And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

NEHEMIAH 9:25KJV
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Nehemiah 9:25 (KJV)

What does Nehemiah 9:25 mean?

Nehemiah 9:25 describes how the Israelites took possession of strong cities and a fertile land, inheriting houses full of goods, wells, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. The people ate, were satisfied, grew prosperous, and enjoyed the great goodness provided by God.

This verse is part of a prayer spoken by the Levites as they recount Israel’s history to God and the gathered people. The Levites are remembering how, after entering the Promised Land, the Israelites received blessings they did not work for—cities, homes, and resources already prepared for them. The verse highlights the generosity and provision of God in giving the people more than they could have achieved on their own.

The Hebrew behind Nehemiah 9:25

  • "Strong" (בָּצוּר, batsur) refers to fortified or well-defended cities, emphasizing the security and value of what the Israelites received.
  • "Fat" (שְׁמֵנָה, shemenah) describes the land as rich and fertile, not just in terms of soil but also in its ability to produce abundant crops and resources.
  • "Goodness" (טוּב, tuv) is used here to sum up all the blessings and benefits, pointing to the overall generosity and kindness of God’s provision.
  • "Delighted" (עָנַג, anag) means to take great pleasure or enjoyment, showing that the people not only received these things but truly enjoyed and appreciated them.

Why Nehemiah 9:25 matters

  • Nehemiah 9:25 clarifies that the Israelites’ prosperity in the land was not earned by their own strength but was a gift from God, highlighting divine generosity.
  • The verse connects to the larger prayer of confession in Nehemiah 9, where the people acknowledge both God’s faithfulness and their own failures in response to such blessings.
  • This verse helps readers see the contrast between God’s abundant provision and the people’s later ingratitude, setting up the themes of repentance and renewal found throughout the chapter.

Where else these words appear

“fat” Hebrew H8080 · used in 4 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
  • Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
  • Jeremiah 5:28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

“fat” Hebrew H8082 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 49:20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
  • 1 Chronicles 4:40 And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.
  • Ezekiel 34:14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

“digged” Hebrew H2672 · used in 22 verses

  • Deuteronomy 6:11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
  • 2 Chronicles 2:18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.
  • Isaiah 5:2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

“fruit” Hebrew H3978 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:40 Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.
  • Isaiah 62:8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: