Nehemiah 9:16

16 But they and our fathers did proudly, and made hard their nolls, and heard not thy commandments. (But they, our forefathers, did proudly, and were stiff-necked, or stubborn, and would not obey thy commandments.)

Nehemiah 9:16 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:16

But they and our fathers dealt proudly
Behaved in a haughty manner towards God, their kind benefactor:

and hardened their necks;
refused to take the yoke of his law, as refractory oxen, that withdraw their necks from the yoke:

and hearkened not to thy commandments;
to do them, though they promised they would, ( Exodus 24:7 ) .

Nehemiah 9:16 In-Context

14 And thou showedest to them an hallowed sabbath; and thou commandedest to them commandments, and ceremonies, and law, in the hand of Moses, thy servant. (And thou toldest them of thy holy Sabbath; and thou commandedest to them commandments, and statutes, and laws, through thy servant Moses.)

15 And thou gavest to them bread from heaven in their hunger; and thou leddest out of the stone water to them (who were) thirsting; and thou saidest to them, that they should enter, and have in possession the land, upon the which land thou raisedest up thine hand, that thou shouldest give it to them. (And thou gavest them bread, or manna, from heaven for their hunger; and thou leddest out water from the stone for those who were thirsting; and thou saidest to them, that they should go in, and take possession of the land, on which land thou raisedest up thy hand, and swore, that thou would give it to them.)

16 But they and our fathers did proudly, and made hard their nolls, and heard not thy commandments. (But they, our forefathers, did proudly, and were stiff-necked, or stubborn, and would not obey thy commandments.)

17 And they would not hear; and they had not mind of thy marvels, which thou haddest done to them; and they made hard their nolls; and they gave the head, that they were all-turned to their servage as by strife; but thou art God (who is) helpful, meek, and merciful, abiding long, either patient, and of much merciful doing, and forsookest not them; (Yea, they would not obey; and they did not remember thy marvels, which thou didest for them; and they stiffened their necks, and were stubborn; and they rebelled, and ordained a leader to take them back to their servitude, or their slavery; but thou art a helpful God, meek, and merciful, long abiding, or patient, and of great mercy, and thou didest not abandon them;)

18 and when they had made to them a molten calf, as by strife, and had said, This is thy God, Israel, that led thee out of Egypt, and they did great blasphemies to thy name. (even when they made for themselves a metal idol, yea, a calf, and said, Israel, this is thy god, that led thee out of Egypt, and they did great blasphemies to thy name.)