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Nehemiah 9:6

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Nehemiah 9:6 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Thou art Jehovah, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Thou art Jehovah, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
Nehemiah 9:6 — American Standard Version

Context — Nehemiah 9

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
3And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day; and [another] fourth part they confessed, and worshipped Jehovah their God.
4Then stood up upon the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, [and] Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto Jehovah their God.
5Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless Jehovah your God from everlasting to everlasting; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
6Thou art Jehovah, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
7Thou art Jehovah the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham,
8and foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it unto his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous.
9And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea,
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Thou, even thou art Lord alone, etc.] Whose name alone is Jehovah, the one only true and living God: thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host; the airy and starry heavens, and the sun, moon, and stars in them, and the third heaven, the seat of God, angels, and saints: the earth, and all things that are therein; men, beasts, trees, metals, minerals, etc. the seas, and all that is therein; fishes, sea plants, etc. (see <440424>Acts 4:24), and thou preservest them all; they consist in thee, and are upheld in their being by thee, (<580103>Hebrews 1:3 <510117>Colossians 1:17 <193606>Psalm 36:6) and the host of heaven worshipped thee; not the sun, moon, and stars, only in…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, &c.--In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate His mercies and distinguished favors to them as a nation, from the period of the call of their great ancestor and the gracious promise intimated to him in the divinely bestowed name of Abraham, a promise which implied that he was to be the Father of the faithful, the ancestor of the Messiah, and the honored…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The host of heaven worshippeth thee - i. e the angels. See 1 Kings 22:19; Psalms 103:21. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“even thou: Deu 6:4; Kg2 19:15, Kg2 19:19; Psa 86:10; Isa 37:16, Isa 37:20, Isa 43:10, Isa 44:6, Isa 44:8; Mar 12:29, Mar 12:30; Joh 10:30 thou hast: Gen 1:1, Gen 2:1; Eze 20:11; Psa 33:6, Psa 136:5-9, Psa 146:6; Jer 10:11, Jer 10:12; Col 1:15, Col 1:16; Rev 4:11, Rev 14:7 the heaven: Deu 10:14; Kg1 8:27 preservest: Psa 36:6; Col 1:17; Heb 1:3 the host: Gen 2:1, Gen 32:2; Kg1 22:19; Psa 103:21, Psa 148:2-4; Isa 6:2, Isa 6:3; Heb 1:6; Rev 5:11-13 Nehemiah 9:7”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“In Neh 9:6 this praising of God begins with the acknowledgment that Jahve, the Creator of heaven and earth, chose Abram and made a covenant with him to give the land of Canaan to his seed, and had performed this word ( Neh 9:6-8). These verses form the theme of that blessing the name of His glory, to which the Levites exhorted. This theme is then elucidated by facts from Israel's history, in four strophes. a. When God saw the affliction of His people in Egypt, He delivered them by great signs and wonders from the power of Pharaoh, gave them laws and judgments on Sinai, miraculously provided them with food and water in the wilderness, and commanded them to take possession of the promised land…”
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Sources and verification