Nehemiah 9:32

KJV

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

KJV (with Strong's)

Now therefore, our God {H430}, the great {H1419}, the mighty {H1368}, and the terrible {H3372} God {H410}, who keepest {H8104} covenant {H1285} and mercy {H2617}, let not all the trouble {H8513} seem little {H4591} before {H6440} thee, that hath come {H4672} upon us, on our kings {H4428}, on our princes {H8269}, and on our priests {H3548}, and on our prophets {H5030}, and on our fathers {H1}, and on all thy people {H5971}, since the time {H3117} of the kings {H4428} of Assyria {H804} unto this day {H3117}.

Complete Jewish Bible

"'Now therefore, our God, great, mighty, fearsome God, who keeps both covenant and grace: let not all this suffering seem little to you that has come on us, our kings, our leaders, our cohanim, our prophets, our ancestors, and on all your people, from the times of the kings of Ashur until this very day.

Berean Standard Bible

So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.

American Standard Version

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and lovingkindness, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Nehemiah 9:32 stands as a poignant turning point within the Levites' expansive prayer of confession and remembrance, delivered during a solemn post-exilic assembly in Jerusalem. This verse pivots from a meticulous historical recounting of God's unwavering faithfulness juxtaposed with Israel's persistent rebellion, to an earnest, direct, and vulnerable plea for divine acknowledgment and compassionate intervention regarding their prolonged and profound national suffering. It represents a desperate, corporate cry for God to fully perceive the immense burden that has afflicted every stratum of their society for centuries, tracing the origins of their distress from the devastating Assyrian invasions through to their current subjugation under Persian rule.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Nehemiah 9:32 functions as a critical hinge in the extended prayer (Nehemiah 9:5-38) offered by the Levites during a period of national spiritual renewal. The preceding verses (Nehemiah 9:5-31) meticulously chronicle Israel's history from creation, through the Abrahamic covenant, the Exodus, wilderness wanderings, the giving of the Law, the conquest of Canaan, the eras of the Judges and monarchy, and culminating in their exile due to repeated disobedience. Throughout this historical review, the Levites consistently underscore God's enduring goodness, patience, and covenant faithfulness, starkly contrasted with Israel's persistent rebellion. Verse 32 marks a decisive shift from historical confession and theological reflection to an immediate, heartfelt petition, laying bare the cumulative suffering of generations before the Lord. This plea then sets the stage for the subsequent verses (Nehemiah 9:33-38), which continue the appeal for God's justice and mercy, ultimately leading to the people's renewed commitment to the covenant through a signed agreement.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** This profound prayer unfolds in Jerusalem during the post-exilic period, specifically following the successful rebuilding of the city walls under Nehemiah's diligent leadership (see [Nehemiah 6](/nehemiah/6 "Nehemiah 6 - Completion of the Wall") and [Nehemiah 7](/nehemiah/7 "Nehemiah 7 - Register of Returnees")). The Jewish community, having returned from Babylonian captivity, remained under the suzerainty of the Persian Empire. While Persian policy permitted their return and reconstruction, it meant they were not a fully autonomous nation. The solemn assembly detailed in [Nehemiah 8-9](/nehemiah/8 "Nehemiah 8 - Ezra Reads the Law") was a momentous occasion of spiritual revival, characterized by the public reading of the Law and a corporate commitment to repentance. The specific reference to "the kings of Assyria unto this day" is highly significant. It traces their national suffering back to the aggressive expansion of the Assyrian Empire in the 8th century BCE, which resulted in the conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the deportation of its inhabitants (as recorded in [2 Kings 17:6](/2_kings/17-6 "2 Kings 17:6 - Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Captivity")). This period initiated a protracted history of foreign domination, culminating in the Babylonian exile of Judah and their contemporary subjugation under Persia. The prayer thus acknowledges that their present difficulties are not isolated incidents but are part of a continuous, multi-generational consequence of their ancestors' and their own unfaithfulness.
