Nehemiah 9:18 Meaning and Explanation
“Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Israel made a golden calf and credited it with their deliverance, provoking God grievously.
What Does Nehemiah 9:18 Mean?
The prayer names the worst offense: even at Sinai the people cast a metal calf and declared it the god who brought them out of Egypt, giving to an idol the glory that belonged to God alone.
To exchange the living God for a lifeless image is the deepest betrayal, crediting His mighty acts to a thing their own hands had made. Yet the assembly confesses it openly. Naming our idols, the substitutes we set in God's place, is painful but freeing. Only what is confessed can be forgiven, and the next verse shows that even this did not exhaust His mercy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nehemiah 9:18
What does Nehemiah 9:18 mean?
Israel made a golden calf and credited it with their deliverance, provoking God grievously.