 1 Kings 19:10

    And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, [even] I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

  • 1 Kings 18:4

    For it was [so], when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

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