Nehemiah 9:25

25 And they took cities made strong, and (a) fat earth; and they had in possession houses full of all goods, cisterns made of other men, vineries, and places of olives, and many apple trees. And they ate, and were fulfilled, and were made fat; and had plenty of riches in thy great goodness. (And they took over fortified cities, and a fertile land; and they took possession of houses full of all kinds of goods, and cisterns made by other men, and vineyards, and olives groves, and many apple trees. And they ate, and were fulfilled, and made fat, and had plenty of riches by thy 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 And thou multipliedest the sons of them, as the stars of heaven/as the stars of the firmament; and thou broughtest them to the land, of which thou saidest to their fathers, that they should enter, and hold it in possession. (And thou multipliedest their sons, so that they be in number like the stars of the heavens/like the stars in the sky; and thou broughtest them to the land, of which thou saidest to their fathers, that they should enter, and take possession of it.)

24 And the sons of Israel came, and had the land in possession; and before them thou madest low the dwellers of the land, (the) Canaanites; and thou gavest them into the hands of the sons of Israel, and the kings of them, and the peoples of the land, that they did to them, as it pleased them. (And the Israelites came, and took possession of the land; and thou madest the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, low before them; thou gavest them into the hands of the Israelites, yea, thou gavest them their kings, and the peoples of the land, and then Israel did to them, whatever it pleased them to do.)

25 And they took cities made strong, and (a) fat earth; and they had in possession houses full of all goods, cisterns made of other men, vineries, and places of olives, and many apple trees. And they ate, and were fulfilled, and were made fat; and had plenty of riches in thy great goodness. (And they took over fortified cities, and a fertile land; and they took possession of houses full of all kinds of goods, and cisterns made by other men, and vineyards, and olives groves, and many apple trees. And they ate, and were fulfilled, and made fat, and had plenty of riches by thy great goodness.)

26 And yet they stirred thee to wrathfulness, and went away from thee, and casted away thy law behind their backs; and they killed thy prophets, that witnessed to them, that they should turn again to thee; and they did great blasphemies. (And yet they stirred thee to great anger, and went away from thee, and threw away thy Law behind their backs; and they killed thy prophets, who witnessed to them, that they should return to thee; and they did great blasphemies.)

27 And thou gavest them into the hand(s) of their enemies; and they tormented them; and in the time of their tribulation they cried to thee; and thou heardest them from heaven, and by thy many merciful doings thou gavest them saviours, that saved them from the hand of their enemies (who saved them from the hands, or the power, of their enemies).