* **Key Themes:** Nehemiah 9:32 encapsulates several profound theological and narrative themes central to the book of Nehemiah and the broader Old Testament. Firstly, it powerfully articulates **God's Majestic Character**, addressing Him as "the great, the mighty, and the terrible God." This emphasizes His supreme power, awe-inspiring majesty, and the reverence He commands, establishing a tone of humble yet bold petition. Secondly, the verse underscores **God's Covenant Faithfulness**, affirming that He "keepest covenant and mercy." This foundational truth, echoing God's self-revelation to Moses in [Exodus 34:6-7](/exodus/34-6 "Exodus 34:6-7 - God's Character Revealed"), serves as the very ground upon which Israel dares to appeal to Him, despite their own repeated failures. Thirdly, the core of the verse is a desperate **Plea for Divine Recognition**, "let not all the trouble seem little before thee." This is a heartfelt cry for God to fully acknowledge the depth, severity, and long duration of their collective suffering, implying a longing for His compassionate and decisive intervention. Finally, the comprehensive enumeration of those affected ("kings, princes, priests, prophets, fathers, and all thy people") and the specified timeline ("since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day") highlight the theme of **Widespread and Enduring Suffering**, demonstrating that affliction touched every segment of Israelite society across centuries, a direct consequence of their historical pattern of disobedience as detailed throughout [Nehemiah 9:26-31](/nehemiah/9-26-31 "Nehemiah 9:26-31 - Israel's Rebellion and God's Patience").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Terrible (Hebrew, _yârêʼ'_):** The KJV translation "terrible" for the Hebrew word _yârêʼ'_ (H3372) can be misconstrued by modern readers. In this context, it does not connote something evil or bad, but rather "awesome," "awe-inspiring," or "dread-inspiring." It conveys a profound sense of reverence, majestic power, and holiness that rightly evokes humble submission and deep respect. This attribute speaks to God's transcendence, His absolute authority, and His capacity to inspire both fear and wonder in His creation, highlighting His worthiness of worship and the vast chasm between the holy God and sinful humanity.
* **Covenant (Hebrew, _bᵉrîyth'_):** The term _bᵉrîyth'_ (H1285) refers to a solemn, binding agreement or pact, often initiated by God with humanity. In the Old Testament, it signifies God's unwavering promises and commitments to His people, such as those made with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. Here, "who keepest covenant" emphasizes God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises, even when Israel has been unfaithful. It forms the bedrock of their hope and appeal, reminding God of His own character and commitments to His chosen people, despite their repeated failures and the severe consequences they are enduring.
* **Mercy (Hebrew, _chêçêd'_):** The Hebrew word _chêçêd'_ (H2617) is a rich theological term frequently translated as "mercy," "lovingkindness," or "steadfast love." It denotes a loyal, enduring, and active love rooted in covenant faithfulness. When applied to God, it describes His unfailing, compassionate commitment to His people, even in their rebellion. It is a love that transcends mere pity, actively seeking the well-being of the beloved. In Nehemiah 9:32, it underscores that God's actions are not arbitrary but consistently characterized by His loyal, compassionate love, which provides the supplicants with hope that He will respond to their plea for relief.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God,"**: This opening phrase marks a significant transition from the historical review to a direct and earnest petition. The intimate address "our God" signifies a personal and communal relationship, while the descriptors "great, mighty, and terrible" (awesome) are attributes of His omnipotence, sovereignty, and holiness. This invocation establishes God's supreme authority and worthiness of their plea, grounding their petition in His unchallengeable and awe-inspiring character.
* **"who keepest covenant and mercy,"**: This clause immediately follows the declaration of God's majesty with a crucial affirmation of His moral character. It highlights His unwavering faithfulness to His promises (_covenant_) and His enduring, loyal, and compassionate love (_mercy_ or _chêçêd'_). This is a vital theological anchor, reminding God (and the supplicants themselves) that despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God's nature remains constant, bound by His own word and profound compassion.
* **"let not all the trouble seem little before thee,"**: This is the profound core of the petition. It is a desperate plea for God to fully acknowledge the immense, pervasive, and prolonged suffering they have endured. The request is not that God is unaware, but rather that He would perceive the full weight and severity of their affliction, implying a fervent desire for Him to act decisively in response to this recognition. They are imploring Him not to minimize their pain or dismiss their dire plight.
* **"that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people,"**: This comprehensive enumeration powerfully underscores the widespread and pervasive nature of their suffering. It emphasizes that no segment of Israelite society—from political and religious leaders to the common people and their ancestors—has been untouched by the consequences of their collective sin and the resulting hardships. This highlights the corporate dimension of their suffering and confession, demonstrating a shared burden across all strata.
* **"since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day."**: This precise temporal marker specifies the vast duration of their hardship, tracing it back to the devastating Assyrian invasions (8th century BCE), which led to the fall of the Northern Kingdom, through the subsequent Babylonian exile, and up to their current state of subjugation under Persian rule. It emphasizes the generational and continuous nature of their affliction, representing a cumulative burden of centuries of foreign domination and its associated hardships.

