Nehemiah 9:29

Neh 9:29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

Ver. 29. And testifiedst against them] Toldest them of their sins, foretoldest them of their dangers, didst all that could be done to do them good; but nothing would do.

Yet they dealt proudly] See Neh 9:16.

And hearkened not] intus existens prohibuit alienum, Hear, and give ear, be not proud, Jer 13:15.

But sinned against thy judgments] i.e. Thy statutes, though made with so much reason and respect to our good, that if God did not command them, yet were it every way our best way to practise them: Isa 48:17, "I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldest go." As who should say, It is for thy profit that I command thee this or that, and not for mine own.

Which if a man do] But that, as now, he cannot do, and, therefore, not be saved by the law, Rom 10:5. Our Saviour indeed said to that young justiciary, "This do, and thou shalt live," Luk 10:28. But that was all one, saith Luther, as if Christ had said unto him, Vade et morere, Go upon thy death; for do this of thyself, and live thereby, thou art never able.

And withdrew the shoulder] When called to take up Christ’s yoke, or to bear his cross. See the note on Zec 7:11.

And hardened their neck] To sinews of iron they added brows of brass.

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.

When thou didst admonish them by thy Prophets.

Which is a similitude taken of oxen that shrink at the yoke or burden, as Zech. 7:11.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

29. The Stubbornness of Israel

29. testifiedst] Cf. 2Ki_17:13, ‘Yet the Lord testified unto Israel and unto Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and of every seer.’

dealt proudly] Cf. Neh_9:16.

which if a man do, he shall live in them] Quoted from Lev_18:5, as also in Eze_20:11. Cf. Luk_10:28, ‘This do and thou shalt live.’

withdrew the shoulder] R.V. marg. ‘Heb. they gave a stubborn shoulder’. The metaphor of an ox refusing to submit to the yoke, as applied to Israel, who rejected the service of Jehovah, is familiar to us from Hos_4:16; Zec_7:11.

hardened their neck] Cf. Neh_9:17.

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.

And testifiedst against them,.... By sending prophets to them, to admonish them of their sins, and remind them of their duty:

that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law; to regard it, and walk according it:

yet they dealt proudly; with an haughty air rejected the counsel of God:

and hearkened not unto thy commandments; yielded not obedience to them:

but sinned against thy judgments; transgressed his laws, which were so just, righteous, reasonable, and equitable:

which if a man do, he shall live in them; or by them, in the land of Canaan, see Lev 18:5,

and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear; like oxen, that wriggle and struggle, and draw back, and will not admit the yoke upon them.

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

Shoulder. Slipping from under the burden of the law. (Haydock) --- It seems this and the following verses chiefly regard the ten tribes, which proudly rebelled against Juda, (Calmet) and against the Lord. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Which if a man do, he shall live in them; of which see on Lev 18:5; Eze 20:11; Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12.

Withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, i.e. would not submit to thy yoke, like stubborn oxen.

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

29. Withdrew the shoulder — Like the refractory ox or the “backsliding heifer” (Hos_4:16) that rebels against the yoke. Compare Zec_7:11.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Withdrew the shoulder. Compare Hos_4:16 ("Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer") and Zec_7:11. The metaphor is taken from the action of a beast of burthen which, when required to draw, shrinks from the yoke and starts back.

The Divine testimony against sin.

"And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law." The Divine testimony against sin and sinners is repeatedly mentioned in this confession (see vers. 26, 30). We may take a general view of it.

I THE WITNESS OF GOD AGAINST SIN AND SINNERS.

1. In his holy laws. Declaring his will, denouncing disobedience, and warning against its consequences.

2. In his revelations of eternity, judgment, hell, heaven. "There shall in nowise enter into it anything that defileth.

3. In the nature of man. The testimony of conscience; the evil effects of sin on the body (diseases, death) and the soul, disordering, debasing, blunting the conscience, hardening the heart, etc.

4. In the effects of sin on the circumstances of the sinner.

5. In the effects of sin on society. Destruction of mutual esteem and confidence. Disorders, divisions, miseries.

6. In the methods of salvation from sin. The sufferings borne by our Lord in atoning for sin. The pains of conviction, penitence, etc. produced by the word and Spirit of God.

7. By the Church. Its constitution as a society avowedly renouncing sin, and called to battle against it everywhere. Its ministry, ordinances, examples of holiness, discipline on offenders.

II ITS DESIGN.

1. To deter from sin.

2. To produce repentance.

"That thou mightest bring them again unto thy law.

III THE REVELATION OF GOD WHICH IS THUS MADE. Manifestations of

1. His hatred to sin. Which his permission of its prevalence might seem to put in question.

2. His benevolence. His testimonies against sin are so many entreaties that men would not injure themselves, so many safeguards against their doing so, so many strong reasons for turning from sin to holiness, and thus from misery to blessedness.

3. His justice in condemning the impenitent. Disregard of the Divine testimony against sin will work final ruin, but the lost sinner will have only himself to blame. "To-day," then, "if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart." Let it not be said of you, "Yet would they not give ear" (ver. 30).

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