Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, New Living Translation “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. English Standard Version Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, Berean Standard Bible Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, Berean Literal Bible Remember, please, the word that You commanded Moses Your servant, saying, ‘You⁺ are unfaithful—I will scatter you⁺ among the nations; King James Bible Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: New King James Version Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; New American Standard Bible Remember, please, the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; NASB 1995 “Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; NASB 1977 “Remember the word which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; Legacy Standard Bible Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; Amplified Bible Please remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful and violate your obligations to Me I will scatter you [abroad] among the peoples; Berean Annotated Bible Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses (drawn out) when You said, ‘If you⁺ are unfaithful, I will scatter you⁺ among the nations, Christian Standard Bible Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. Holman Christian Standard Bible Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. American Standard Version Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples: Contemporary English Version Please remember the promise you made to Moses. You told him that if we were unfaithful, you would scatter us among foreign nations. English Revised Version Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples: GOD'S WORD® Translation Please remember what you told us through your servant Moses: 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations. Good News Translation Remember now what you told Moses: 'If you people of Israel are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the other nations. International Standard Version Please remember what you spoke in commanding your servant Moses. You said, 'If you rebel, I will scatter you among the nations NET Bible Please recall the word you commanded your servant Moses: 'If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the nations. New Heart English Bible "Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples; Webster's Bible Translation Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleRemember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, World English Bible “Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you among the peoples; Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionPlease remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, You trespass—I scatter you among peoples; Berean Literal Bible Remember, please, the word that You commanded Moses Your servant, saying, ‘You⁺ are unfaithful—I will scatter you⁺ among the nations; Young's Literal Translation 'Remember, I pray Thee, the word that Thou didst command Moses Thy servant, saying, Ye -- ye trespass -- I scatter you among peoples; Smith's Literal Translation Remember now the word that thou didst command Moses thy servant, saying, Ye will transgress; I will scatter you among the nations: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleRemember the word that thou commandedst to Moses thy servant, saying: If you shall transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: Catholic Public Domain Version Remember the word which you commanded to your servant Moses, saying: ‘When you will have transgressed, I will disperse you among the nations. New American Bible But remember the admonition which you addressed to Moses, your servant, when you said: If you prove faithless, I will scatter you among the peoples; New Revised Standard Version Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleRemember now all the commandments which thou didst command thy servant Moses, saying, If you transgress against me, I will scatter you among the nations; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Remember all the commandments that you commanded Moshe your Servant, and you said to him: “You all shall deny me, and I shall scatter you among the nations. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that Thou didst command Thy servant Moses, saying: If ye deal treacherously, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples; Brenton Septuagint Translation Remember, I pray thee, the word wherewith thou didst charge thy servant Moses, saying, If ye break covenant with me, I will disperse you among the nations. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Nehemiah's Prayer…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, 9but if you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name.’… Cross References Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses Deuteronomy 30:1-3 “When all these things come upon you—the blessings and curses I have set before you—and you call them to mind in all the nations to which the LORD your God has banished you, / and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey His voice with all your heart and all your soul according to everything I am giving you today, / then He will restore you from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you from all the nations to which the LORD your God has scattered you. Leviticus 26:40-42 But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me— / and I acted with hostility toward them and brought them into the land of their enemies—and if their uncircumcised hearts will be humbled and they will make amends for their iniquity, / then I will remember My covenant with Jacob and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. Deuteronomy 4:29-31 