Nehemiah 9:26
“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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{ "author": "Traditionally attributed to Ezra, though the book is part of the Ezra-Nehemiah historical work.", "location": "Likely written from Jerusalem after the return from Babylonian exile.", "dateTime": "Around 400 BC, during the Persian period.", "literaryStyle": "Historical narrative with elements of prayer and confession. A key feature is its focus on recounting God's faithfulness amidst Israel's repeated unfaithfulness." }
This verse comes during a powerful prayer of confession and remembrance by the Levites on behalf of the people of Israel. They are recounting God's faithfulness throughout history, contrasted with Israel's persistent rebellion, highlighting their disobedience, rejection of God's law, and even the murder of the prophets sent to call them back to God. This confession is leading into their plea for God's continued mercy and intervention despite their ancestors' deep betrayals.
Have you ever felt that a rule or teaching was just... ignored? Israel's rejection of God's law wasn't just forgetting it; it was a deliberate act of defiance.
Deliberate Disregard
The phrase 'cast your law behind their back' is so powerful. It paints a picture of something precious and vital being tossed aside, utterly disregarded. This wasn't accidental; it was a conscious choice to turn away from God's wisdom and guidance.
More Than Rules
This 'law' wasn't just a list of do's and don'ts. It represented God's very character and His will for His people. To cast it aside was to reject God Himself and His plan for their flourishing. They preferred their own way over His.
The Consequence of Neglect
When God's teaching is treated as irrelevant, it opens the door to further sin and rebellion. It creates a spiritual vacuum that is quickly filled with disobedience.
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God didn't just give laws; He sent messengers to guide His people. What does it mean when people turn against those messengers?
The Prophets' Mission
The prophets were God's chosen spokespeople. Their core mission, as highlighted here, was to warn Israel and call them back to God. They spoke God's truth, often at great personal risk, with the sole purpose of turning hearts toward repentance and obedience.
The Ultimate Rebellion
Killing the prophets was not just murder; it was a direct assault on God Himself and His redemptive plan. It was the ultimate act of rejecting God's voice and His attempts to woo His people back to Him. This is a profound and terrible step in their rebellion.
A Pattern of Rejection
This act wasn't a singular event. It was a recurring pattern throughout Israel's history. It shows a deep-seated resistance to hearing God's truth when it confronts their sin.
The verse culminates in intense language: 'great blasphemies' and 'great provocations.' What do these terms reveal about the depth of Israel's sin?
Provoking the Lord
'Great provocations' speaks to actions that intensely angered or incited God's wrath. This wasn't just minor disobedience; it was a pattern of behavior that deeply offended God's holiness and faithfulness, leading to His righteous judgment.
The Heart of Blasphemy
'Great blasphemies' is a heavy accusation. It means they spoke or acted in ways that treated God with utter contempt, disrespect, and defiance. By rejecting His law and killing His messengers, they essentially declared God Himself to be worthless or wrong. It's an attack on His very character and authority.
A Call to Reverence
This language serves as a stark reminder of God's absolute sovereignty and holiness. It calls us to a deep reverence for His name, His word, and His ways, understanding that to treat these lightly is to commit an offense of the highest order.
Understand the original words
marah · Hebrew Verb
To reject authority or established order, often used in Scripture to describe humanity's active defiance against God’s covenantal laws.
torah · Hebrew Noun
The divine instruction or guidance given by God to His people, signifying His revealed will and the standard by which they are to live.
nabiy' · Hebrew Noun
Individuals divinely called and inspired to communicate God's message, often functioning as mediators who call the people to repentance and reveal future events.
ni'utsim · Hebrew Noun
Defiant or insolent speech against God, demonstrating a profound lack of reverence and an active rejection of His holy character.
This verse, spoken during the post-exilic period of rebuilding, recalls a long pattern of Israel's rebellion, including the violent rejection of prophets, to underscore the depth of their unfaithfulness despite God's persistent calls to return.
c. 1 Kings 18-19
Prophets Confronted by Jezebel
During the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, prophets of Baal and Asherah were dominant, and the prophets of the Lord were persecuted and some were killed.
c. Jeremiah 26
Jeremiah's Temple Sermon and Imprisonment
The prophet Jeremiah boldly preached God's word, warning of destruction, and was met with violent opposition, even facing a death sentence.
c. 2 Chronicles 24:20-22
Martyrdom of Zechariah
Zechariah, a priest and prophet, was stoned to death in the temple courtyard for denouncing the people's transgressions against God.
c. 440 BC— this verse
Rebuilding of Jerusalem's Wall
Nehemiah led the effort to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, facing significant opposition from surrounding peoples, highlighting the ongoing struggle for the Jewish people's restoration.
Jesus laments Jerusalem's rejection of God's messengers, echoing Nehemiah's portrayal of Israel killing the prophets God sent to turn them back.
Acts 7:52Stephen directly accuses the leaders of rejecting and murdering the prophets, drawing a clear parallel to the historical pattern confessed in Nehemiah 9.
2 Chronicles 24:21This passage details the stoning of Zechariah, a prophet who confronted Israel's sin, illustrating the violent rejection of God's word mentioned in Nehemiah.
1 Kings 18:4This account of Jezebel trying to kill the Lord's prophets shows a historical precedent for the persecution of prophets that Nehemiah confesses.
Psalm 78:57This Psalm describes Israel turning away from God and provoking Him, setting the stage for the disobedience and prophet-killing confessed in Nehemiah 9.
barnesNehemiah 9:26: "Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations."
Slew thy prophets - Compare 1 Kings 18:4 ; 1 Kings 19:10 ; 2 Chronicles 24:21 . Jewish tradition further affirms that more than one of the great prophets (e. g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) were martyred by their countrymen.
pooleNehemiah 9:26: "Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations."
Cast thy law behind their backs, i.e. neglected and despised thy laws, would not regard nor observe them; whereas they should have had them continually before their eyes, to direct and govern them. Compare Psalm 50:17 Ezekiel 23:35 .
{ "author": "Traditionally attributed to Ezra, though the book is part of the Ezra-Nehemiah historical work.", "location": "Likely written from Jerusalem after the return from Babylonian exile.", "dateTime": "Around 400 BC, during the Persian period.", "literaryStyle": "Historical narrative with elements of prayer and confession. A key feature is its focus on recounting God's faithfulness amidst Israel's repeated unfaithfulness." }
This verse comes during a powerful prayer of confession and remembrance by the Levites on behalf of the people of Israel. They are recounting God's faithfulness throughout history, contrasted with Israel's persistent rebellion, highlighting their disobedience, rejection of God's law, and even the murder of the prophets sent to call them back to God. This confession is leading into their plea for God's continued mercy and intervention despite their ancestors' deep betrayals.
This verse comes during a powerful prayer of confession and remembrance by the Levites on behalf of the people of Israel. They are recounting God's faithfulness throughout history, contrasted with Israel's persistent rebellion, highlighting their disobedience, rejection of God's law, and even the murder of the prophets sent to call them back to God. This confession is leading into their plea for God's continued mercy and intervention despite their ancestors' deep betrayals.
"“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies." — { "author": "Traditionally attributed to Ezra, though the book is part of the Ezra-Nehemiah historical work.", "location": "Likely written from Jerusalem after the return from Babylonian exile.",…
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