Nehemiah 9:19

19 yet thou in thy manifold mercies didst not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither did the pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way in which they should go.

Nehemiah 9:19 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:19

Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the
wilderness
Where no supply could be had, if he had cast them off, see ( Nehemiah 9:17 ) ,

the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in
the way;
which, if it had, they would have been scorched by the heat of the sun:

neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way
wherein they should go;
or otherwise they would have lost their way, and not have known which way to have gone.

Nehemiah 9:19 In-Context

17 and refused to hear; neither did they remember thy wonders that thou hadst done among them, but hardened their necks and in their rebellion thought to appoint a leader to return to their bondage; but thou art a God of pardons, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great mercy, for thou didst not leave them.

18 Even when they had made themselves a molten calf and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had committed great abominations;

19 yet thou in thy manifold mercies didst not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither did the pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way in which they should go.

20 Thou didst give thy good spirit to teach them and didst not withhold thy manna from their mouth and didst give them water for their thirst.

21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wax old, and their feet did not swell.