Nehemiah · Chapter 9 · Forgiveness
Nehemiah 9:17 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context
What has been forgiven, you can forgive.
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Both translations, side by side
WEB · World English Bible
"and refused to obey. They weren’t mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn’t forsake them."
KJV · King James Version
"And refused3985 to obey8085, neither were mindful2142 of thy wonders6381 that thou didst6213 among them; but hardened7185 their necks6203, and in their rebellion4805 appointed5414 a captain7218 to return7725 to their bondage5659: but thou art a God433 ready to pardon5547, gracious2587 and merciful7349, slow750 to anger639, and of great7227 kindness2617, and forsookest5800 them not. a God: Heb. a God of pardons"
How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses neither, were, thy, thou, while the WEB renders these as they, weren, your, you. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.
In context
Nehemiah 9:17 in Nehemiah 9
A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Nehemiah 9:17 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Nehemiah 9. Read the full chapter →
- v.15 and gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought water out of the rock for them for their thirst, and commanded them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them.
- v.16 “But they and our fathers behaved proudly, hardened their neck, didn’t listen to your commandments,
- v.17 and refused to obey. They weren’t mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn’t forsake them.
- v.18 Yes, when they had made themselves a molten calf, and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed awful blasphemies;
- v.19 yet you in your manifold mercies didn’t forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud didn’t depart from over them by day, to lead them in the way; neither did the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way in which they should go.
Book background
About the Book of Nehemiah
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Genre
- Historical narrative
- Author
- Nehemiah (with Ezra)
- Date written
- c. 430 BC
- Audience
- Post-exile Jews in Jerusalem
- Chapters
- 13
Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild its broken walls in just 52 days despite intense opposition. The book is a masterclass in prayer-saturated leadership — every chapter contains a prayer. It closes with covenant renewal under Ezra and the public reading of the Law.
Setting: Nehemiah's governorship in Jerusalem under Persian rule.
Key themes: leadership · rebuilding · prayer · reform · community
Memorisation aid
How to memorise Nehemiah 9:17
Nehemiah 9:17 contains 54 words in 9 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.
- 1
and refused to obey
ARTO
- 2
They weren’t mindful of your wonders that you did among them
TWMOYW
- 3
but hardened their neck
BHTN
- 4
and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage
AITRAA
- 5
But you are a God ready to pardon
BYAAGR
- 6
gracious and merciful
GAM
- 7
slow to anger
STA
- 8
and abundant in loving kindness
AAILK
- 9
and didn’t forsake them.
ADFT
Frequently asked
FAQ about Nehemiah 9:17
What does Nehemiah 9:17 say?
Nehemiah 9:17 reads: "and refused to obey. They weren’t mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn’t forsake them." — from the Old Testament, Nehemiah (Historical narrative). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.
What book of the Bible is Nehemiah 9:17 in?
Nehemiah 9:17 is in the book of Nehemiah, traditionally attributed to Nehemiah (with Ezra) and written around c. 430 BC. Nehemiah is historical narrative in the Old Testament, originally addressed to Post-exile Jews in Jerusalem. Best known for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days.
What is Nehemiah 9:17 about?
Nehemiah 9:17 is primarily a Bible verse about Forgiveness, with related themes including God's Love. Within Nehemiah, Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild its broken walls in just 52 days despite intense opposition. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.
What is the difference between Nehemiah 9:17 in WEB and KJV?
Nehemiah 9:17 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "and refused to obey. They weren’t mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn’t forsake them.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "And refused3985 to obey8085, neither were mindful2142 of thy wonders6381 that thou didst6213 among them; but hardened7185 their necks6203, and in their rebellion4805 appointed5414 a captain7218 to return7725 to their bondage5659: but thou art a God433 ready to pardon5547, gracious2587 and merciful7349, slow750 to anger639, and of great7227 kindness2617, and forsookest5800 them not. a God: Heb. a God of pardons". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.
How long is Nehemiah 9:17?
Nehemiah 9:17 is 54 words in the WEB translation (309 characters), broken into 9 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 16 seconds.
How can I memorise Nehemiah 9:17?
To memorise Nehemiah 9:17, split it into its 9 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.
Why does Nehemiah 9:17 matter in Nehemiah?
Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild its broken walls in just 52 days despite intense opposition. The book is a masterclass in prayer-saturated leadership — every chapter contains a prayer. It closes with covenant renewal under Ezra and the public reading of the Law. Nehemiah 9:17 sits within this larger story — Nehemiah as a whole emphasises leadership, rebuilding, prayer.
How can I apply Nehemiah 9:17 today?
Many readers use Nehemiah 9:17 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Nehemiah 9:17 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.
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10 verses to read next
A fresh set of verses every visit — each on its own photo background. Tap any card to open the full study page.
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Romans 5:8
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
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1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
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Ephesians 4:32
“And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”
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2 Chronicles 7:14
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will fo…”
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Matthew 5:44
“But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,”
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James 5:16
“Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.”
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1 Peter 4:8
“And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
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Matthew 6:14
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
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Psalms 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.”
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Psalms 103:12
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
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