For the third time in this account, God did not forsake the Israelites (repeat of the phrase in verses 17 and 19 above), for he is gracious and merciful (also in verse 17).

Nevertheless: This verse begins with a strong adversative as in verse 26. Good News Translation understands a similar meaning (also Bible en français courant). Other translations omit a conjunction and begin abruptly with a new sentence (Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), but this is not advised.

In thy great mercies: See the comment at verse 19 above. Mercies is associated with the verb bear with in verse 30 (compare Psa 36.10; 109.12; Jer 31.3), showing that God’s love is patient and does not abandon them.

Thou didst not make an end of them: The punishment was so great that they feared it was the end. Many translations explicitly render the meaning of the Hebrew expression here as Good News Translation has done with the phrase “destroy them.” Some languages may state the sense even more bluntly; for example, “you did not exterminate them” (Bible en français courant, Nouvelle Bible Segond), or there may be a verb that means to kill them all.

Or forsake them: See Ezra 9.9 and verses 17 and 19 above. In the logic of the English language, one often goes from the lesser to the greater. Good News Translation has therefore reversed the Hebrew order to place the idea of abandoning the people before the idea of destroying them. The translator should express these ideas in the normal logical pattern of receptor thought.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .