Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah · Chapter 8

Nehemiah 8:6

1And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.2And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.3And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.4And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.7Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.8So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.9And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.10Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.11So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.12And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.13And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.14And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:15And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.16So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.17And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.18Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.And Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he blessedוַיְבָ֣רֶךְvay-VA-rekhH1288
to bless

בָּרַךְ (ba.rakh) 1) to bless, kneel 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to kneel 1a2) to bless 1b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself 1c) (Piel) to bless 1d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored 1e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel 1f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself 2) (TWOT) to praise, salute, curse Aramaic equivalent: be.rakh (בְּרַךְ "to bless" H1289)

Ezraעֶזְרָ֔א'ez-RA'H5830G
Ezra

עֶזְרָא (ez.ra) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.7.1; son of: Seraiah (H8304H); brother of: Jehozadak (H3087) Also named: ez.ra (עֶזְרָא "Ezra" H5831) § Ezra = "help" 1) the priest and scribe who led the reforms of the returned exiles in Jerusalem; co-worker with Nehemiah 2) a priest with Zerubbabel 3) another post-exilic Jew

Yahwehיְהוָ֥הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

the Godהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha-'E-lo-HIMH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

the greatהַגָּד֑וֹלha-ga-DOLH1419A
great: large

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) adj 1) great 1a) large (in magnitude and extent) 1b) in number 1c) in intensity 1d) loud (in sound) 1e) older (in age) 1f) in importance 1f1) important things 1f2) great, distinguished (of men) 1f3) God Himself (of God) subst 1g) great things 1h) haughty things 1i) greatness Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K) § Haggedolim = "the great one" (CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

and they answeredוַיַּֽעֲנ֨וּvai-ya-'a-NUH6030B
to answer

עָנָה (a.nah) 1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to answer, respond to 1a2) to testify, respond as a witness 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to make answer 1b2) to be answered, receive answer Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)

allכָל־khol-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

the peopleהָעָ֜םha-'AMH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

amenאָמֵ֤ן׀'a-MENH0543
amen

אָמֵן (a.men) verily, truly, amen, so be it

amenאָמֵן֙'a-MENH0543
amen

אָמֵן (a.men) verily, truly, amen, so be it

in [the] raising ofבְּמֹ֣עַלbe-MO-'alH4607
lifting

מֹ֫עַל (mo.al) lifting

hands theirיְדֵיהֶ֔םye-dei-HEMH3027G
hand

יָד (yad) : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists

and they bowed lowוַיִּקְּד֧וּvai-yi-ke-DUH6915
to bow

קָדַד (qa.dad) (Qal) to bow down

and they bowed downוַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוֻּ֛vai-yish-ta-cha-VUH7812
to bow

שָׁחָה (sha.chah) 1) to bow down 1a) (Qal) to bow down 1b)(Hiphil) to depress (fig) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to bow down, prostrate oneself 1c1a) before superior in homage 1c1b) before God in worship 1c1c) before false gods 1c1d) before angel

to Yahwehלַיהוָ֖הla-YAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

faceאַפַּ֥יִם'a-PA-yimH0639I
face

אֲנַף (a.naph) face, nose Aramaic of aph (אַף ": anger" H0639)

[the] ground towardsאָֽרְצָה׃'A-re-tzahH0776H
earth: soil

אֲרַע (a.ra) : soil earth, world, ground Aramaic of e.rets (אֶ֫רֶץ ": soil" H0776H)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.