Nehemiah 8:3

Nehemiah 8:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
• New International Version (NIV)He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Context of Nehemiah 8:3

1All the people met together in the open place near the Water Gate. They asked Ezra to bring the book of the Law of Moses. The Lord had given those laws to the Israelites so that they would obey them. 2On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra brought the book of the Law to the people. In the crowd, there were men and women, as well as children who were old enough to understand. Ezra read aloud while he stood there, in the open place near the Water Gate. He read to all the men, women and children from dawn until noon. Everyone listened carefully to Ezra while he read the book of the Law. 4Ezra stood on a tall tower to speak to the people. They had built it from wood so that they could hear him. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah stood at his right side. Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam stood at his left side. 5Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was high above them. When he opened the book, the crowd all stood up.

Nehemiah 8:3 word by word

וַיִּקְרָא־בוֹ֩ לִפְנֵ֨י הָרְח֜וֹב אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ לִפְנֵ֣י שַֽׁעַר־הַמַּ֗יִם מִן־הָאוֹר֙ עַד־מַחֲצִ֣ית הַיּ֔וֹם נֶ֛גֶד הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְהַמְּבִינִ֑ים וְאָזְנֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־סֵ֥פֶר הַתּוֹרָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he readקָרָאqârâ' · to call: read outH7121
• therein beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the streetרְחוֹבrechôb rechôb · street/plazaH7339
• the waterמַיmayim · Water (Gate)H4325
• gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• from the morningאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
• until middayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• until middayמַחֲצִיתmachătsîyth · halfH4276
• before the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• and the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• and those that could understandבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
• and the earsאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · earH241
• of all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• unto the bookסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: bookH5612
• of the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451

Cross-references for Nehemiah 8:3

• Luke 4:16Jesus went to Nazareth, the town where he had grown up. On the Jewish day of rest, he went to their meeting place. This was what he usually did. He stood up to read aloud from the Bible.
• Acts 13:15Someone read aloud some words from the Bible. They read from God's Law and from the messages of God's prophets. After this, the leaders of the Jewish meeting place passed a note to Paul and Barnabas. The note said, ‘Friends, do you have a message that will help the people? If you do, please speak now.’
• Acts 15:21These rules are important, because people have known the Law of Moses for a very long time. On every Jewish day of rest, someone teaches us about the Law in our Jewish meeting places in every city.’
• Acts 20:7On the Sunday evening, we met together with the believers. We broke bread into pieces and we shared it with each other. Paul spoke to the believers for a long time, until midnight. This was because he wanted to leave Troas the next day.
• Acts 28:23So the Jewish leaders in Rome chose a day to meet again with Paul. When that day arrived, a large number of Jews came to the house where Paul was staying. Paul talked to them from the morning until the evening. He explained his message about the kingdom of God. He showed them what Moses and the other prophets had written in the Bible. He tried to show them that Jesus was God's special Messiah.
• Matthew 7:28Jesus finished speaking. The crowds of people were very surprised at the things that he taught them.
• Mark 12:37In these words, David himself calls the Messiah his Lord. So can you really say that the Messiah is David's son?’ The large crowd liked to listen to the things that Jesus was saying. It made them happy.
• Luke 8:18So you should think carefully about what you hear. The person who has received some things will receive more. But some other people have nothing. They think that they have a little bit. But they will lose even that.’
• Luke 19:48But all the people were listening to him very carefully. They wanted to hear everything that he was saying. So those leaders did not know how they could kill him.
• Acts 16:14One of the women who listened to us was called Lydia. She was from the city of Thyatira. She bought and sold expensive dark red cloth. She was a Gentile woman who now worshipped God. The Lord helped her to understand Paul's message. So she believed the things that he said.
• Acts 17:11The Jewish people in Berea were better than the people in Thessalonica. They were happy to listen carefully to Paul. Every day they also studied the Bible. They wanted to know if Paul's message was true.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13There is another reason why we always continue to thank God for you. When we told God's message to you, you knew that it was not human ideas. You accepted it as God's own message, and that is what it certainly is. You continue to grow as believers because of God's message that you heard.
• Hebrews 2:1So we must be very careful. We must continue to remember the message that we have heard about God's Son. Then we will not go in the wrong direction, and turn away from God.
• Revelation 2:29God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully!” ’
• Revelation 3:22God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully!” ’

Commentaries on Nehemiah 8:3

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The time from early morning until noon allowed about six hours for reading and interpreting (Nehemiah 8:7–8). understand (see also Nehemiah 8:2, 8, 12): This was more than a ritual reading of the law. It included explanations, insights, and applications.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 8:3

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

In the dictionaries

• Ezra
• Read
• Atonement, Day of
• Bible, the
• City
• Criticism of the Bible
• Israel, History of
• Leviticus
• Midday
• Reading

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