Nehemiah 9:32

32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keep covenant and lovingkindness, don't let all the travail seem little before you, that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our Kohanim, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Ashshur to this day.

Nehemiah 9:32 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:32

Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the
terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy
The same titles Nehemiah gives to the Lord, ( Nehemiah 1:5 ) and it may be reasonably thought the whole prayer is his composure, which was delivered by him to the Levites:

let not all the trouble seem little before thee;
as if it was not enough; let it be judged sufficient, and no more be added, but mercy shown; Aben Ezra thinks the word "little" is not to be connected with "trouble", but with the nearest antecedent "mercy", and so Gussetius {z}; as if the sense was, let not thy mercy be small with thee, but let it be largely extended along with all the trouble, or at the time when trouble of every kind

comes upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on
our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the
times of the kings of Assyria unto this day;
but this sense is not clear, and makes it have respect to times to come; whereas it relates to time past, and to all the trouble and affliction they had met with from the Assyrian kings, from the time they invaded their land, and carried them captive, until this very time.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Ebr. Comment. p. 937.

Nehemiah 9:32 In-Context

30 Yet many years did you bear with them, and testified against them by your Spirit through your prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gave you them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

31 Nevertheless in your manifold mercies you did not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God.

32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keep covenant and lovingkindness, don't let all the travail seem little before you, that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our Kohanim, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Ashshur to this day.

33 However you are just in all that is come on us; for you have dealt truly, but we have done wickedly;

34 neither have our kings, our princes, our Kohanim, nor our fathers, kept your law, nor listened to your mitzvot and your testimonies with which you did testify against them.