Nehemiah 1:7
New International Version
We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

New Living Translation
We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.

English Standard Version
We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.

Berean Standard Bible
We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.

King James Bible
We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

New King James Version
We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

New American Standard Bible
We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

NASB 1995
“We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

NASB 1977
“We have acted very corruptly against Thee and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses.

Legacy Standard Bible
We have worked in utter destruction against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments which You commanded Your servant Moses.

Amplified Bible
We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

Christian Standard Bible
We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses.

American Standard Version
we have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

Contemporary English Version
by choosing to disobey you and the laws and teachings you gave to your servant Moses.

English Revised Version
we have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We have done you a great wrong. We haven't obeyed the commandments, laws, or regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.

Good News Translation
We have acted wickedly against you and have not done what you commanded. We have not kept the laws which you gave us through Moses, your servant.

International Standard Version
We have abandoned you by not keeping your commands, your ceremonies, and your judgments that you proscribed to your servant Moses.

Majority Standard Bible
We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.

NET Bible
We have behaved corruptly against you, not obeying the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments that you commanded your servant Moses.

New Heart English Bible
We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.

Webster's Bible Translation
We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

World English Bible
We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
we have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commands, and the statutes, and the judgments, that You commanded Your servant Moses.

Young's Literal Translation
we have acted very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commands, and the statutes, and the judgments, that Thou didst command Moses Thy servant.

Smith's Literal Translation
Being perverse, we were perverse against thee, and we watched not the commands and the laws and the judgments which thou didst command Moses thy servant.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
We have been seduced by vanity, and have not kept thy commandments, and ceremonies and judgments, which thou hast commanded thy servant Moses.

Catholic Public Domain Version
We have been seduced by vanity. And we have not kept your commandments and ceremonies and judgments, which you have instructed to your servant Moses.

New American Bible
We have greatly offended you, not keeping the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances you entrusted to your servant Moses.

New Revised Standard Version
We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And we have not kept all the commandments nor the statutes nor the ordinances which thou didst command thy servant Moses.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And we have not kept the commandments and the Law that you commanded Moshe your Servant.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
We have altogether broken covenant with thee, and we have not kept the commandments, and the ordinances, and the judgments, which thou didst command thy servant Moses.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Nehemiah's Prayer
6let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses. 8Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,…

Cross References
Daniel 9:5-6
we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances. / We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, leaders, fathers, and all the people of the land.

Leviticus 26:14-15
If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments, / and if you reject My statutes, despise My ordinances, and neglect to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant,

Deuteronomy 28:15
If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

2 Chronicles 36:14-16
Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, following all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD, which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. / Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. / But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

Jeremiah 7:23-26
but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you. / Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. / From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. ...

Ezekiel 20:13-16
Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness. / But I acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. / Moreover, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands— ...

Psalm 106:6-7
We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. / Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders or remember Your abundant kindness; but they rebelled by the sea, there at the Red Sea.

Isaiah 1:4
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

2 Kings 17:13-14
Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.” / But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God.

Jeremiah 11:7-8
For from the time I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, I strongly warned them again and again, saying, ‘Obey My voice.’ / Yet they would not obey or incline their ears, but each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant I had commanded them to follow but they did not keep.”

1 Kings 9:6-9
But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, / then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples. / And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ ...

2 Kings 18:12
This happened because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD their God, but violated His covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded—and would neither listen nor obey.

Deuteronomy 31:16-18
And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them. / On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’ / And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Acts 7:51-53
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. / Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— / you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”


Treasury of Scripture

We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which you commanded your servant Moses.

dealt

Nehemiah 9:29-35
And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear…

Psalm 106:6
We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

Daniel 9:5,6
We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: …

corruptly

2 Chronicles 27:2
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly.

Hosea 9:9
They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

Zephaniah 3:7
I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

the commandments

Leviticus 27:34
These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

Deuteronomy 4:1
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.

Deuteronomy 5:1
And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

which thou

Deuteronomy 4:5
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

2 Chronicles 25:4
But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

Ezra 7:6
This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

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Nehemiah 1
1. Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusalem, mourns, fasts, and prays
5. His prayer














We have acted very corruptly
The Hebrew root for "corruptly" is "שָׁחַת" (shachath), which conveys a sense of moral decay and destruction. This phrase acknowledges the depth of Israel's sin, emphasizing not just a minor infraction but a profound deviation from God's standards. Historically, this reflects the period of the Babylonian exile, where the Israelites faced the consequences of their persistent disobedience. Nehemiah's confession is a collective acknowledgment of the nation's failure, serving as a model for sincere repentance.

against You
This phrase highlights the personal nature of sin as an offense against God Himself. It underscores the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where disobedience is not merely a breach of law but a betrayal of a divine relationship. Theologically, it reminds believers that sin is ultimately an affront to God's holiness and sovereignty.

and have not kept
The Hebrew word "שָׁמַר" (shamar) means to guard, keep, or observe. This implies a failure to protect and uphold the divine instructions given by God. In the context of Nehemiah, it reflects the neglect of spiritual vigilance and the consequences of straying from God's path. For contemporary believers, it serves as a call to diligently guard their faith and practice.

the commandments, statutes, and ordinances
These terms collectively refer to the comprehensive body of divine law given to Israel. "Commandments" (מִצְוֹת, mitzvot) are direct orders from God, "statutes" (חֻקִּים, chukim) are decrees that may not be fully understood but are to be obeyed, and "ordinances" (מִשְׁפָּטִים, mishpatim) are judgments or legal decisions. This triad emphasizes the fullness of God's law, covering moral, ceremonial, and civil aspects. Historically, these laws were central to Israel's identity and relationship with God, and their neglect led to national calamity.

that You gave Your servant Moses
This phrase roots the law in the historical and divine revelation at Sinai, where Moses received the law directly from God. Moses, as God's servant, is a mediator of the covenant, and his role underscores the divine authority and origin of the law. For Nehemiah, invoking Moses connects the present generation with their spiritual heritage and the enduring relevance of God's commandments. It serves as a reminder of the continuity of God's promises and expectations throughout generations.

Verse 7. - We have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments. The ordinances of the Law are frequently summed up under these three heads (Deuteronomy 5:31; Deuteronomy 6:1; Deuteronomy 11:1, etc.); but it would be a mistake to regard them as constituting a logical division of the various precepts contained in the Pentateuch, or to suppose that every precept is to be referred absolutely to one or other of the three.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
We have behaved corruptly
חֲבֹ֖ל (ḥă·ḇōl)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2254: To wind tightly, to bind, a pledge, to pervert, destroy, to writhe in pain

against You
לָ֑ךְ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and have not
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

kept
שָׁמַ֣רְנוּ (šā·mar·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

the commandments,
הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת (ham·miṣ·wōṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4687: Commandment

statutes,
הַֽחֻקִּים֙ (ha·ḥuq·qîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2706: Something prescribed or owed, a statute

and ordinances
הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים (ham·miš·pā·ṭîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

that
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

You gave
צִוִּ֖יתָ (ṣiw·wî·ṯā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

Your servant
עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ (‘aḇ·de·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

Moses.
מֹשֶׁ֥ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver


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OT History: Nehemiah 1:7 We have dealt very corruptly against you (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 1:6
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