But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. / When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. / For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers, which He swore to them by oath. when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, Leviticus 26:14-17 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, / then this is what I will do to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting disease, and fever that will destroy your sight and drain your life. You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. … 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. Joshua 23:15-16 But just as every good thing the LORD your God promised you has come to pass, likewise the LORD will bring upon you the calamity He has threatened, until He has destroyed you from this good land He has given you. / If you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from this good land He has given you.” I will scatter you among the nations, Deuteronomy 28:64 Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. Leviticus 26:33 But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste. Ezekiel 12:15 And they will know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them throughout the countries. Deuteronomy 4:25-31 After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger— / I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed. / Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. … Jeremiah 29:10-14 For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. / For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. / Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. … 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, / and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. Daniel 9:4-19 And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments, / 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. … Ezekiel 11:16-20 Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries to which they have gone.’ / Therefore declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries to which you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.’ / When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations. … 1 Kings 8:46-53 When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to his own land, whether far or near, / and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’ / and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name, … Psalm 106:44-47 Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress. / And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion. / He made them objects of compassion to all who held them captive. … Treasury of Scripture Remember, I beseech you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, If you transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: Remember Psalm 119:49 ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. Luke 1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; If ye transgress Leviticus 26:33 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Deuteronomy 4:25-27 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: … Deuteronomy 28:64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. Jump to Previous Abroad Act Beg Beseech Command Commanded Commandedst Deal Instruction Mind Moses Nations Order Peoples Remember Scatter Servant Transgress Treacherously Trespass Unfaithful Unfaithfully Wandering Word WrongJump to Next Abroad Act Beg Beseech Command Commanded Commandedst Deal Instruction Mind Moses Nations Order Peoples Remember Scatter Servant Transgress Treacherously Trespass Unfaithful Unfaithfully Wandering Word WrongNehemiah 1 1. Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusalem, mourns, fasts, and prays5. His prayer Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses This phrase highlights Nehemiah's appeal to God's covenantal promises. The reference to Moses connects to the foundational covenant given at Sinai, where God established Israel as His chosen people (Exodus 19:5-6). Nehemiah's prayer is rooted in the Torah, specifically Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 28:64, where God warned Israel of the consequences of disobedience. This invocation of Moses underscores the continuity of God's promises and the importance of the Law in guiding Israel's relationship with God. when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, Persons / Places / Events 1. NehemiahA Jewish cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, who becomes a leader in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. 2. Moses The prophet and leader who received the Law from God and led the Israelites out of Egypt. 3. Jerusalem The city central to Jewish identity and worship, whose walls Nehemiah seeks to rebuild. 4. The Exile The scattering of the Israelites among the nations due to their unfaithfulness, as warned by God. 5. The Covenant The agreement between God and Israel, which included blessings for obedience and consequences for disobedience. Teaching Points The Importance of Remembering God's WordNehemiah's prayer begins with recalling God's promises, emphasizing the need to know and remember Scripture in our prayers and daily lives. The Consequences of Unfaithfulness The scattering of Israel serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the importance of faithfulness to God. The Power of Confession and Repentance Nehemiah's acknowledgment of Israel's sins and appeal to God's mercy demonstrates the power of confession and the hope of restoration. God's Faithfulness to His Promises Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God's promise to gather His people if they return to Him shows His unwavering faithfulness and mercy. Leadership Rooted in Prayer Nehemiah's leadership begins with prayer, setting an example for us to seek God's guidance and strength in all endeavors. