Nehemiah 9:34

34 "For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law Or paid attention to Your commandments and Your admonitions with which You have admonished them.

Nehemiah 9:34 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:34

Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our
fathers, kept thy law
All ranks of men, from the highest to the lowest, had shown no regard, nor yielded obedience to the holy law of God:

nor hearkened unto thy commandments, and thy testimonies, wherewith
thou didst testify against them;
moral and ceremonial, which were a testification of the will of God to them, and a testimony against them if they observed them not.

Nehemiah 9:34 In-Context

32 "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You, Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people, From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.

33 "However, You are just in all that has come upon us; For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.

34 "For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law Or paid attention to Your commandments and Your admonitions with which You have admonished them.

35 "But they, in their own kingdom, With Your great goodness which You gave them, With the broad and rich land which You set before them, Did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds.

36 "Behold, we are slaves today, And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, Behold, we are slaves in it.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "testimonies"
• [b]. Or "witnessed"