Nehemiah 1:8

Neh 1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, [If] ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

Ver. 8. Remember, I beseech thee, the word] It befalleth not the Lord to forget or remember (to speak properly), for all things are present with him. Nevertheless metaphorically God is said to do both; as when, being provoked by the horrid sins of the Jews, he so punished them as if he had forgotten that they were his people, or that he had ever made them any promises. And in this case God gives his prophets and praying people leave to be his remembrancers, Isa 62:6-7. Ye that are the Lord’s remembrancers, keep not silence, and give him no rest till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. This Nehemiah doth here most vigorously, and sped accordingly; let us do likewise. Cast the labouring Church into God’s everlasting arms, and remind him of his promises burden him with them, as that martyr said; put them into suit, they are nigh the Lord day and night, 1Ki 8:59. Say, remember thy word unto thy servant, whereupon thou hast caused me to trust, Psa 119:49. And in the want of other rhetoric urge this, with repetition, Lord, thou hast promised, thou hast promised, &c. He loves to be urged with his word, to be used upon his bond, &c.

The word that thou commandest, &c.] The threatening is also to be acknowledged God’s word, as well as the promise; and the uprightness of our hearts is, to be approving by believing the one as well as the other. Sour and sweet make the best sauce; promises and menaces mingled serve to keep the heart in the best temper, as Nehemiah’s was.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:8-9 Nehemiah recalls God’s curse on sin and his promise of restoration (Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-5). • The place . . . for my name to be honored was Jerusalem.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 8. Thy servant Moses] See the parallel places in the margin, and the notes there Le 26:33 (note), De 4:25-27 (note), De 28:64 (note). Though in an enemy's country, and far from the ordinances of God, Nehemiah did not forget the law: he read his Bible well, and quotes correctly.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. Remember … the word … saying] The reference here made is in general terms. No passage in the Pentateuch exactly agrees with it (cf. Neh_10:34). This may be shown by the words used in the first sentence. The Hebrew word for ‘I will scatter’ is only found in Deuteronomy in the Pentateuch: the Hebrew word for ‘transgress’ only occurs once in Deuteronomy (Deu_32:51), but in quite a different context from the threat of dispersion.

The threat of dispersion is found in the Pentateuch in Lev_26:33; Deu_4:27; Deu_28:64; Deu_30:3. The promise of restoration is given in Deu_4:29 and in Deu_30:4-5 (Lev_26:40-42). The passage most resembling the words here given is Deu_30:1-5. On ‘transgress,’ see note on Ezr_9:4.

scatter … abroad among the nations] Cf. Jer_9:16; Eze_11:16; Eze_12:15; Eze_20:23; Eze_22:15; Eze_36:19.

In the original the position of the personal pronouns is very emphatic, Ye transgress, I scatter.

For the appeal to the Lord to ‘remember,’ cf. Psa_106:4.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses,.... To publish and declare to the children of Israel, Deu 28:64,

saying, if ye transgress; the law of God:

I will scatter you abroad among the nations; as now they had been among the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Medes, and Persians.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

If ye transgress, etc. This is not a quotation, but a reference to the general sense of various passages, as, for instance, Lev_26:27-45 Deu_30:1-5, etc. The sacred historians habitually refer to the older Scriptures in this way, quoting them in the spirit rather than in the letter.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Connecting Statement:

Nehemiah continues praying to God.

Please call to mind

To "call to mind" is an idiom that means to remember. AT: "Please remember" (See: Idiom)

the word you commanded your servant Moses

The pronouns "you" and "your" refer to God.

If you act unfaithfully ... scatter you ... if you return ... your people

The pronouns "you" and "your" are plural and refer to the Israelite people.

I will scatter you among the nations

Yahweh speaks of causing the Israelite people to live in other nations as if he scattered them like one would scatter seeds. AT: "I will cause you to live among the nations" (See: Metaphor)

though your people were scattered

This can be stated in active form. AT: "though I scattered your people" (See: Active or Passive)

under the farthest skies

Yahweh speaks of places on the earth that are very far away as being "under the farthest skies." AT: "to places very far away" (See: Idiom)

to that place where I have chosen ... remain

This phrase refers to Jerusalem, where the temple was located. AT: "to Jerusalem, where I have chosen ... remain" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

where I have chosen to make my name remain

Here the word "name" represents Yahweh himself. AT: "where I have chosen to dwell" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

call

mind

word

command

servant

Moses

faithful

nation

heaven

name

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.