Nehemiah 9:26

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.)

Nehemiah 9:26 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:26

Nevertheless, they were disobedient, and rebelled against
thee
Notwithstanding all these favours and mercies bestowed upon them, which was great ingratitude:

and cast thy law behind their backs;
as of no account, and unworthy of their regard; that which they should have had continually before their eyes, as the rule and guide of their actions, they cast behind them, not caring to look into it, and read it:

and slew thy prophets, which testified against them to turn them to
thee;
the prophets that bore a testimony against their sins, admonished them of them, called heaven and earth to record against them should they continue in them, and all to turn them from them by repentance to the Lord; those they were so wroth with on this account as to slay them, see ( Matthew 23:37 ) ( Acts 7:52 ) ,

and they wrought great provocations;
serving Baalim and Ashtaroth, and other gods of the nations, than which nothing was more provoking to the Lord.

Nehemiah 9:26 In-Context

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).
28 And when they had rested, they turned again to do evil in thy sight; and thou forsookest them in the hand of their enemies, and (their) enemies had them in possession; then they were turned again to thee, and cried to thee; and in thy mercy doing thou heardest them from heaven, and deliveredest them by many times. (And after they had rested, or had stopped for a while, again they turned to do evil before thee; and thou abandonedest them into the hands of their enemies, and their enemies subjugated them; then they turned again to thee, and cried to thee; and thou heardest them from heaven, and many times in thy mercy thou deliveredest them.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.