Nehemiah 9:15
New International Version
In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.

New Living Translation
“You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them.

English Standard Version
You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.

Berean Standard Bible
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them.

King James Bible
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

New King James Version
You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst, And told them to go in to possess the land Which You had sworn to give them.

New American Standard Bible
“You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought out water from a rock for them for their thirst, And You told them to enter in order to take possession of The land which You swore to give them.

NASB 1995
“You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, And You told them to enter in order to possess The land which You swore to give them.

NASB 1977
“Thou didst provide bread from heaven for them for their hunger, Thou didst bring forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, And Thou didst tell them to enter in order to possess The land which Thou didst swear to give them.

Legacy Standard Bible
You gave bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, And You said to them to enter in order to possess The land which You swore to give them.

Amplified Bible
“You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, And brought water for them out of a rock for their thirst, And You told them to enter and take possession of The land that You swore to give them.

Christian Standard Bible
You provided bread from heaven for their hunger; you brought them water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to go in and possess the land you had sworn to give them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You provided bread from heaven for their hunger; You brought them water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to go in and possess the land You had sworn to give them.

American Standard Version
and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

Contemporary English Version
When they were hungry, you sent bread from heaven, and when they were thirsty, you let water flow from a rock. Then you commanded them to capture the land that you had solemnly promised. *

English Revised Version
and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst lifted up thine hand to give them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You gave them bread from heaven to satisfy their hunger and made water flow from a rock to quench their thirst. You told them to take possession of the land that you swore you would give them.

Good News Translation
"When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven, and water from a rock when they were thirsty. You told them to take control of the land which you had promised to give them.

International Standard Version
You gave them food from heaven for their hunger and water from the rock for their thirst. You directed them to enter and possess the land that you had promised to give them.

Majority Standard Bible
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them.

NET Bible
You provided bread from heaven for them in their time of hunger, and you brought forth water from the rock for them in their time of thirst. You told them to enter in order to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.

New Heart English Bible
and gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commanded them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And bread from the heavens You have given to them for their hunger, "" And water from a rock have brought out to them for their thirst, "" And say to them to go in to possess the land "" That You have lifted up Your hand to give to them.

Young's Literal Translation
and bread from the heavens Thou hast given to them for their hunger, and water from a rock hast brought out to them for their thirst, and dost say to them to go in to possess the land that Thou hast lifted up Thy hand to give to them.

Smith's Literal Translation
And bread from the heavens thou gavest to them for their hunger, and water from the rock thou broughtest forth to them for their thirst; and thou wilt say to them to go in and to inherit the land which thou didst lift up thy hand to give to them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou gavest them bread from heaven in their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock in their thirst, and thou saidst to them that they should go in, and possess the land, upon which thou hadst lifted up thy hand to give it them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You also gave them bread from heaven in their hunger, and you brought forth water from the rock for them in their thirst. And you said to them that they should enter and possess the land, over which you lifted up your hand so that you might give it to them.

New American Bible
Food from heaven you gave them in their hunger, water from a rock you sent them in their thirst. You told them to enter and occupy the land which you had sworn to give them.

New Revised Standard Version
For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven, and for their thirst you brought water for them out of the rock, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you swore to give them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And didst give them bread from heaven for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promised them that they should go in to possess the land which thy hand hadst sworn to give them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Bread from Heaven you gave to them for their hunger, and water from a stone you gave to them for their thirst, and you said to them to enter and to possess the land that your hand had prepared to give them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and didst command them that they should go in to possess the land which Thou hadst lifted up Thy hand to give them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou gavest them bread from heaven for their food, and thou broughtest them forth water from a rock for their thirst; and thou badest them go in to inherit the land over which thou stretchedst out thy hand to give it them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The People Confess Their Sins
14You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses. 15In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them. 16But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments.…

Cross References
Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.

Exodus 16:15
When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:8
“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”

Psalm 78:24-25
He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven. / Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

Psalm 105:40-41
They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. / He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.

Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:15-16
He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint. / He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.

John 6:31-33
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” / Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. / For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

John 6:49-51
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. / This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. / I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

1 Corinthians 10:3-4
They all ate the same spiritual food / and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Psalm 78:15-16
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas. / He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

Isaiah 48:21
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out.

Numbers 11:7-9
Now the manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of gum resin. / The people walked around and gathered it, ground it on a handmill or crushed it in a mortar, then boiled it in a cooking pot or shaped it into cakes. It tasted like pastry baked with fine oil. / When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.

Numbers 20:11
Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.


