The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:17 Explained

Nehemiah 9:17

KJV: And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

YLT: yea, they refuse to hearken, and have not remembered Thy wonders that Thou hast done with them, and harden their neck and appoint a head, to turn back to their service, in their rebellion; and Thou art a God of pardons, gracious, and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, and hast not forsaken them.

Darby: and refused to obey, neither were they mindful of thy wonders which thou hadst done among them; but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion made a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art a +God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great loving-kindness, and thou forsookest them not.

ASV: and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and forsookest them not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And refused  to obey,  neither were mindful  of thy wonders  that thou didst  among them; but hardened  their necks,  and in their rebellion  appointed  a captain  to return  to their bondage:  but thou [art] a God  ready to pardon,  gracious  and merciful,  slow  to anger,  and of great  kindness,  and forsookest  them not. 

What does Nehemiah 9:17 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 9:17 mean?

and they refused to obey and not they were mindful of Your wonders that You did among them but they hardened - their necks and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in their rebellion but You [are] God [Ready] to pardon Gracious and merciful Slow to anger and Abundant - in kindness and not did forsake them
וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ לִשְׁמֹ֗עַ וְלֹא־ זָכְר֤וּ נִפְלְאֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִמָּהֶ֔ם וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־ עָרְפָּ֔ם וַיִּתְּנוּ־ רֹ֛אשׁ לָשׁ֥וּב לְעַבְדֻתָ֖ם בְּמִרְיָ֑ם וְאַתָּה֩ אֱל֨וֹהַּ סְלִיח֜וֹת חַנּ֧וּן וְרַח֛וּם אֶֽרֶךְ־ אַפַּ֥יִם וְרַב־ [וחסד] (חֶ֖סֶד‪‬) וְלֹ֥א עֲזַבְתָּֽם

וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ  and  they  refused 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָאַן  
Sense: (Piel) to refuse.
לִשְׁמֹ֗עַ  to  obey 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וְלֹא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
זָכְר֤וּ  they  were  mindful 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
נִפְלְאֹתֶ֙יךָ֙  of  Your  wonders 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פָּלָא  
Sense: to be marvellous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשִׂ֣יתָ  You  did 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עִמָּהֶ֔ם  among  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙  but  they  hardened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָשָׁה  
Sense: to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh.
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.
עָרְפָּ֔ם  their  necks 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
וַיִּתְּנוּ־  and  appointed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
רֹ֛אשׁ  a  leader 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
לָשׁ֥וּב  to  return 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לְעַבְדֻתָ֖ם  to  their  bondage 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עַבְדֻת  
Sense: servitude, bondage.
בְּמִרְיָ֑ם  in  their  rebellion 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מְרִי  
Sense: rebellion.
וְאַתָּה֩  but  You  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
אֱל֨וֹהַּ  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֱלֹוהַּ  
Sense: God.
סְלִיח֜וֹת  [Ready]  to  pardon 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: סְלִיחָה  
Sense: forgiveness.
חַנּ֧וּן  Gracious 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חַנּוּן  
Sense: gracious.
וְרַח֛וּם  and  merciful 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַחוּם  
Sense: compassionate.
אֶֽרֶךְ־  Slow 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: אָרֵךְ 
Sense: long (pinions).
אַפַּ֥יִם  to  anger 
Parse: Noun, md
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
וְרַב־  and  Abundant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
[וחסד]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
(חֶ֖סֶד‪‬)  in  kindness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עֲזַבְתָּֽם  did  forsake  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.