English Standard Version
Nehemiah 8:2
2So 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand.
Context of Nehemiah 8:2
1And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 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. 3And 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. 4And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand.
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 17:18"And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.
- Deuteronomy 31:9Then 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 a priest should guard knowledge, and 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 at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
- 2 Chronicles 17:7In 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 Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues."
- Isaiah 28:9"To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?
- Leviticus 23:24"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.
- Numbers 29:1"On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets,
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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Commentaries