The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:29 Explained

Nehemiah 9:29

KJV: And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

YLT: and dost testify against them, to bring them back unto Thy law; and they -- they have acted proudly, and have not hearkened to Thy commands, and against Thy judgments have sinned, -- which man doth and hath lived in them -- and they give a refractory shoulder, and their neck have hardened, and have not hearkened.

Darby: And thou testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law; but they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances (which if a man do, he shall live in them); and they withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

ASV: and testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law. Yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances, (which if a man do, he shall live in them,) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And testifiedst  against them, that thou mightest bring them again  unto thy law:  yet they dealt proudly,  and hearkened  not unto thy commandments,  but sinned  against thy judgments,  (which if a man  do,  he shall live  in them;) and withdrew  the shoulder,  and hardened  their neck,  and would not hear. 

What does Nehemiah 9:29 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 9:22-38 - The Penalty Of Ingratitude And Disobedience
The theme of this prayer is the covenant mercy of God. However great the provocation of the Chosen People, He never swerved from His ancient promise to their fathers. He testified against them by His Spirit and chastened them for their sins. He allowed them to be oppressed by their enemies and carried into captivity. But when they returned and cried for His help they found His manifold mercies waiting to welcome, forgive, and restore them. They were conscious that there was nothing in themselves or even in their fathers to explain these wonderful dealings, and the secret had ever to be found in His great mercies. In this hour of distress, they turned back to Him and bound themselves by a faithful covenant. But, alas, even written promises will not hold the wayward heart of man. What a picture this is of our own lives, and how often have all these experiences been repeated in us! Fortunately for us we are represented now, not by our promises and prayers, but by Jesus Christ, in whom we stand and are accepted and kept. [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 9:29 mean?

And testified against them that You might bring them back to Your law And yet they acted proudly and not did heed Your commandments but against Your judgments sinned in which if does a man and he shall live by them and they shrugged their shoulders a stubborn and their necks Stiffened and not would hear
וַתָּ֨עַד בָּהֶ֜ם לַהֲשִׁיבָ֣ם אֶל־ תּוֹרָתֶ֗ךָ וְהֵ֨מָּה הֵזִ֜ידוּ וְלֹא־ שָׁמְע֤וּ לְמִצְוֺתֶ֙יךָ֙ וּבְמִשְׁפָּטֶ֣יךָ חָֽטְאוּ־ בָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־ יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֖ם וְחָיָ֣ה בָהֶ֑ם וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ כָתֵף֙ סוֹרֶ֔רֶת וְעָרְפָּ֥ם הִקְשׁ֖וּ וְלֹ֥א שָׁמֵֽעוּ

וַתָּ֨עַד  And  testified 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
בָּהֶ֜ם  against  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
לַהֲשִׁיבָ֣ם  that  You  might  bring  them  back 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
תּוֹרָתֶ֗ךָ  Your  law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
וְהֵ֨מָּה  And  yet  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הֵזִ֜ידוּ  acted  proudly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: זִיד  
Sense: to boil, boil up, seethe, act proudly, act presumptuously, act rebelliously, be presumptuous, be arrogant, be rebelliously proud.
וְלֹא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁמְע֤וּ  did  heed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
לְמִצְוֺתֶ֙יךָ֙  Your  commandments 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
וּבְמִשְׁפָּטֶ֣יךָ  but  against  Your  judgments 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
חָֽטְאוּ־  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
אֲשֶׁר־  which  if 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה  does 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אָדָ֖ם  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְחָיָ֣ה  and  he  shall  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.
בָהֶ֑ם  by  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ  and  they  shrugged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
כָתֵף֙  their  shoulders 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כָּתֵף  
Sense: shoulder, shoulder-blade, side, slope.
סוֹרֶ֔רֶת  a  stubborn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: סָרַר  
Sense: to rebel, be stubborn, be rebellious, be refractory.
וְעָרְפָּ֥ם  and  their  necks 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
הִקְשׁ֖וּ  Stiffened 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָשָׁה  
Sense: to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁמֵֽעוּ  would  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.