Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah 8:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
• New International Version (NIV)Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Context of Nehemiah 8:10

8They read the Book of God’s Teachings clearly and explained the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. 9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people told them, “This is a holy day for the Lord your God. Don’t mourn or cry.” All the people were crying as they listened to the reading of God’s Teachings. Then he told them, “Go, eat rich foods, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who cannot provide for themselves. Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don’t be sad because the joy you have in the Lord is your strength.” 11So the Levites calmed all the people by saying, “Listen. Today is a holy day. Don’t be sad.” 12Then all the people went to eat and drink and to send portions. They had a big, joyful celebration because they understood the words that had been explained to them.

Nehemiah 8:10 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֡ם לְכוּ֩ אִכְל֨וּ מַשְׁמַנִּ֜ים וּשְׁת֣וּ מַֽמְתַקִּ֗ים וְשִׁלְח֤וּ מָנוֹת֙ לְאֵ֣ין נָכ֣וֹן ל֔וֹ כִּֽי־קָד֥וֹשׁ הַיּ֖וֹם לַאֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ וְאַל־תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּ כִּֽי־חֶדְוַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה הִ֥יא מָֽעֻזְּכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, Go your wayיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the fatמַשְׁמָןmashmân · fat pieceH4924
• and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• the sweetמַמְתַֿקִּיםmamtaq · sweetnessH4477
• and sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• portionsמָנָהmânâh · portionH4490
• unto them for whom nothing is preparedכּוּןkûn · to establish: prepareH3559
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
• unto our Lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• neither be ye sorryעָצַב‛âtsab · to hurtH6087
• for the joyחֶדְוָהchedvâh · joyH2304
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• is your strengthמָעוֹזmâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz mâ‛ôz mâ‛ûz · securityH4581

Cross-references for Nehemiah 8:10

• Ecclesiastes 2:24There is nothing better for people to do than to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their work. I saw that even this comes from the hand of God.
• Ecclesiastes 3:13It is a gift from God to be able to eat and drink and experience the good that comes from every kind of hard work.
• Ecclesiastes 5:18At last I have seen what is good and beautiful: It is to eat and drink and to enjoy the good in all our hard work under the sun during the brief lives God gives us. That is our lot ⌞in life⌟.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7Go, enjoy eating your food, and drink your wine cheerfully, because God has already accepted what you’ve done.
• 1 Timothy 6:17Tell those who have the riches of this world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, they should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
• Deuteronomy 26:11Then you, the Levites, and the foreigners who live among you can enjoy all the good things which the Lord your God has given you and your family.
• Esther 9:19That is why the Jews who live in the villages and in the unwalled towns make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a holiday for feasting and celebration. They also send gifts of food to one another.
• Job 31:16“If I have refused the requests of the poor or made a widow’s eyes stop ⌞looking for help⌟,
• Ecclesiastes 11:2Divide what you have into seven parts, or even into eight, because you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth.
• Luke 11:41Give what is inside as a gift to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you.
• Revelation 11:10Those living on earth will gloat over the witnesses’ death. They will celebrate and send gifts to each other because these two prophets had tormented those living on earth.
• Psalms 28:7The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted him, so I received help. My heart is triumphant; I give thanks to him with my song.
• Psalms 149:2Let Israel find joy in their creator. Let the people of Zion rejoice over their king.
• Proverbs 17:22A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one’s strength.
• Isaiah 6:7He touched my mouth with it and said, “This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away, and your sin has been forgiven.”
• Isaiah 12:1At that time you will say, “I will praise you, O Lord. Although you had been angry with me, you turned your anger away from me, and you comforted me.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 8:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Eat the fat, and drink the sweet - Eat and drink the best that you have; and while ye are feeding yourselves in the fear of the Lord, remember those who cannot feast; and send portions to them, that the joy and the thanksgiving may be general. Let the poor have reason to rejoice as well as you. For the joy of the Lord is your strength - This is no gluttonous and drunken festival that enervates the body, and enfeebles the mind: from your religious feast…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10The “sending of portions” to the poor is not distinctly mentioned in any but the later historical Scriptures (compare the margin reference). The practice naturally grew out of this injunction of the Law Deuteronomy 16:11, Deuteronomy 16:14.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. 10People ate rich foods like meat only on special occasions. Sweet drinks meant unfermented juice, unlike the vinegar common laborers drank (see Ruth 2:14). It is good to share with those in need (see Deuteronomy 15:11; Job 29:16; Proverbs 31:20; Matthew 6:2–3; Acts 4:34–35).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 8:10

• Beneficence
• Blessing
• Feasts
• Joy
• Law
• Levites
• Poor
• Repentance
• Trumpets

In the dictionaries

• Banquet
• Ezra
• Festivals, Religious
• Poor
• Read
• Tabernacles, Feast of
• Atonement, Day of
• Bible, the
• Criticism of the Bible
• Israel, History of

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