#### Literary Devices
Nehemiah 9:32 masterfully employs several potent **literary devices** to convey the profound depth and earnestness of the Levites' plea. The most prominent is **Invocation**, a direct and solemn address to God, which immediately establishes the prayer's divine audience and its earnest purpose. This is followed by a rich series of **Appellatives** ("our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy"), which accumulate divine attributes to underscore God's majestic character and His unwavering faithfulness, thereby building a robust theological foundation for the petition. The central plea, "let not all the trouble seem little before thee," powerfully utilizes **Litotes**, a form of understatement that emphasizes a point by denying its opposite; by asking that the trouble not seem "little," they are emphatically stating that it is, in fact, immense, overwhelming, and deeply significant. Furthermore, the extensive listing of those affected ("on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people") is a clear example of **Enumeration**, which serves to highlight the pervasive and comprehensive nature of the suffering across all societal strata and generations. This detailed list also creates a subtle sense of **Anaphora** with the repeated prepositional phrase "on our," intensifying the feeling of widespread and shared affliction.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Nehemiah 9:32 profoundly articulates the enduring tension between God's unchanging, majestic character and humanity's persistent unfaithfulness—a central and recurring theme throughout the entire biblical narrative. The prayer acknowledges God as both transcendent ("great, mighty, terrible") and intimately involved ("who keepest covenant and mercy"), presenting a balanced and comprehensive view of His justice, power, and boundless compassion. It powerfully underscores the corporate nature of sin and suffering, demonstrating how the cumulative consequences of generational disobedience can deeply affect an entire people for centuries. Yet, even in the midst of profound and prolonged suffering, the prayer remains firmly rooted in the unwavering hope of God's covenant faithfulness, appealing to His very nature as the immutable basis for divine intervention. It teaches that honest, persistent prayer involves not only a humble confession of sin but also a vulnerable laying bare of one's deepest pain before a God who truly sees, cares, and whose mercy will ultimately triumph.

* [Exodus 34:6-7](/exodus/34-6-7 "Exodus 34:6-7 - God's Self-Revelation to Moses")
* [Daniel 9:4-19](/daniel/9-4-19 "Daniel 9:4-19 - Daniel's Prayer of Confession and Petition")
* [Psalm 103:8-10](/psalms/103-8-10 "Psalm 103:8-10 - The Lord's Compassion and Mercy")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Nehemiah 9:32 offers a profoundly powerful and enduring model for contemporary believers navigating personal, communal, and even global suffering. It teaches us the indispensable importance of grounding our prayers in the unchanging, majestic character of God – His overwhelming greatness, His omnipotent power, and especially His unwavering covenant faithfulness and boundless mercy – even when our circumstances appear dire and overwhelming. The Levites, in their corporate prayer, did not minimize their pain or the long duration of their hardship; instead, they explicitly brought the full weight of their "trouble" before God, trusting implicitly that He would not deem it "little." This encourages us to cultivate radical honesty and vulnerability with God about our struggles, whether they are deeply personal burdens, complex family challenges, or the collective suffering of our communities, nations, or even the world. It reminds us that God is never intimidated by the depth of our pain and that acknowledging the historical and generational patterns of sin and suffering can provide a broader, redemptive perspective without in any way diminishing the raw reality of our present affliction. Ultimately, this verse serves as a compelling call to persistent, faith-filled petition, fostering a profound belief that the God who faithfully keeps covenant and mercy hears our cries and will act in His perfect time and according to His sovereign, compassionate will.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does understanding God as "great, mighty, and terrible" (awesome) fundamentally shape your approach to prayer, especially when you are facing significant and prolonged challenges?**
* **In what specific ways can you personally identify with the "long trouble" described in this verse, either through your own experiences, your family's history, or the collective suffering of your community or nation? How does this verse encourage you to bring that burden before God with honesty and hope?**
* **How does the powerful affirmation of God "who keepest covenant and mercy" provide profound comfort and unwavering hope in the face of prolonged suffering, unfulfilled expectations, or seemingly unanswered prayers?**
* **What vital lessons does this prayer teach us about the spiritual importance and transformative power of corporate confession, remembrance, and lament in the vibrant life of a community of faith?**

