The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:21 Explained

Nehemiah 9:21

KJV: Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

YLT: and forty years Thou hast nourished them in a wilderness; they have not lacked; their garments have not worn out, and their feet have not swelled.

Darby: Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing; their clothes grew not old, and their feet swelled not.

ASV: Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yea, forty  years  didst thou sustain  them in the wilderness,  [so that] they lacked  nothing; their clothes  waxed not old,  and their feet  swelled  not. 

What does Nehemiah 9:21 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 9:21 mean?

And forty years You sustained them in the wilderness nothing they lacked their clothes not did wear out and their feet did swell
וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֛ה כִּלְכַּלְתָּ֥ם בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר לֹ֣א חָסֵ֑רוּ שַׂלְמֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ לֹ֣א בָל֔וּ וְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם בָצֵֽקוּ

וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים  And  forty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
שָׁנָ֛ה  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
כִּלְכַּלְתָּ֥ם  You  sustained  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: כּוּל  
Sense: to seize, contain, measure.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
לֹ֣א  nothing 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
חָסֵ֑רוּ  they  lacked 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָסֵר  
Sense: to lack, be without, decrease, be lacking, have a need.
שַׂלְמֹֽתֵיהֶם֙  their  clothes 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שַׂלְמָה  
Sense: garment, outer garment, wrapper, mantle.
בָל֔וּ  did  wear  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּלָה  
Sense: to wear out, become old.
וְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם  and  their  feet 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
בָצֵֽקוּ  did  swell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּצֵק  
Sense: (Qal) to swell, become blistered.