Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Nevertheless in your manifold mercies you did not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God.
- BSB But in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.
- NKJV Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; For You are God, gracious and merciful.
- NASB “Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or abandon them, For You are a gracious and compassionate God.
- NLT But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even so, in his great mercy God did not utterly destroy or forsake them, for he is gracious and merciful. It matters because God preserved a remnant by sheer grace.
Overview
Despite exile, God 'did not make a full end of them,' because of his gracious and merciful character. Judgment was tempered by covenant faithfulness, preserving a people for himself. This preservation of a remnant safeguarded the line through which the Messiah would come, securing the hope of salvation in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Lam 3:22It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
- Ps 103:8–9The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
- Neh 9:17And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
- Jer 4:27For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
- Exod 34:6–7And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
- Jer 5:18Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.
- Ps 145:8–9The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
- Jer 5:10Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD’s.
- Dan 9:9To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
- Ezek 14:22–23Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
- 2 Chr 30:9For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
- 2 Kgs 13:23And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 9:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.