Nehemiah 8:9

Nehemiah 8:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
• New International Version (NIV)Then 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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

Context of Nehemiah 8:9

7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 10Then 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.” 11So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”

Nehemiah 8:9 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר נְחֶמְיָ֣ה ה֣וּא הַתִּרְשָׁ֡תָא וְעֶזְרָ֣א הַכֹּהֵ֣ן׀ הַסֹּפֵ֡ר וְהַלְוִיִּם֩ הַמְּבִינִ֨ים אֶת־הָעָ֜ם לְכָל־הָעָ֗ם הַיּ֤וֹם קָדֹֽשׁ־הוּא֙ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם אַל־תִּֽתְאַבְּל֖וּ וְאַל־תִּבְכּ֑וּ כִּ֤י בוֹכִים֙ כָּל־הָעָ֔ם כְּשָׁמְעָ֖ם אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַתּוֹרָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Nehemiahנְחֶמְיָהnechemyâh · NehemiahH5166
• the Tirshathaתִּרְשָׁתָאtirshâthâ' · governorH8660
• and Ezraעֶזְרָא‛ezrâ' · EzraH5830
• the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• the scribeסֹפֵרsâphar · secretaryH5608
• and the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• that taughtבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• This dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• holyקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• mournאָבַל'âbal · to mournH56
• not, nor weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• when they heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451

Cross-references for Nehemiah 8:9

• Nehemiah 7:65And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
• Nehemiah 10:1Now those who placed their seal on the document were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
• Ezra 2:63And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
• Ezra 7:11This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to Israel:
• Nehemiah 8:7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place.
• 2 Chronicles 15:3For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law;
• 2 Chronicles 30:22And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the Lord; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the Lord God of their fathers.
• 2 Chronicles 35:3Then he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the Lord: “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel.
• Hosea 4:6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
• Nehemiah 8:2So 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.
• Leviticus 23:24“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
• Numbers 29:1‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets.
• Deuteronomy 12:7And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
• Deuteronomy 16:11You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.
• Deuteronomy 26:14I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me.
• Ecclesiastes 3:4A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

Commentaries on Nehemiah 8:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha - This puts it out of doubt that, when the Tirshatha is mentioned, Nehemiah himself is intended, Tirshatha being the name of his office. Mourn not, nor weep - This is a holy day to God: a day appointed for general rejoicing in Him who has turned our captivity, restored to us his law, and again established among us his ordinances.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha - Hereto, Nehemiah has called himself פחה pechâh Nehemiah 5:14-15, Nehemiah 5:18, which is the ordinary word for “governor.” Now for the first time he is called the Tirshatha‘” (see Ezra 2:63 note.) The people wept … - Because the Law brought vividly before them their sins of omission and commission. In Nehemiah 8:10 the Jews were not forbidden to be sorry for their sins, but they were only prohibited from marring a…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. 9-10Ezra the priest and scribe: See study note on Ezra 7:6. This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep: God moved the people's hearts, leading them to regret not following his laws. While weeping is a suitable reaction to sin (see Ezekiel 9:4; Luke 6:21), Ezra and Nehemiah urged the people to celebrate what God had done. This New Year's festival was meant to be joyful (Numbers 29:1–6), and weeping would have ruined the day's spirit.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 8:9

• Feasts
• Joy
• Law
• Levites
• Priest
• Repentance
• Tirshatha
• Trumpets

In the dictionaries

• Ezra
• God
• Nehemiah
• Festivals, Religious
• Read
• Scribes
• Tabernacles, Feast of
• Tirshatha
• Atonement, Day of
• Attharates

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