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Nehemiah 1:8?2. How does Nehemiah 1:8 remind us of God's covenant with His people? 3. What role does remembering God's promises play in our prayer life today? 4. How can Nehemiah's prayer inspire us to seek God's faithfulness in trials? 5. What scriptural connections exist between Nehemiah 1:8 and Deuteronomy 30:1-5? 6. How can we apply Nehemiah's example of recalling God's words in our lives? 7. What does Nehemiah 1:8 reveal about God's covenant with Israel? 8. How does Nehemiah 1:8 emphasize the importance of remembering God's promises? 9. What historical context is essential to understanding Nehemiah 1:8? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Nehemiah 1? 11. Could the concise prayer in Nehemiah 1:8–11 realistically influence Persian imperial decisions, given the empire’s political structures? 12. What are the main themes of the Bible's books? 13. What are the Historical Books of the Bible's significance? 14. What is rewrite reconciliation? What Does Nehemiah 1:8 Mean Remember, I prayNehemiah begins by appealing to God’s memory, not because God forgets, but to align his petition with God’s own words. This relational language shows confident humility—he knows God keeps covenant faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:9) and invites the Lord to act accordingly. Similar calls for God to “remember” appear in Exodus 32:13 and Psalm 106:4, where saints lean on God’s promise-keeping nature. The word that You commanded Your servant Moses Nehemiah anchors his plea in Scripture, treating Moses’ words as God’s binding revelation. By doing so, he models how prayer and Bible study intertwine: we speak back to God what He has already spoken. Joshua 1:8 urges the same practice—meditate on the Law day and night. Isaiah 55:11 reminds us God’s word “will not return to Me empty,” underscoring Nehemiah’s certainty that divine promises stand unchanged. When You said These three simple words highlight that the coming quotation is direct, authoritative speech from the Lord. Nehemiah treats the covenant curses and blessings as present-tense realities. Solomon prayed the same way in 1 Kings 8:46-53, citing the covenant clauses as active. Hebrews 4:12 calls God’s word “living and active,” reinforcing why Nehemiah takes the ancient decree as immediately relevant. If you are unfaithful Here is the conditional heart of the covenant. God’s people were warned that disloyalty would break fellowship and invite discipline (Leviticus 26:14-16). “Unfaithful” is not a slip but persistent rebellion, as illustrated in Judges 2:17 and 2 Chronicles 36:14-16. The standard is wholehearted obedience (Deuteronomy 10:12-13); anything less violates the covenant relationship. I will scatter you among the nations The consequence is exile, a literal dispersion fulfilled when Assyria carried off the northern tribes (2 Kings 17:6) and Babylon captured Judah (2 Chronicles 36:20). Deuteronomy 28:64 and Leviticus 26:33 had foretold this, proving God’s warnings were no empty threat. Nehemiah’s generation is living evidence of that scattering, which drives him to seek restoration promised in the next verse (Nehemiah 1:9; cf. Deuteronomy 30:3-4). summary Nehemiah 1:8 shows a believer taking God’s inerrant word at face value. He recalls the covenant stipulation: unfaithfulness brings scattering. By grounding his prayer in Scripture, he confesses Israel’s sin, acknowledges the justice of exile, and prepares to ask for the promised mercy that follows repentance. The verse teaches us to approach God with reverent confidence, quoting His own unchanging word as the basis for hope and restoration. Verse 8. - If ye transgress, etc. This is not a quotation, but a reference to the general sense of various passages, as, for instance, Leviticus 26:27-45; Deuteronomy 30:1-5, etc. The sacred historians habitually refer to the older Scriptures in this way, quoting them in the spirit rather than in the letter.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Remember,זְכָר־ (zə·ḵār-) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 2142: To mark, to remember, to mention, to be male I pray, נָא֙ (nā) Interjection Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then' the word הַדָּבָ֔ר (had·dā·ḇār) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause that אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer) Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that You commanded צִוִּ֛יתָ (ṣiw·wî·ṯā) Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order Your servant עַבְדְּךָ֖ (‘aḇ·də·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 when You said, לֵאמֹ֑ר (lê·mōr) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘If you אַתֶּ֣ם (’at·tem) Pronoun - second person masculine plural Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you are unfaithful, תִּמְעָ֔לוּ (tim·‘ā·lū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 4603: To cover up, to act covertly, treacherously I אֲנִ֕י (’ă·nî) Pronoun - first person common singular Strong's 589: I will scatter אָפִ֥יץ (’ā·p̄îṣ) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 6327: To be dispersed or scattered you אֶתְכֶ֖ם (’eṯ·ḵem) Direct object marker | second person masculine plural Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case among the nations, בָּעַמִּֽים׃ (bā·‘am·mîm) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock Links Nehemiah 1:8 NIVNehemiah 1:8 NLT Nehemiah 1:8 ESV Nehemiah 1:8 NASB Nehemiah 1:8 KJV Nehemiah 1:8 BibleApps.com Nehemiah 1:8 Biblia Paralela Nehemiah 1:8 Chinese Bible Nehemiah 1:8 French Bible Nehemiah 1:8 Catholic Bible OT History: Nehemiah 1:8 Remember I beg you the word that (Neh Ne) |
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