The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:15 Explained

Nehemiah 9:15

KJV: And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

YLT: and bread from the heavens Thou hast given to them for their hunger, and water from a rock hast brought out to them for their thirst, and dost say to them to go in to possess the land that Thou hast lifted up Thy hand to give to them.

Darby: And thou gavest them bread from the heavens for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and didst say to them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

ASV: and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And gavest  them bread  from heaven  for their hunger,  and broughtest forth  water  for them out of the rock  for their thirst,  and promisedst  them that they should go in  to possess  the land  which thou hadst sworn  to give  them. 

What does Nehemiah 9:15 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 9:15 mean?

and bread from heaven You gave them for their hunger and water out of the rock brought them for their thirst and told them to go in to possess - the land which - You had sworn to give them
וְ֠לֶחֶם מִשָּׁמַ֜יִם נָתַ֤תָּה לָהֶם֙ לִרְעָבָ֔ם וּמַ֗יִם מִסֶּ֛לַע הוֹצֵ֥אתָ לָהֶ֖ם לִצְמָאָ֑ם וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם לָבוֹא֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֶת־ הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־ נָשָׂ֥אתָ יָדְךָ֖ לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶֽם

וְ֠לֶחֶם  and  bread 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
מִשָּׁמַ֜יִם  from  heaven 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
נָתַ֤תָּה  You  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִרְעָבָ֔ם  for  their  hunger 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
וּמַ֗יִם  and  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
מִסֶּ֛לַע  out  of  the  rock 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶלַע  
Sense: crag, cliff, rock.
הוֹצֵ֥אתָ  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
לִצְמָאָ֑ם  for  their  thirst 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: צָמָא  
Sense: thirst.
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר  and  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָבוֹא֙  to  go  in 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לָרֶ֣שֶׁת  to  possess 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נָשָׂ֥אתָ  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
יָדְךָ֖  You  had  sworn 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
לָתֵ֥ת  to  give 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.