Nehemiah 9:36 Meaning and Explanation
“Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →They acknowledge their present condition: servants in the very land God gave their fathers to enjoy freely.
What Does Nehemiah 9:36 Mean?
The prayer comes to the present moment. 'Behold, we are servants this day,' they confess. In the land God gave their ancestors to enjoy its fruit freely, they now live as subjects under foreign rule.
The contrast is stark and humbling. The land meant for freedom and feasting has become a place of servitude, the bitter fruit of long disobedience. Yet naming the reality honestly is itself a kind of hope, for it brings the true situation before God. The people do not pretend; they lay their bondage plainly before the One who once set their fathers free.
Nehemiah 9:36 in the Original Language
ebed (עֶבֶד), 'servant' -- a servant, slave, or one in subjection to another.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nehemiah 9:36
What does Nehemiah 9:36 mean?
They acknowledge their present condition: servants in the very land God gave their fathers to enjoy freely.