Nehemiah 9:25

25 And they captured fortified cities and a fertile land and took possession of houses filled with every good thing: hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and many [fruit] trees. They ate and became full, and they became fat and took delight in your great goodness.

Nehemiah 9:25 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:25

And they took strong cities
Such as, in an hyperbolical way, are said to be walled up to heaven, ( Deuteronomy 1:28 )

and a fat land;
of a good and fruitful soil, abounding with all good things, ( Deuteronomy 8:7 Deuteronomy 8:8 )

and possessed houses full of all goods;
ready built and furnished for them, both with good provisions and good furniture:

wells digged;
to supply them with water:

vineyards, and olive yards, and fruit trees in abundance;
which they planted not:

and they did eat, and were filled, and became fat;
in body, though in mind became wanton and wicked; they made their hearts fat, or stupid, as Aben Ezra interprets it, see ( Deuteronomy 32:15 ) ( Isaiah 6:10 )

and delighted themselves in thy great goodness;
not in praising the Lord for it, and using it to his honour and glory, but indulged themselves to luxury and intemperance; though it may be understood of a lawful pleasure in the enjoyment of the great affluence they were brought into, which last agrees with what follows.

Nehemiah 9:25 In-Context

23 You made their children numerous like the stars of the heavens and brought them to the land that you told their ancestors to enter in order to take possession.

24 So the children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites; you gave them into their hand, and their kings and the nations of the land to do with them according to their pleasure.

25 And they captured fortified cities and a fertile land and took possession of houses filled with every good thing: hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and many [fruit] trees. They ate and became full, and they became fat and took delight in your great goodness.

26 "But they rebelled and were rebellious against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them to turn back to you, and they did great blasphemies.

27 Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemy, and they brought trouble to them. Then in the time of their trouble they cried out to you, and you heard from the heavens, and according to your great compassions, you gave them saviors, and you saved them from the hand of their enemies.