Nehemiah 9:36

KJV

Behold, we [are] servants this day, and [for] the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we [are] servants in it:

KJV (with Strong's)

Behold, we are servants {H5650} this day {H3117}, and for the land {H776} that thou gavest {H5414} unto our fathers {H1} to eat {H398} the fruit {H6529} thereof and the good {H2898} thereof, behold, we are servants {H5650} in it:

Complete Jewish Bible

"'So here we are today, slaves. Yes, in the land you gave our ancestors, so that they could eat what it produces and enjoy its good 1144 here we are in it, slaves!

Berean Standard Bible

So here we are today as slaves in the land You gave our fathers to enjoy its fruit and goodness— here we are as slaves!

American Standard Version

Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Nehemiah 9:36 encapsulates the profound and painful confession of the returned Jewish exiles, who, despite being physically restored to the Promised Land by God's faithfulness, remain in a state of national subjugation. This verse starkly acknowledges their paradoxical reality: they are "servants" under foreign dominion, unable to fully enjoy the land's bounty and blessings as a sovereign people, a direct and humbling consequence of generations of covenant unfaithfulness.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Nehemiah 9:36 is situated within the monumental prayer of confession and praise delivered by the Levites during a solemn assembly of the post-exilic community in Jerusalem. This extensive prayer, which spans [Nehemiah 9:5-38](/nehemiah/9 "Nehemiah 9 - The Levites' Comprehensive Prayer"), serves as the theological and emotional climax of the book, immediately following the transformative public reading of the Law in [Nehemiah 8](/nehemiah/8 "Nehemiah 8 - The Reading of the Law and Feast of Booths") and the celebration of the Feast of Booths. The prayer meticulously traces God's unwavering faithfulness to Israel from creation, through the Exodus, the giving of the Law at Sinai, their wilderness wanderings, and their eventual entry into the Promised Land. Crucially, this divine fidelity is interwoven with a detailed and somber confession of Israel's persistent rebellion, idolatry, and covenant disobedience, which ultimately culminated in their exile. Verse 36 marks a climactic and deeply humbling point in this historical review, summarizing their current diminished state as a direct and painful consequence of their corporate sin and God's righteous judgment.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The historical backdrop for this prayer is the post-exilic period, with Judea existing as a province (satrapy) within the vast Persian Empire. The Jewish exiles had returned to Jerusalem under the decrees of Persian kings, notably Cyrus and Artaxerxes, and had begun the arduous tasks of rebuilding the temple and, under Nehemiah's leadership, the city walls. However, their return did not signify a restoration of full national sovereignty. They were subjects of the Persian crown, governed by Persian-appointed officials, and obligated to pay tribute and adhere to Persian laws. The declaration "we are servants this day" is a direct, unvarnished acknowledgment of this political reality. It reflects the grim fulfillment of the covenant curses articulated in passages like [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses"), where persistent disobedience would lead to foreign domination and a curtailment of the land's blessings. The people were physically present in the land of promise, but not truly free to enjoy its "fruit" and "good" as an independent, self-governing nation.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes evident throughout Nehemiah and the broader Old Testament narrative. First, it underscores the **Consequences of Disobedience**, starkly illustrating the direct and painful result of generations of rebellion against God's covenant. While they are physically in the promised land, their lack of sovereignty and their status as "servants" are a bitter fruit of their ancestors' and their own unfaithfulness, echoing the severe warnings found in [Leviticus 26](/leviticus/26 "Leviticus 26 - Covenant Blessings and Curses") and [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses"). Second, it exemplifies **Humility and Confession**, as the solemn declaration "Behold, we are servants this day" is an act of profound national humility and a central component of their corporate confession. It acknowledges their low estate and God's righteous judgment, setting the stage for renewed commitment and repentance. Third, it highlights the theme of **Unfulfilled Promise (from a human perspective)**, as God had promised the land to their fathers to "eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof" in freedom and abundance ([Genesis 12:7](/genesis/12-7 "Genesis 12:7 - God's Promise of Land to Abram")). While they are in the land, their servitude means they cannot fully enjoy its blessings as a sovereign people, pointing to the tragic gap between God's ideal and their current reality due to sin. Implicitly, however, it also points to **God's Enduring Faithfulness**, as even in servitude, they are still *in* the land, demonstrating God's covenant promise to bring them back, even if their enjoyment is curtailed by their condition.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Servants (Hebrew, _ʿebed_):** The Hebrew word עֶבֶד (H5650, _ʿebed_) is a primitive word meaning "a servant," encompassing "slave," "bondman," or "subject." In this context, its repeated use emphasizes Israel's political subjugation and profound lack of national sovereignty. It signifies their status not as free inhabitants of their own land, but as subjects bound to a foreign power, specifically the Persian Empire. This is a deep humiliation for a people called to be God's chosen nation, meant to be free under His direct rule.
* **Land (Hebrew, _ʼerets_):** The word אֶרֶץ (H776, _ʼerets_) refers to "the earth (at large, or partitively a land)." Here, it carries immense theological weight as "the land that thou gavest unto our fathers." This is the Promised Land, central to the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants, intended as a place of blessing, freedom, and direct communion with God. The juxtaposition of "land" with "servants in it" highlights the tragic irony: the very place of promised blessing has become a place of bondage due to their sin.
* **This Day (Hebrew, _yôwm_):** The phrase הַיּוֹם (H3117, _yôwm_), "this day," from a root meaning "to be hot," refers to "a day (as the warm hours), whether literal... or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term)." Here, it emphasizes the immediate, present reality of their servitude. It is not a historical recollection of past bondage (like in Egypt), but a current, painful truth. This temporal marker underscores the urgency and contemporary relevance of their confession, bringing the weight of their history of disobedience to bear on their present circumstances.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Behold, we [are] servants this day":** This opening clause is a stark, declarative statement of their current humiliating status. The interjection "Behold" (הִנֵּה, `hinnēh`) draws immediate attention to the gravity and immediacy of their confession. They are not merely acknowledging a past mistake, but a present, painful reality: they are no longer a sovereign nation but subjects, bound to a foreign power. This is a profound act of national humility and a recognition of their diminished state.
* **"and [for] the land that thou gavest unto our fathers":** This clause introduces the bitter irony of their situation. The land is not something they seized by conquest, but a divine gift, a fulfillment of God's covenant promise to Abraham ([Genesis 12:7](/genesis/12-7 "Genesis 12:7 - God's Promise of Land to Abram")) and his descendants. It underscores God's faithfulness in bringing them back, even as their own unfaithfulness has marred their experience within it, transforming a gift into a place of qualified possession.
* **"to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof":** This phrase describes the intended blessing and purpose of the land – for Israel to enjoy its bounty, prosperity, and security as a free people under God's direct rule. It speaks to the abundance and provision God intended for them, highlighting the stark contrast with their current state of servitude. The "fruit" refers to agricultural produce, and "the good" encompasses all the blessings and welfare derived from living in a land of divine favor.
* **"behold, we [are] servants in it":** This repetition of "behold, we are servants" emphatically reinforces the paradox and the depth of their national humiliation. They are physically in the land, but they are not free to enjoy its "fruit and good" as sovereign owners. Instead, they are laborers, paying tribute to a foreign king, effectively serving in the very place where they were meant to be served by God's blessing and to serve God alone. This clause perfectly encapsulates the painful consequences of their historical disobedience and highlights the profound irony of their situation.

#### Literary Devices
Nehemiah 9:36 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message of national humiliation and confession. The most prominent is **Repetition**, with the phrase "we are servants" appearing twice. This repetition is not redundant but serves to emphasize the stark and undeniable reality of their subjugation, reinforcing the depth of their humiliation and the pervasive nature of their bondage. It drives home the central point of their confession. There is also profound **Irony** at play: the people are back in the Promised Land, the very place God gave them for freedom and blessing, yet they are "servants in it." This creates a powerful tension between divine promise and human failure, highlighting the tragic consequences of their actions. The verse functions as a form of **Lament** or **Confession**, expressing deep sorrow and acknowledgment of their national sin and its painful consequences. Finally, the verse utilizes **Contrast** by juxtaposing God's generous gift of the land and its intended blessings ("to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof") with Israel's current state of servitude, highlighting the tragic gap between God's ideal for His people and their present, painful reality due to their unfaithfulness.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Nehemiah 9:36 stands as a powerful testament to the outworking of covenant theology, particularly the Deuteronomic principle of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. It reveals that while God is faithful to His promise of bringing His people back to the land, their enjoyment of its full blessings is contingent upon their faithfulness. Their servitude in the land is a direct, painful consequence of generations of rebellion, idolatry, and failure to uphold their covenant obligations. This verse underscores the profound truth that true freedom is not merely a matter of physical location or political status, but fundamentally a matter of right relationship with God. When a people or an individual is enslaved by sin, even a promised inheritance can become a place of bondage. It highlights God's justice in allowing the natural consequences of sin to unfold, even as His mercy provides a path for return and confession, demonstrating that divine faithfulness does not negate human responsibility.
* [Leviticus 26:32-33](/leviticus/26-32-33 "Leviticus 26:32-33 - Warnings of Desolation and Scattering")
* [Deuteronomy 28:47-48](/deuteronomy/28-47-48 "Deuteronomy 28:47-48 - Consequences of Disobedience")
* [Ezra 9:9](/ezra/9-9 "Ezra 9:9 - Confession of Servitude and God's Mercy")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Nehemiah 9:36 offers profound insights for believers today, both individually and corporately. It serves as a sobering reminder that while God's grace is boundless and His promises immutable, our disobedience can indeed curtail the full experience of His blessings and the freedom He intends for us. Just as Israel's national sin led to their political subjugation, our personal sins can lead to spiritual bondage, hindering our enjoyment of the spiritual inheritance we have in Christ. This verse calls us to a posture of radical humility and honest confession. It challenges us to acknowledge the ways we might be "servants" to sin, worldly systems, or self-will, even while we claim to be in the "Promised Land" of God's grace. True spiritual freedom is not merely about being saved from condemnation, but about living in unhindered communion with God, fully enjoying the "fruit and good" of His Spirit. It prompts us to ask ourselves if we are truly living as free children of God, or if we are still, in some sense, "servants in it," constrained by unconfessed sin or unyielded areas of our lives, thereby diminishing the joy and power of our spiritual inheritance.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be experiencing a "servant" status, where I am not fully enjoying the freedom and blessings God intends, due to unconfessed sin or disobedience?**
* **How does this verse challenge my understanding of true freedom, moving beyond mere physical or political liberty to spiritual liberation in Christ?**
* **What specific steps can I take to cultivate a deeper posture of humility and honest confession before God, acknowledging the consequences of my actions?**
* **How does understanding Israel's history of disobedience and its consequences inform my own commitment to obedience and faithfulness to God's covenant?**

