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

10Nehemiah said to the people, ‘Go to your homes and eat some good food. Drink sweet drinks. Share your food and your drink with people who do not have enough for themselves. This is a holy day for our Lord, so do not be sad. The Lord will give you joy so that you can be strong.’ 11The Levites also comforted the people. They said, ‘Do not weep. Today is a holy day, so do not be sad.’ Then the people went away to eat and to drink. They shared their food with other people. They were very happy because they now understood God's word that they had heard. 13On the second day of the seventh month, the leaders of families met together. They met with the priests, the Levites and with Ezra. They wanted to study the message of God's Law. 14They discovered what the Lord had commanded about a certain feast. The Lord had told Moses that the Israelites should live in huts during this feast. They should do that in the seventh month of each year.

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 8:10Nehemiah said to the people, ‘Go to your homes and eat some good food. Drink sweet drinks. Share your food and your drink with people who do not have enough for themselves. This is a holy day for our Lord, so do not be sad. The Lord will give you joy so that you can be strong.’
• Psalms 126:1When the Lord turned us round, so that we enjoyed a good life in Zion again, we thought that we were dreaming!
• Nehemiah 8:7As the people listened, some Levites taught them the meaning of God's Law. The names of the Levites were: Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah.
• Job 23:12I have been careful to obey his commands. His words are more important to me than my food.
• Psalms 19:8The Lord's rules are always right. If we obey them, they make us really happy. The Lord's commands are completely good. They show us how to live in a good way.
• Psalms 119:14Your rules give me a happy life. When I obey them, it is better than being rich!
• Psalms 119:130Your message brings light to people, when they understand it. It helps ordinary people to become wise.
• Proverbs 2:10You will become wise in your thoughts. Your knowledge of what is right will make you happy.
• Proverbs 24:1326. My child, honey is good for you, so eat it. It is sweet on your tongue when you taste it.
• Jeremiah 15:16As your words came to me, I took them into me like sweet food. I belong to you, Lord, God Almighty, so your words made me very happy.
• Luke 24:32They said to each other, ‘When he talked to us, it was like a fire that was burning inside us. We felt it while we were walking along the road. We also felt it when he was explaining God's message in the Bible.’
• Romans 7:18I know that there is nothing good in me. I am weak and human. I want to do what is good. But I am unable to do it.

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