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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Context of Nehemiah 8:10

8They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. 9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. 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.” 11The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.” 12Then 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.

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 2:24A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,
• Ecclesiastes 3:13That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
• Ecclesiastes 5:18This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.
• Ecclesiastes 9:7Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
• 1 Timothy 6:17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
• Deuteronomy 26:11Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.
• Esther 9:19That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.
• Job 31:16“If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,
• Ecclesiastes 11:2Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
• Luke 11:41But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
• Revelation 11:10The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
• Psalms 28:7The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
• Psalms 149:2Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
• Proverbs 17:22A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
• Isaiah 6:7With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
• Isaiah 12:1In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have 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