Nehemiah 8:13

And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
second	הַשֵּׁנִ֡י ha.she.Ni	H8145	properly · definite article + ordinal number, masculine singular absolute
day	וּבַיּ֣וֹם u.vai.Yom	H3117	a day (as the warm hours) · conjunction + preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
together	נֶאֶסְפוּ֩ ne.'es.Fu	H622	to gather for any purpose · verb, niphal perfect, 3rd person common plural
chief	רָאשֵׁ֨י ra.Shei	H7218	the head (as most easily shaken) · noun, common masculine plural construct
fathers	הָאָב֜וֹת ha.'a.Vot	H1	father · definite article + noun, common feminine plural absolute
people	הָעָ֗ם ha.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
priests	הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ ha.ko.ha.Nim	H3548	literally one officiating · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
Levites	וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם ve.hal.vi.Yim	H3881	a Levite or descendant of Levi · conjunction + definite article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
Ezra	עֶזְרָ֖א 'ez.Ra'	H5830	Ezra · proper noun, a man's name
scribe	הַסֹּפֵ֑ר ha.so.Fer	H5608	properly · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
understand	וּלְהַשְׂכִּ֖יל u.le.has.Kil	H7919	to be (causatively · conjunction + preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
words	דִּבְרֵ֥י div.Rei	H1697	a word · noun, common masculine plural construct
law	הַתּוֹרָֽה ha.to.Rah	H8451	a precept or statute · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Proverbs 2:1-6 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
Proverbs 8:33-34 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
Proverbs 12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
2 Chronicles 30:23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness.
Nehemiah 8:7-8 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites…
Mark 6:33-34 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
Luke 19:47-48 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:13–end

We have here, I. The people's renewed attendance upon the word. They had spent the greatest part of one day in praying and hearing, and yet were so far from being weary of that new moon and sabbath that the next day after, though it was no festival, the chief of them came together again to hear Ezra expound (Neh 8:13), which they found more delightful and gainful than any worldly pleasure or profit whatsoever. Note, The more we converse with the word of God, if we rightly understand it and be affected with it, the more we shall covet to converse with it, and to increase in our acquaintance with it, saying, How sweet are thy words unto my mouth! Those that understand the scriptures well will…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 8:9

THE PEOPLE COMFORTED. (Neh 8:9-15) 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 festival (see on Lev 23:24). By sending portions of it to their poorer brethren (Deu 16:11, Deu 16:14; Est 9:19), they would also enable them to participate in the public rejoicings.

Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:10

Eat 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 your bodies will acquire strength and your minds power and fervor, so that you shall be able to Do His will, and to do it cheerfully. Religious joy, properly tempered with continual dependence on the help of God, meekness of mind, and self-dif…

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Dictionary and topics

Ezra — Help. (1.) A priest among those that returned to Jerusalem under Zerubabel (Neh. 12:1). (2.) The “scribe” who led the second body of exiles that returned from Babylon to Jerusalem B.C. 459, and…
Sabbath — (Heb. verb shabbath, meaning “to rest from labour”), the day of rest. It is first mentioned as having been instituted in Paradise, when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:2). “The sabbath was made for…
Scribes — Anciently held various important offices in the public affairs of the nation. The Hebrew word so rendered (sopher) is first used to designate the holder of some military office (Judg. 5:14; A.V.,…
Synagogue, The Great — On the return of the Jews from Babylon, a great council was appointed according to rabbinic tradition, to reorganize the religious life of the people. It consisted of 120 members, and these were…
Tabernacles, Feast of — The third of the great annual festivals of the Jews (Lev. 23:33-43). It is also called the “feast of ingathering” (Ex. 23:16; Deut. 16:13). It was celebrated immediately after the harvest, in the…
Tabernacles, The Feast Of — (Exodus 23:16) (“the feast of ingathering”), the third of the three great festivals: of the Hebrews, which lasted from the 15th till the 22d of Tisri.
Law Of Moses, The · A means of national reformation — A means of national reformation
Word Of God · To be read publicly — To be read publicly

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Nehemiah 8:13

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:13–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 8:9

Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:10

Dictionary and topics

Nehemiah 8:13

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:13–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Nehemiah 8:9

Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:10

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Nehemiah 8:13

Keil & Delitzsch on Nehemiah 8:13–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Nehemiah 8:10

Rashi on Nehemiah 8:13