Nehemiah 9:19

Neh 9:19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

Ver. 19. Yet thou in thy manifold mercies] Nothing else could have kept him from turning them off, and saying to them, as once Jephthah did, Jdg 11:7, "Behold, ye have thrust me out; and do ye come unto me in your distress? Go, cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation," Jdg 10:14

Forsookest them not in the wilderness] And yet he was near the matter when he would own them no longer, but even fathered them upon Moses, saying, Exo 32:7, "Thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves."

The pillar of cloud departed not] It is sad with a people when God sends for his love tokens (his ordinances); when they have sinned away their light, and so wiped off all their comfortables.

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.

Verse 19. The pillar of the cloud departed not from them] מעליהם mealeyhem, "from over them." I have already had occasion to observe that this miraculous cloud, the symbol of the Divine presence, assumed three different positions while accompanying the Israelitish camp:

1. As a cloud in the form of a pillar, it went before them when they journey, to point out their way in the wilderness.

2. As a pillar of fire, it continued with them during the night, to give them light, and be a rallying point for the whole camp in the night season.

3. As an extended cloud, it hovered over them in their encampments, to refresh them with its dews, and to keep them from the ardours of the sun.

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

19. the pillar of the cloud] R.V. the pillar of cloud. In the original the construction is ‘As for the pillar of cloud, it departed not, &c.’

from them] R.V. from over them. More literally.

and the way] The LXX. and Vulg. omit the ‘and,’ as if the clause stood in apposition to the one preceding; even retaining the copula, that is a possible explanation of the words.

According to the Eng. translation ‘and the way’ is an accusative, having a verb to govern it, supplied by Zeugma from the clause ‘to shew them light.’

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.

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 Neh 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.

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

Thou forsookest them not in the wilderness; where, if thou hadst left them without thy conduct and comfort, they had been utterly lost and undone.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

HOMILIES BY J.S. EXELL Vers. 19-27. The Divine description of a sinful life.

I THAT THE SINFUL LIFE IS FAVOURED WITH THE DIVINE FORBEARANCE. The sins of the people were pride (ver. 16), disobedience (ver. 17), idolatry (ver. 18), murder (ver. 26), provocation, obduracy. "Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness" (ver. 19).

1. This forbearance is merciful.

2. This forbearance is considerate. In the wilderness it is so much needed.

3. This forbearance is unrecognised. See the obduracy of sin.

II THAT THE SINFUL LIFE IS FAVOURED WITH ALL THE BENEFICENT MINISTRIES OF HEAVEN. "The pillar of the cloud departed not from them" (ver. 19).

1. The sinful life has light.

2. The sinful life has guidance.

3. The sinful life has spiritual instruction (ver. 20). See the ingratitude of sin.

III THAT THE SINFUL LIFE IS SUSTAINED BY THE KIND PROVIDENCE OF GOD (ver. 21).

1. Suitable.

2. Continuous.

3. Sufficient.

4. Various. See the wilful blindness and ingratitude of sin.

IV THAT THE SINFUL LIFE OFTEN EXPERIENCES GREAT TEMPORAL PROSPERITY AT THE HAND OF GOD (ver. 22).

1. Possession.

2. Multiplication.

3. Conquest.

4. Plenty. Yet the goodness of God does not lead to repentance.

V THAT THE SINFUL LIFE IS ALSO DISCIPLINED BY AFFLICTIVE PROVIDENCES (ver. 27). In all this see the Divine effort to awaken the sinner. E.

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

on the way Heb. בְּהַדֶּרֶךְ, like בַּדֶּרֶךְ.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.