Treasury of Scripture

And gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promised them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them.

gavest

Exodus 16:4,14,15
Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no…

Deuteronomy 8:3,16
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live…

Psalm 78:24,25
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven…

broughtest

Nehemiah 9:20
Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:7-11
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, …

go

Deuteronomy 1:8
Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

Joshua 1:2-4
Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel…

sworn.

Genesis 14:22
And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

Numbers 14:30
Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Ezekiel 20:15
Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;

Jump to Previous
Bread Broughtest Command Commanded Drink Enter Forth Gavest Hadst Hand Heaven Heavens Hunger Lifted Need Order Orders Possess Possession Promisedst Provided Rock Sky Swore Sworn Thirst Uplifted Water
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Bread Broughtest Command Commanded Drink Enter Forth Gavest Hadst Hand Heaven Heavens Hunger Lifted Need Order Orders Possess Possession Promisedst Provided Rock Sky Swore Sworn Thirst Uplifted Water
Nehemiah 9
1. A solemn fast, and repentance of the people
4. The Levites make a confession of God's goodness, and their wickedness














In their hunger
This phrase highlights the physical and spiritual needs of the Israelites during their wilderness journey. The Hebrew root for "hunger" (רָעָב, ra'av) not only refers to physical hunger but also symbolizes a deeper spiritual longing. Historically, the Israelites' journey through the desert was marked by a dependence on God for sustenance, reflecting the broader human condition of needing divine provision.

You gave them bread from heaven
The "bread from heaven" refers to manna, a miraculous provision from God. The Hebrew word for "bread" (לֶחֶם, lechem) is often used in the Old Testament to signify sustenance and life. Manna is a type of Christ, the Bread of Life, as seen in John 6:31-35. This provision underscores God's faithfulness and His ability to meet the needs of His people in miraculous ways.

in their thirst
The thirst of the Israelites is both a literal and metaphorical expression of their need for God. The Hebrew word for "thirst" (צָמָא, tsama) can also imply a deep spiritual yearning. This thirst is a reminder of the human soul's longing for the living water that only God can provide, as Jesus later explains in John 4:13-14.

You brought them water from the rock
This phrase recalls the miraculous event at Horeb, where God instructed Moses to strike the rock to provide water for the people (Exodus 17:6). The "rock" (צוּר, tsur) is a symbol of Christ, as Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 10:4, where he identifies the rock as Christ Himself. This act of provision is a powerful testament to God's ability to provide life-giving sustenance in the most barren circumstances.

You told them to go in and possess the land
This command reflects God's promise and faithfulness to the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Hebrew word for "possess" (יָרַשׁ, yarash) implies taking ownership and settling in the land. This directive is not just about physical occupation but also about spiritual inheritance and fulfillment of God's promises.

that You had sworn to give them
The phrase emphasizes the certainty and reliability of God's promises. The Hebrew word for "sworn" (שָׁבַע, shava) indicates a solemn oath, underscoring the unbreakable nature of God's covenant. This assurance of God's faithfulness is a cornerstone of the Israelites' identity and a source of hope for believers today, reminding us that God's promises are sure and steadfast.

(15) Bread from heaven.--A change of phrase, which our Lord consecrated for ever (John 6).

Verse 15. - Bread from heaven. The manna had been already called the "bread of heaven" (Psalm 105:40) and the "corn of heaven" (Psalm 78:24) by the national psalmists. The composer of this prayer now for the first time calls it "bread from heaven"- a phrase consecrated to Christians by its employment in John 6. (vers. 32, 51, 58).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
In their hunger
לִרְעָבָ֔ם (lir·‘ā·ḇām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger

You provided
נָתַ֤תָּה (nā·ṯat·tāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

bread
וְ֠לֶחֶם (wə·le·ḥem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

from heaven;
מִשָּׁמַ֜יִם (miš·šā·ma·yim)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

in their thirst
לִצְמָאָ֑ם (liṣ·mā·’ām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6772: Thirst

You brought
הוֹצֵ֥אתָ (hō·w·ṣê·ṯā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

water
וּמַ֗יִם (ū·ma·yim)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

from the rock.
מִסֶּ֛לַע (mis·se·la‘)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5553: A craggy rock

You told
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

them to go in
לָבוֹא֙ (lā·ḇō·w)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

and possess
לָרֶ֣שֶׁת (lā·re·šeṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin

the land
הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

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

You had sworn
נָשָׂ֥אתָ (nā·śā·ṯā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

to give
לָתֵ֥ת (lā·ṯêṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

them.
לָהֶֽם׃ (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew


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OT History: Nehemiah 9:15 And gave them bread from the sky (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 9:14
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