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B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary

Nehemiah 1:5

Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God.

This expression occurs in several places in Nehemiah, and is taken from Deuteronomy 7:21, and the remainder of the verse from Deuteronomy 7:9, showing that Nehemiah was familiar with this book. He reminds God of his faithfulness in keeping his covenant and showing mercy to those who love and obey him. It should be noted all through the Scriptures that the Divine blessings are conditional. The covenant between man and God implies, 1st. That man is to love and obey God. 2d. That God will show mercy and bless. If man breaks his part of the covenant it is no longer of force. If Nehemiah and the Jews were faithful then he could call on God to reveal his arm in mercy and protection.

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See also Nehemiah 1:5 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Nehemiah 1:5. _LORD GOD OF HEAVEN_] What was, before the captivity, _Jehovah, God of hosts_ or _armies_. _GREAT_] Able to do mighty things. _Terrible _- able to inflict the heaviest judgments....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. HOW NEHEMIAH RETURNEDTO JERUSALEM AND THE BUILDING OF THE WALL CHAPTER 1 _ 1. Nehemiah hears of the condition of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1)_ 2. His great sorrow, and pray...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PART III (Nehemiah 1:1 to Nehemiah 7:73_ a_). THE WORK OF NEHEMIAH. Nehemiah 1:1 a. Nehemiah, Hearing of the Evil Plight of his Brethren in Jerusalem, Prays for Divine Aid....

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    LORD. Jehovah. See App-4. GOD. Hebrew. _'El_ (with Art.) See App-4. KEEPETH COVENANT. Nehemiah goes back to the language of the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 7:9). OBSERVE. keep. Compare Exodus 20:6; Exo

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Nehemiah's Prayer This prayer falls into five portions: (1) the opening address, Nehemiah 1:5; (2) the humble approach, Nehemiah 1:6 _a_; (3) the confession of sins, Nehemiah 1:6 _b_,...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The opening address blends the Divine attributes of might and majesty with those of faithfulness and mercy. Divine _forgiveness_alone could vouchsafe the restoration, which Divine _power_alone could e...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER TO GOD NEHEMIAH 1:5-7:_ Nehemiah knew that the first thing that needed to be done was to seek God's help so he prayed diligently. His desire was to please the Almighty. Nehemiah beg...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. Nehemiah's Prayer TEXT, NEHEMIAH 1:5-11 a 5 And I said, I beseech Thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and loving-kindness of those who love Him and...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND SAID, I BESEECH THEE, O LORD GOD OF HEAVEN, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE GOD, THAT KEEPETH COVENANT AND MERCY FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM AND OBSERVE HIS COMMANDMENTS:_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ILL NEWS FROM JERUSALEM. NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER 1. The words] better, 'the history.' Some thirteen or fourteen years separate the visit of Nehemiah to Jerusalem, recorded in this book, from that of Ezra w...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    We read about several of Nehemiah’s prayers in this book. Some of his prayers were very short. But this one helps us to understand what Nehemiah’s prayers were like. When Nehemiah started his prayer,...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE *JEWS BUILD JERUSALEM’S CITY WALL AGAIN NEHEMIAH _ROBERT BRYCE AND ROBERT BETTS_ ABOUT THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH EXPLANATION There are many dates in this *introduction. These dates are the number...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (4-11) Nehemiah’s appeal to God. The prayer is a perfect example of the private and individual devotion with which the later Hebrew Scriptures abound. It begins with formal and appropriate invocation...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וָ אֹמַ֗ר אָֽנָּ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַ שָּׁמַ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER Nehemiah 1:4 NEHEMIAH records the twofold effect of the melancholy news which his brother and the other travellers from Jerusalem brought him. Its first consequence was grief; its s...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    A PATRIOT'S PRAYER Nehemiah 1:1 Though living in luxury, in the winter palace of the Persian kings, Nehemiah's heart was keenly sensitive to all that affected his people. But he turned from tears to...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This is the last Book of Old Testament history. An interval of about twelve years occurred between the reformation under Ezra and the coming of Nehemiah. The story is the continuation of the work comm...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (5) В¶ And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: (6) Let thine ear now be attenti...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    Recognizing the Need I. INTRODUCTION A. Nehemiah is a book about re-building that which is broken down! 1. It's about seeing a work that needs to be done and allowing the Holy Spirit the freedom to...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Through grace, faith had set up the altar, and the Gentiles had had nothing to do with it, except by voluntary service; but when the city is to be rebuilt, it is the governor appointed by the Gentiles...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Ver. 5. _I beseech thee, O Lord_] Anna...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Nehemiah, vnderstanding by Hanani, the misery of Ierusalem, mourneth, fasteth and prayeth. 5 His prayer. 1 THE words of Nehemiah the sonne of Hachaliah. And it came to passe in the moneth Chisleu,...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Nehemiah's Grief over Jerusalem....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    and said, I beseech Thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, awe-inspiring, before whom men tremble, THAT KEEPETH COVENANT AND MERCY, the merciful covenant to which the Jewish economy w...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    MOVED BY THE REPORTED CONDITION OF JERUSALEM Though verse 1 makes it clear that this whole book records "the words of Nehemiah," it may be that Nehemiah spoke these words to another person, who wrote...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Nehemiah 1:5 said H559 (H8799) pray H577 LORD H3068 God H430 heaven H8064 great H1419 awesome H3372 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    NEHEMIAH'S CRY GOES UP TO GOD (NEHEMIAH 1:4). So Nehemiah now did what God's true people always do when they face adversity. He prayed to YHWH. The prayer is very much an individualistic one, although...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Nehemiah learns of distress in Jerusalem. His prayer. CHARACTERS: God, Nehemiah, Hanani. CONCLUSION: The desolation and distresses of the church should deeply concern the Christian and mov...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Nehemiah 1:1. _The words of Nehemiah._ Poole, in his Synopsis of the Critics, having examined very accurately what antiquity has said concerning the author of this book, I cannot do better than transl...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept._ SAD TIDINGS AND FRUITFUL GRIEF I. The occasion of His grief. 1. Not personal loss. (1) Men grieve on account of personal...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah._ THE ROYAL CUP-BEARER I. Let us notice the words alluded to by Nehemiah. They were as follows: “And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentiet...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NEHEMIAH 1:1 Nehemiah Returns to Jerusalem to Rebuild Its Walls. This section recounts Nehemiah’s vision for and first efforts in rebuilding Jerusalem. He learns of Jerusalem’s decaying condition (Neh...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 1:5 O LORD GOD OF HEAVEN. This combination of names means that the God of Israel (Exodus 3:13) is the only God....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    EXPLANATORY NOTES.] NEHEMIAH 1:1. THE WORDS] (Heb. Divray). See 1 Kings 11:41, where the same word is rendered “acts.” HACHALIAH] His ancestral home was Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:3). Hence he was probably...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    PART I. INTRODUCTORY SECTION. Nehemiah 1:1; Nehemiah 2:1. EXPOSITION CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH NEHEMIAH OBTAINED HIS COMMISSION TO

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    By Chuck Smith Let's turn to Nehemiah for our study this evening. Nehemiah introduces himself in the first verse of chapter 1 and the date of the writing of his prophecy, the twentieth year of Artaxer...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 17:21; 1 Kings 8:23; Daniel 9:4; Deuteronomy 7:21;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    NEHEMIAH'S PRAYER Nehemiah 1:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We are now entering a new series of three sermons concerning Nehemiah and the depleted city of Jerusalem which he loved. In this study we will consi...

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