American Standard Version
Nehemiah 8:9
9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
Nehemiah 8:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And 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 wept as they heard the words of the Law.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Nehemiah, who was the governor, 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 nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
Context of Nehemiah 8:9
7Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. 8And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah 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 him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength. 11So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
Read all of Nehemiah 8Nehemiah 8:9 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר נְחֶמְיָ֣ה ה֣וּא הַתִּרְשָׁ֡תָא וְעֶזְרָ֣א הַכֹּהֵ֣ן׀ הַסֹּפֵ֡ר וְהַלְוִיִּם֩ הַמְּבִינִ֨ים אֶת־הָעָ֜ם לְכָל־הָעָ֗ם הַיּ֤וֹם קָדֹֽשׁ־הוּא֙ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם אַל־תִּֽתְאַבְּל֖וּ וְאַל־תִּבְכּ֑וּ כִּ֤י בוֹכִים֙ כָּל־הָעָ֔ם כְּשָׁמְעָ֖ם אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַתּוֹרָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- Nehemiahנְחֶמְיָהnechemyâh · NehemiahH5166
- governorתִּרְשָׁתָאtirshâthâ' · governorH8660
- Ezraעֶזְרָא‛ezrâ' · EzraH5830
- priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- scribeסֹפֵרsâphar · secretaryH5608
- Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- mournאָבַל'âbal · to mournH56
- weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
Cross-references for Nehemiah 8:9
- Nehemiah 7:65And the governor said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
- Nehemiah 10:1Now those that sealed were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
- Ezra 2:63And the governor said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
- Ezra 7:11Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of Jehovah, and of his statutes to Israel:
- Nehemiah 8:7Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
- 2 Chronicles 15:3Now for a long season Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law:
- 2 Chronicles 30:22And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that had good understanding in the service of Jehovah. So they did eat throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace-offerings, and making confession to Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
- 2 Chronicles 35:3And he said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, that were holy unto Jehovah, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders. Now serve Jehovah your God, and his people Israel;
- Hosea 4:6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.
- Nehemiah 8:2And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
- Leviticus 23:24Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
- Numbers 29:1And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing of trumpets unto you.
- Deuteronomy 12:7and there ye shall eat before Jehovah your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee.
- Deuteronomy 16:11and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are in the midst of thee, in the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there.
- Deuteronomy 26:14I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead: I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah my God; I have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.
- Ecclesiastes 3:4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Commentaries on Nehemiah 8:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha - This puts it out of doubt that, when the Tirshatha is mentioned, Nehemiah himself is intended, Tirshatha being the name of his office. Mourn not, nor weep - This is a holy day to God: a day appointed for general rejoicing in Him who has turned our captivity, restored to us his law, and again established among us his ordinances.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha - Hereto, Nehemiah has called himself פחה pechâh Nehemiah 5:14-15, Nehemiah 5:18, which is the ordinary word for “governor.” Now for the first time he is called the Tirshatha‘” (see Ezra 2:63 note.) The people wept - Because the Law brought vividly before them their sins of omission and commission. In Nehemiah 8:10 the Jews were not forbidden to be sorry for their sins, but they were only prohibited from marring a…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. 9-10Ezra the priest and scribe: See study note on Ezra 7:6. This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep: God moved the people's hearts, leading them to regret not following his laws. While weeping is a suitable reaction to sin (see Ezekiel 9:4; Luke 6:21), Ezra and Nehemiah urged the people to celebrate what God had done. This New Year's festival was meant to be joyful (Numbers 29:1–6), and weeping would have ruined the day's spirit.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 8:9
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries