Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah 8:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Context of Nehemiah 8:10

8So they read from the Book of the Law of God, translating and explaining it so that the people understood the reading. 9Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law. Then Ezra said to them, “Go [your way], eat the rich festival food, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold.” 11So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be worried.” 12Then all the people went on their way to eat, to drink, to send portions [of food to others] and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been communicated to them.

Nehemiah 8:10 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֡ם לְכוּ֩ אִכְל֨וּ מַשְׁמַנִּ֜ים וּשְׁת֣וּ מַֽמְתַקִּ֗ים וְשִׁלְח֤וּ מָנוֹת֙ לְאֵ֣ין נָכ֣וֹן ל֔וֹ כִּֽי־קָד֥וֹשׁ הַיּ֖וֹם לַאֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ וְאַל־תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּ כִּֽי־חֶדְוַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה הִ֥יא מָֽעֻזְּכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, Go your wayיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the fatמַשְׁמָןmashmân · fat pieceH4924
• and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• the sweetמַמְתַֿקִּיםmamtaq · sweetnessH4477
• and sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• portionsמָנָהmânâh · portionH4490
• unto them for whom nothing is preparedכּוּןkûn · to establish: prepareH3559
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
• unto our Lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• neither be ye sorryעָצַב‛âtsab · to hurtH6087
• for the joyחֶדְוָהchedvâh · joyH2304
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• is your strengthמָעוֹזmâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz mâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz · securityH4581

Cross-references for Nehemiah 8:10

• Ecclesiastes 2:24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and assure himself that there is good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God.
• Ecclesiastes 3:13and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
• Ecclesiastes 5:18Behold, here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] reward.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7Go your way, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a cheerful heart [if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God]; for God has already approved and accepted your works.
• 1 Timothy 6:17As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
• Deuteronomy 26:11and you and the Levite and the stranger (resident alien, foreigner) among you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household.
• Esther 9:19Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural [unwalled] towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending choice portions of food to one another.
• Job 31:16“If I have withheld from the poor what they desired, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to look in vain [for relief],
• Ecclesiastes 11:2Give a portion to seven, or even [divide it] to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.
• Luke 11:41But give that which is within as charity [that is, acts of mercy and compassion, not as a public display, but as an expression of your faithfulness to God], and then indeed all things are clean for you.
• Revelation 11:10And those [non-believers] who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormented and troubled those who live on the earth.
• Psalms 28:7The Lord is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.
• Psalms 149:2Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let Zion’s children rejoice in their King.
• Proverbs 17:22A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
• Isaiah 6:7He touched my mouth with it and said, “Listen carefully, this has touched your lips; your wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing] is taken away and your sin atoned for and forgiven.”
• Isaiah 12:1And on that day you will say, “I will give thanks to You, O Lord; For though You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, And You comfort me.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 8:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Eat the fat, and drink the sweet - Eat and drink the best that you have; and while ye are feeding yourselves in the fear of the Lord, remember those who cannot feast; and send portions to them, that the joy and the thanksgiving may be general. Let the poor have reason to rejoice as well as you. For the joy of the Lord is your strength - This is no gluttonous and drunken festival that enervates the body, and enfeebles the mind: from your religious feast…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10The “sending of portions” to the poor is not distinctly mentioned in any but the later historical Scriptures (compare the margin reference). The practice naturally grew out of this injunction of the Law Deuteronomy 16:11, Deuteronomy 16:14.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-12Verses 9-12 It was a good sign that their hearts were tender, when they heard the words of the law. The people were to send portions to those for whom nothing was prepared. It is the duty of a religious feast, as well as of a religious fast, to draw out the soul to the hungry; God's bounty should make us bountiful. We must not only give to those that offer themselves, but send to those out of sight. Their strength consisted in joy in the Lord. The better…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10People ate rich foods like meat only on special occasions. Sweet drinks meant unfermented juice, unlike the vinegar common laborers drank (see Ruth 2:14). It is good to share with those in need (see Deuteronomy 15:11; Job 29:16; Proverbs 31:20; Matthew 6:2–3; Acts 4:34–35).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-159-10. This day is holy unto the Lord ... mourn not, nor weep--A deep sense of their national sins, impressively brought to their remembrance by the reading of the law and its denunciations, affected the hearts of the people with penitential sorrow. But notwithstanding the painful remembrances of their national sins which the reading of the law awakened, the people were exhorted to cherish the feelings of joy and thankfulness associated with a sacred…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 8:10

• Beneficence
• Blessing
• Feasts
• Joy
• Law
• Levites
• Poor
• Repentance
• Trumpets

In the dictionaries

• Banquet
• Ezra
• Festivals, Religious
• Poor
• Read
• Tabernacles, Feast of
• Atonement, Day of
• Bible, the
• Criticism of the Bible
• Israel, History of

Commentaries on Nehemiah 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings