The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:13 Explained

Nehemiah 9:13

KJV: Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

YLT: 'And on mount Sinai Thou hast come down, even to speak with them from the heavens, and Thou dost give to them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commands.

Darby: And thou camest down on mount Sinai, and didst speak with them from the heavens, and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments.

ASV: Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou camest down  also upon mount  Sinai,  and spakest  with them from heaven,  and gavest  them right  judgments,  and true  laws,  good  statutes  and commandments: 

What does Nehemiah 9:13 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 9:13 mean?

And on Mount Sinai You came down and spoke with them from heaven and gave them ordinances just and laws TRUE statutes and commandments Good
וְעַ֤ל הַר־ סִינַי֙ יָרַ֔דְתָּ וְדַבֵּ֥ר עִמָּהֶ֖ם מִשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַתִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֜ם מִשְׁפָּטִ֤ים יְשָׁרִים֙ וְתוֹר֣וֹת אֱמֶ֔ת חֻקִּ֥ים וּמִצְוֺ֖ת טוֹבִֽים

וְעַ֤ל  And  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַר־  Mount 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
סִינַי֙  Sinai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סִינַי  
Sense: the mountain where Moses received the Law from Jehovah; located at the southern end of the Sinai peninsula between the horns of the Red Sea; exact site unknown.
יָרַ֔דְתָּ  You  came  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
וְדַבֵּ֥ר  and  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עִמָּהֶ֖ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
מִשָּׁמָ֑יִם  from  heaven 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וַתִּתֵּ֨ן  and  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מִשְׁפָּטִ֤ים  ordinances 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
יְשָׁרִים֙  just 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
וְתוֹר֣וֹת  and  laws 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
אֱמֶ֔ת  TRUE 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
חֻקִּ֥ים  statutes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
וּמִצְוֺ֖ת  and  commandments 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
טוֹבִֽים  Good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.