Nehemiah 9:13

Authorized King James Version

Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וְעַ֤ל
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
#2
הַר
also upon mount
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
#3
סִינַי֙
Sinai
sinai, mountain of arabia
#4
יָרַ֔דְתָּ
Thou camest down
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
#5
וְדַבֵּ֥ר
and spakest
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
#6
עִמָּהֶ֖ם
adverb or preposition, with (i.e., in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then
#7
מִשָּׁמָ֑יִם
with them from heaven
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
#8
וַתִּתֵּ֨ן
and gavest
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
#9
לָהֶ֜ם
H0
#10
מִשְׁפָּטִ֤ים
judgments
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind
#11
יְשָׁרִים֙
them right
straight (literally or figuratively)
#12
וְתוֹר֣וֹת
laws
a precept or statute, especially the decalogue or pentateuch
#13
אֱמֶ֔ת
and true
stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness
#14
חֻקִּ֥ים
statutes
an enactment; hence, an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage)
#15
וּמִצְוֹ֖ת
and commandments
a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the law)
#16
טוֹבִֽים׃
good
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The historical context of the biblical period relevant to this book's composition provides crucial background for understanding this verse. The historical and cultural milieu of the biblical world informed the author's theological expression and the audience's understanding. The the cultural context of the biblical world would have shaped how the original audience understood divine revelation. Archaeological and historical evidence reveals Archaeological discoveries continue to illuminate the historical context of biblical texts.

Questions for Reflection