Nehemiah 8:12

Nehemiah 8:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.

Context of Nehemiah 8:12

10Then 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.” Then 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. 13On the second day, all of the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, were gathered before Ezra the scribe to gain insight into the words of the Law (divine instruction). 14They found written in the Law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in booths (huts) during the feast of the seventh month.

Nehemiah 8:12 word by word

וַיֵּלְכ֨וּ כָל־הָעָ֜ם לֶאֱכֹ֤ל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת֙ וּלְשַׁלַּ֣ח מָנ֔וֹת וְלַעֲשׂ֖וֹת שִׂמְחָ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֑ה כִּ֤י הֵבִ֙ינוּ֙ בַּדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹדִ֖יעוּ לָהֶֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• went their wayיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• and to drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• and to sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• portionsמָנָהmânâh · portionH4490
• and to makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• mirthשִׂמְחָהώimchâh · joyH8057
• because they had understoodבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• that were declaredיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045

Cross-references for Nehemiah 8:12

• Nehemiah 8:10Then 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.”
• Psalms 126:1When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion (Jerusalem), We were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal].
• Nehemiah 8:7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, explained the Law to the people, and the people remained in their places.
• Job 23:12I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
• Psalms 19:8The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
• Psalms 119:14I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.
• Psalms 119:130The unfolding of Your [glorious] words give light; Their unfolding gives understanding to the simple (childlike).
• Proverbs 2:10For [skillful and godly] wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
• Proverbs 24:13My son, eat honey, because it is good, And the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
• Jeremiah 15:16Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.
• Luke 24:32They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and opening the Scriptures to us?”
• Romans 7:18For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 8:12

• 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. 1-18This section, possibly from Ezra’s personal memoirs, explains how Ezra’s teaching of God’s law renewed the people's commitment to serve God and follow his instructions. Spiritual revival occurred alongside the civic work of Ezra and Nehemiah.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 8:12

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

In the dictionaries

• Ezra
• Festivals, Religious
• Read
• Tabernacles, Feast of
• Atonement, Day of
• Bible, the
• Criticism of the Bible
• Israel, History of
• Leviticus
• Synagogue, the Great

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