Nehemiah 9:34

Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

Neither have our kings {H4428}, our princes {H8269}, our priests {H3548}, nor our fathers {H1}, kept {H6213} thy law {H8451}, nor hearkened {H7181} unto thy commandments {H4687} and thy testimonies {H5715}, wherewith thou didst testify {H5749} against them.

Our kings, our leaders, our cohanim and ancestors did not keep your Torah, pay attention to your mitzvot or heed the warnings you gave them.

Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings that You gave them.

neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies wherewith thou didst testify against them.

Commentary

Nehemiah 9:34 is a powerful verse from a profound prayer of national confession and repentance, offered by the Levites after the reading of the Law during the post-exilic period in Jerusalem. This prayer (Nehemiah 9:5-38) recounts God's faithfulness to Israel throughout their history, contrasting it sharply with Israel's persistent rebellion and disobedience.

Context

Following the joyous celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the public reading of God's Law (as described in Nehemiah 8), the people of Israel gathered for a solemn day of fasting, sackcloth, and confession. Nehemiah 9:34 is part of this extended prayer, which meticulously details the nation's historical failures, from the wilderness wanderings to their current state of servitude. The verse specifically identifies a pervasive pattern of disobedience across all levels of society—from the highest leaders to the common people and past generations—underscoring the deep-seated nature of their corporate sin before God.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Universal Disobedience: The verse highlights that sin was not limited to a few individuals but was endemic, encompassing "our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers." This demonstrates a widespread failure to adhere to God's covenant, affecting all who held authority and representing the entire lineage of the nation.
  • Rejection of God's Word: The phrase "kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies" points to a deliberate and repeated refusal to obey God's revealed will. This was not merely ignorance but an active disregard for divine instruction.
  • God's Persistent Witness: "Wherewith thou didst testify against them" acknowledges that God did not leave His people without warning. Through prophets, judges, and the very Law itself, God consistently communicated His expectations and the consequences of disobedience, yet Israel largely ignored these divine testimonies. This speaks to God's patience and persistent call to righteousness, even in the face of rebellion, a theme often seen in the prophetic books like Jeremiah 7:25.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "hearkened" is shama' (שָׁמַע), which means more than just to hear; it implies to listen attentively with the intent to obey. Therefore, "nor hearkened unto thy commandments" signifies a profound spiritual deafness—a deliberate unwillingness to submit to God's authority and guidance, despite having heard His voice through His law and prophets. This failure to shama' is a recurring motif in Israel's history of disobedience, emphasizing that true listening leads to obedience.

Practical Application

Nehemiah 9:34 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of corporate and individual humility before God. It prompts us to reflect on our own adherence to God's Word and to acknowledge areas where we, or our communities, have fallen short. True repentance begins with honest confession, recognizing that God's laws and testimonies are given not to burden us, but for our good and to guide us in righteousness. Like the Israelites, we are called to not only hear God's Word but to diligently be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. This verse encourages a spirit of introspection and a renewed commitment to living according to God's will, understanding that He continues to testify to us through His living Word.

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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Jeremiah 29:19 (3 votes)

    Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending [them]; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.

  • 2 Kings 17:13 (3 votes)

    Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, [and by] all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments [and] my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

  • Deuteronomy 31:21 (2 votes)

    And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.

  • 2 Kings 17:15 (1 votes)

    And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that [were] round about them, [concerning] whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

  • Nehemiah 9:30 (1 votes)

    Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.