The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:18 Explained

Nehemiah 9:18

KJV: 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;

YLT: Also, when they have made to themselves a molten calf, and say, this is thy god that brought thee up out of Egypt, and do great despisings,

Darby: Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy god that brought thee up out of Egypt! and they had wrought great provocation,

ASV: 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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Nehemiah 9:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 9:1-21 - God's Hand In History
What a blessed result of the Bible-study of the previous chapter. It led to confession, separation from evil association and worship. It is good to review the dealings of God with us and with our people in bygone days. There are hilltops in our experience where the air is clear, and we can see the way by which we have been led. At such times we look beyond second causes to the great Orderer of our lives, and our history is one perpetual assertion of THOU. The history of God's dealings with Israel is an epitome of His dealings with ourselves. The choice in Ur, the redemption from Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, the land of rest-all these have their counterparts in our life-story. Side by side with the story of God's care runs the story of transgression, Nehemiah 9:16-18. The gold and black strands are closely interwoven. In the midst of God's best gifts, we break out into sin; yet He still gives us His good spirit, and withholds not the manna which He promised, Nehemiah 9:20. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 9

1  A solemn fast, and repentance of the people
4  The Levites make a confession of God's goodness, and their wickedness

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 9:18 mean?

Even when they made for themselves a calf molded and said this [is] your god that brought you up out of Egypt and worked provocations great
אַ֗ף כִּֽי־ עָשׂ֤וּ לָהֶם֙ עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ זֶ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶעֶלְךָ֖ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֔וּ נֶאָצ֖וֹת גְּדֹלֽוֹת

אַ֗ף  Even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
עָשׂ֤וּ  they  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָהֶם֙  for  themselves 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
עֵ֣גֶל  a  calf 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵגֶל  
Sense: calf, bull-calf.
מַסֵּכָ֔ה  molded 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַסֵּכָה 
Sense: a pouring, libation, molten metal, cast image, drink offering.
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
זֶ֣ה  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  god 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הֶעֶלְךָ֖  brought  you  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם  out  of  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֔וּ  and  worked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
נֶאָצ֖וֹת  provocations 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: נְאָצָה 
Sense: contempt, contumely.
גְּדֹלֽוֹת  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.