### FAQ

**Why were the returned exiles still "servants" if God had brought them back to the Promised Land?**

Answer: The returned exiles were still "servants" (subjects of a foreign power) because their return was not a full restoration of national sovereignty, but rather a partial fulfillment of God's covenant promises, tempered by the consequences of their historical and ongoing disobedience. While God, in His faithfulness, brought them back from Babylon as prophesied (e.g., [Jeremiah 29:10](/jeremiah/29-10 "Jeremiah 29:10 - Prophecy of Return from Exile")), their continued sin meant they had not yet fully re-entered into the covenant relationship of perfect obedience that would bring about complete national independence and unhindered blessing. Their status as a satrapy under the Persian Empire was a direct fulfillment of the covenant curses outlined in [Deuteronomy 28:47-48](/deuteronomy/28-47-48 "Deuteronomy 28:47-48 - Consequences of Disobedience"), where foreign domination was a consequence of rejecting God's commands. They were in the land, but not yet fully *possessing* it in the way God originally intended for a free, obedient nation.

**What does "to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof" imply in this context?**

Answer: This phrase implies the full, unrestricted enjoyment of the land's bounty, prosperity, and security without external imposition or tribute. It refers to the ideal state of blessing God promised to an obedient Israel: to live freely, cultivate the land, enjoy its produce, and prosper under God's direct rule, without being subject to foreign kings or paying taxes to them. In Nehemiah 9:36, the bitter irony is that while they are physically in the land and can literally eat its fruit, they cannot do so as sovereign owners. Instead, a significant portion of their produce and wealth must go to their Persian overlords as tribute, effectively meaning they are "servants in it," working for the benefit of another rather than solely for their own sustenance and God's glory.

**How does this verse relate to God's faithfulness to His promises?**

Answer: Nehemiah 9:36, though a confession of current servitude, paradoxically underscores God's enduring faithfulness. The very fact that they are *in* the land at all is a profound testament to God keeping His promise to bring them back from exile, despite their unfaithfulness. God's covenant promises (e.g., the land to Abraham in [Genesis 12:7](/genesis/12-7 "Genesis 12:7 - God's Promise of Land to Abram")) are ultimately unbreakable. However, their experience of these promises is shaped by their obedience. God is faithful both in blessing obedience and in allowing the consequences of disobedience to unfold, as He warned in the covenant curses ([Leviticus 26](/leviticus/26 "Leviticus 26 - Blessings and Curses"), [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses")). So, while they are back, their enjoyment is curtailed, demonstrating God's justice and His unwavering commitment to His covenant, which includes both its blessings and its warnings.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Nehemiah 9:36, with its poignant confession of servitude in the Promised Land, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. Israel's inability to fully enjoy the "fruit and good" of the land due to their sin and subjugation points to a deeper spiritual reality: humanity's universal bondage to sin and death, which prevents us from fully experiencing the abundant life and spiritual inheritance God intends. Jesus, as the perfectly obedient Son of God and the true Israel, came to break this ultimate servitude. He declared, "Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin" ([John 8:34](/john/8-34 "John 8:34 - Jesus on Slavery to Sin")), but then offered the liberating truth: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" ([John 8:36](/john/8-36 "John 8:36 - Jesus on True Freedom")). Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sin, redeeming us from the curse of the law and the dominion of darkness ([Galatians 3:13](/galatians/3-13 "Galatians 3:13 - Christ Redeems Us from the Curse"), [Colossians 1:13](/colossians/1-13 "Colossians 1:13 - Delivered from Darkness")). He leads His people into a new and living way, not merely into a physical land, but into the spiritual "Promised Land" of His Kingdom, where we are no longer "servants" to sin but "slaves of righteousness" ([Romans 6:18](/romans/6-18 "Romans 6:18 - Slaves of Righteousness")) and adopted children of God ([Romans 8:15](/romans/8-15 "Romans 8:15 - Spirit of Adoption")). The ultimate "fruit and good" we now enjoy is not merely earthly produce, but the spiritual blessings in Christ ([Ephesians 1:3](/ephesians/1-3 "Ephesians 1:3 - Spiritual Blessings in Christ")) and the promise of a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells and God will dwell with His people in perfect freedom and sovereignty forever ([Revelation 21:1-4](/revelation/21-1-4 "Revelation 21:1-4 - New Heaven and New Earth")).

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

Ezra 9:9

For we [were] bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

Deuteronomy 28:48

Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all [things]: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

2 Chronicles 12:8

Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.