Nehemiah 8:2

Nehemiah 8:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month.

Context of Nehemiah 8:2

1Then all the people gathered together as one man at the open square in front of the Water Gate; and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3Then he read from it, in front of the open square which was in front of the Water Gate, from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and women, those who could understand; and all the people listened carefully to the Book of the Law. 4Ezra the scribe stood on a [large] wooden platform which they had constructed for this purpose. And beside him [on the platform] stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left.

Nehemiah 8:2 word by word

וַיָּבִ֣יא עֶזְרָ֣א הַ֠כֹּהֵן אֶֽת־הַתּוֹרָ֞ה לִפְנֵ֤י הַקָּהָל֙ מֵאִ֣ישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּׁ֔ה וְכֹ֖ל מֵבִ֣ין לִשְׁמֹ֑עַ בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד לַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Ezraעֶזְרָא‛ezrâ' · EzraH5830
• the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the congregationקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
• both of menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• and womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• and all that could hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• with understandingבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
• upon the firstאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• of the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
• monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320

Cross-references for Nehemiah 8:2

• Deuteronomy 17:18“Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
• Deuteronomy 31:9So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
• Malachi 2:7For the lips of the priest should guard and preserve knowledge [of My law], and the people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
• Deuteronomy 31:11when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all [the people of] Israel so that they may hear.
• 2 Chronicles 17:7Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;
• Acts 15:21For from ancient generations [the writing of] Moses has been preached in every city, since he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
• Isaiah 28:9They say “To whom would He teach knowledge? And to whom would He explain the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast?
• Leviticus 23:24“Say to the children of Israel, ‘On the first day of the seventh month (almost October), you shall observe a day of solemn sabbatical rest, a memorial day announced by the blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
• Numbers 29:1‘On the first day of the seventh month, you shall have a holy [summoned] assembly; you shall do no laborious work. It will be for you a day of blowing the trumpets (the shophar, ram’s horn).

Commentaries on Nehemiah 8:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2All that could hear with understanding - Infants, idiots, and children not likely to receive instruction, were not permitted to attend this meeting; nor should any such, in any place, be ever brought to the house of God, if it can be avoided: yet, rather than a poor mother should be deprived of the ordinances of God, let her come with her child in her arms; and although it be inconvenient to the congregation, and to some ministers, to hear a child cry, it…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Upon the first day of the seventh month - The day of the “Feast of Trumpets” (see the margin reference note). The gathering together of the people, spoken of in Nehemiah 8:1, was probably to observe this feast.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2On the first day of the seventh month: The people gathered to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24–25), marking the start of a new year in the calendar from after the exile in Babylon.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-81. all the people gathered themselves together as one man--The occasion was the celebration of the feast of the seventh month (Ne 7:73). The beginning of every month was ushered in as a sacred festival; but this, the commencement of the seventh month, was kept with distinguished honor as "the feast of trumpets," which extended over two days. It was the first day of the seventh ecclesiastical year, and the new year's day of the Jewish civil year, on which…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 8:2

• Children
• Commandments
• Feasts
• Law
• Repentance
• Synagogue
• Trumpets
• Word of God
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Ezra
• Read
• Synagogue
• Atonement, Day of
• Bible, the
• Criticism of the Bible
• Israel, History of
• Leviticus
• Synagogue, the Great
• Teach; Teacher; Teaching

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