Christian Standard Bible
Nehemiah 8:2
2On the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding.
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
1all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel. On the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. 3While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law. 4The scribe Ezra stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
Read all of Nehemiah 8Nehemiah 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 17:18When he is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
- Deuteronomy 31:9Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the Lord’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel.
- Malachi 2:7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should desire instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Armies.
- Deuteronomy 31:11when all Israel assembles in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he chooses, you are to read this law aloud before all Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 17:7In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials — Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah — to teach in the cities of Judah.
- Acts 15:21For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”
- Isaiah 28:9Who is he trying to teach? Who is he trying to instruct? Infants just weaned from milk? Babies removed from the breast?
- Leviticus 23:24“Tell the Israelites: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a day of complete rest, commemoration, and trumpet blasts — a sacred assembly.
- Numbers 29:1“You are to hold a sacred assembly in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, and you are not to do any daily work. This will be a day of trumpet blasts for you.
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
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
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