Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Notice that the prophets are intentionally omitted from this list of those who failed to keep God's law. This isn't an accident; it highlights the faithful, though often unpopular, role prophets played in consistently speaking God's truth, even when kings, priests, and the people turned away.
Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a lengthy prayer and confession by the Levites on behalf of the people of Israel, recounting God's faithfulness and their persistent unfaithfulness throughout history. It follows their acknowledgment of God's creation and covenant, highlighting the consistent pattern of their leaders and ancestors ignoring God's commands and warnings. The prayer then moves toward a hopeful plea for God's continued mercy and intervention in their lives.
Nehemiah and the people are confessing generations of failure. But notice who isn't on the list of those who failed to keep God's law. Why might that be?
In this powerful confession, the people meticulously list their leaders and ancestors: kings, princes, priests, and fathers. It's a comprehensive acknowledgment of widespread disobedience across all levels of society.
However, the prophets are notably absent from this list. This isn't an oversight; it's intentional. The prophets were the ones sent by God to speak His truth, to warn the people, and to call them back to obedience – often at great personal cost. Their inclusion would have been a stark contrast to the failure of everyone else. Their role highlights that God always provided a way for His people to know His will and to turn back, even when they refused.
The verse speaks of 'kept your law' and 'paid attention to your commandments.' What's the difference, and why does it matter that both were neglected?
This verse highlights two crucial aspects of obedience that were missing: doing the law and hearkening to the commandments.
'Kept your law' literally means to 'do your law.' It points to the outward actions, the practical outworking of God's commands in daily life. It's about living according to His statutes.
'Paid attention to your commandments and your warnings' speaks to the inward posture – the attentiveness, the willingness to listen and internalize God's instructions. It's about hearing and understanding God's voice, including His warnings when they strayed.
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The failure here wasn't just a lack of action; it was a fundamental lack of engagement with God's word, both in practice and in understanding. They neither lived it out nor truly listened to it.
Understand the original words
torah · Hebrew Noun
The authoritative instruction of God, reflecting His will for human conduct. It is often seen as a gift that provides a path for life and community in relationship with Him.
mitsvah · Hebrew Noun
Authoritative instructions or decrees given by God for His people to observe. They are the practical applications of His law, designed to guide the believer in walking in holiness.
This prayer in Nehemiah 9 is a profound confession of sin, tracing a pattern of disobedience from the nation's leaders and people through centuries of history, culminating in the exile and the current efforts to restore Jerusalem.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and scattering them throughout the empire. This event marked a significant turning point, highlighting the consequences of prolonged disobedience to God's covenant.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, and deport a large portion of the population into exile. This was the ultimate consequence for generations of unfaithfulness described in Nehemiah 9.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Decree
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon and issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples. This marked the beginning of the return from exile.
445 BC— this verse
Nehemiah's Commission to Rebuild Jerusalem's Walls
King Artaxerxes I of Persia appoints Nehemiah as governor of Judah and commissions him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, a task facing significant opposition from surrounding peoples. This is the immediate context for the prayer in Nehemiah 9.
This passage describes a similar pattern of disobedience among the people and their leaders, highlighting how their persistent rebellion led to judgment.
Deuteronomy 28:45This verse from the Law itself warns of curses falling upon Israel for not obeying God's commands, directly aligning with the 'testimonies' Nehemiah mentions.
Romans 3:23This New Testament passage echoes the sentiment of Nehemiah 9:34 by stating that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,' providing a universal truth about human failings.
Psalm 106:6This Psalm recounts the same historical period and confesses the same national sin of disobedience, demonstrating a recurring theme of generational rebellion and God's faithfulness.
clarkeNehemiah 9:34: "Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them."
Neither have our kings - In this verse he acknowledges that the kings, princes, priests, and fathers, had broken the law: but the prophets are left out; for they continued faithful to God, testifying by his Spirit against the crimes of all; and this even at the risk of their lives.
ellicottNehemiah 9:34: "Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them."
(34) Our kings. —Note that the prophets are omitted in this enumeration.
Notice that the prophets are intentionally omitted from this list of those who failed to keep God's law. This isn't an accident; it highlights the faithful, though often unpopular, role prophets played in consistently speaking God's truth, even when kings, priests, and the people turned away.
This verse is part of a lengthy prayer and confession by the Levites on behalf of the people of Israel, recounting God's faithfulness and their persistent unfaithfulness throughout history. It follows their acknowledgment of God's creation and covenant, highlighting the consistent pattern of their leaders and ancestors ignoring God's commands and warnings. The prayer then moves toward a hopeful plea for God's continued mercy and intervention in their lives.
This verse is part of a lengthy prayer and confession by the Levites on behalf of the people of Israel, recounting God's faithfulness and their persistent unfaithfulness throughout history. It follows their acknowledgment of God's creation and covenant, highlighting the consistent pattern of their leaders and ancestors ignoring God's commands and warnings. The prayer then moves toward a hopeful plea for God's continued mercy and intervention in their lives.
"Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them." — Notice that the prophets are intentionally omitted from this list of those who failed to keep God's law. This isn't an accident; it highlights the faithful, though often unpopular, role prophets pl…
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Last reviewed October 2026