### FAQ

**Why is God called "terrible" in this verse, and what does it mean for us today?**

Answer: The King James Version's use of "terrible" for the Hebrew word _yârêʼ'_ (H3372) can be misleading to modern English speakers. It does not imply that God is evil or causes terror in a negative, frightening sense. Instead, it conveys the profound idea of God being "awe-inspiring," "fear-inspiring," or "dread-inspiring" in a way that evokes deep reverence, respect, and wonder. It speaks to His immense power, absolute holiness, and majestic sovereignty, which rightly humble humanity before Him. For us today, understanding God as "terrible" in this sense means recognizing His absolute transcendence and ultimate authority. It reminds us that He is not merely a benevolent friend but the Almighty Creator and righteous Judge of the universe, supremely worthy of our deepest reverence and worship. This awe-inspiring nature provides a secure and unshakeable foundation for our faith, knowing that the God to whom we pray is infinitely powerful and perfectly capable of delivering on all His promises, for He "keepest covenant and mercy" (Nehemiah 9:32).

**What is the significance of the phrase "since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day"?**

Answer: This phrase powerfully highlights the long, continuous, and cumulative history of suffering that the people of Israel had endured. The "kings of Assyria" refer to the formidable Assyrian Empire, which rose to prominence in the 8th century BCE and was responsible for the devastating conquest and exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) in 722 BCE, a pivotal event chronicled in [2 Kings 17:6](/2_kings/17-6 "2 Kings 17:6 - Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Captivity"). This event marked the beginning of centuries of foreign domination and oppression for the Israelites, continuing through the subsequent Babylonian exile and their current state of subjugation under Persian rule in Nehemiah's time. By referencing this vast and enduring period, the prayer emphasizes that their current troubles are not isolated incidents but are part of a cumulative, multi-generational burden of hardship and the profound consequences for their ancestors' and their own persistent unfaithfulness. It underscores the immense depth of their plea for God to fully acknowledge the sheer duration and severity of their national affliction.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Nehemiah 9:32, with its profound and desperate plea for God to acknowledge the long-standing suffering of His people based on His immutable covenant faithfulness and boundless mercy, finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "trouble" that had come upon Israel for centuries, deeply rooted in their persistent sin and rebellion, pointed unequivocally to humanity's desperate need for a definitive and redemptive deliverance that no human king, prince, or priest could ever provide. Christ embodies the very "covenant and mercy" that the Levites so earnestly appealed to. He is the faithful Son who perfectly kept the covenant that Israel repeatedly broke, and through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, God's mercy is fully and lavishly extended to a sinful humanity (as beautifully articulated in [Romans 5:8](/romans/5-8 "Romans 5:8 - God's Love Demonstrated")). The profound suffering of God's people, so vividly detailed in Nehemiah, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate suffering of the Messiah, who willingly took upon Himself the cumulative "trouble" and sin of the world, becoming the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). In Christ, God not only "sees" our trouble but actively and decisively intervenes, providing complete redemption, reconciliation, and eternal hope. Our great High Priest and compassionate intercessor, Jesus, now stands eternally before the [great, mighty, and awesome God](/hebrews/4-14 "Hebrews 4:14 - Jesus, Our Great High Priest"), continually presenting our needs and securing for us the [new covenant in His blood](/luke/22-20 "Luke 22:20 - The New Covenant in Christ's Blood"), where all of God's promises of forgiveness, restoration, and eternal life are eternally and perfectly fulfilled.

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

Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Nehemiah 1:5

¶ And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

Daniel 9:4

¶ And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

Micah 7:18

Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth [in] mercy.

Micah 7:20

Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, [and] the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Daniel 9:8

O Lord, to us [belongeth] confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

Daniel 9:6

Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.