Nehemiah 8:3

And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
read	וַיִּקְרָא vai.yik.ra'-	H7121	to call out to (i.e. properly · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
before	לִפְנֵ֨י lif.Nei	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
street	הָרְח֜וֹב ha.re.Chov	H7339	a width · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
before	לִפְנֵ֣י lif.Nei	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
water	הַמַּ֗יִם ha.Ma.yim	H4325	water · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
gate	שַֽׁעַר sha.'ar-	H8179	an opening · noun, common masculine singular construct
morning	הָאוֹר֙ ha.'Or	H216	illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
midday	מַחֲצִ֣ית ma.cha.Tzit	H4276	a halving or the middle · noun, common feminine singular construct
men	הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים ha.'a.na.Shim	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
women	וְהַנָּשִׁ֖ים ve.ha.na.Shim	H802	a woman · conjunction + definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
understand	וְהַמְּבִינִ֑ים ve.ha.me.vi.Nim	H995	to separate mentally (or distinguish) · conjunction + definite article + verb, hiphil active participle, masculine plural absolute
ears	וְאָזְנֵ֥י ve.'a.ze.Nei	H241	broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form in ma… · conjunction + noun, common feminine dual construct
people	הָעָ֖ם ha.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
book	סֵ֥פֶר Se.fer	H5612	properly · noun, common masculine singular 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

Revelation 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Luke 4:16-20 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up f…
Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Revelation 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Matthew 7:28-29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mark 12:37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
Luke 8:18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which…
Luke 19:48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:1-8

We have here an account of a solemn religious assembly, and the good work that was done in that assembly, to the honour of God and the edification of the church. I. The time of it was the first day of the seventh month, Neh 8:2. That was the day of the feast of trumpets, which is called a sabbath, and on which they were to have a holy convocation, Lev 23:24; Num 29:1. But that was not all: it was one that day that the altar was set up, and they began to offer their burnt-offerings after their return out of captivity, a recent mercy in the memory of many then living; in a thankful remembrance of that, it is likely, they had kept this feast ever since with more than ordinary solemnity. Divine…

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Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:2

All 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 is cruel to exclude the mother on this account, who, having no person to take care of her child while absent, must bring it with her, or be totally deprived of the ordinances of the Christian Church. Upon the first day of the seventh month…

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John Gill on Nehemiah 8:3

And he read therein,.... Some passages in it, here and there, which it was necessary the people should have knowledge of; for it can hardly be thought be began and read on just in the order in which it was: this he did before the street; at the top of it, at one end of it: that was before the water gate; which looked directly to that: from the morning until midday; from the rising of the sun to noon, so that he must read six hours; but very probably was relieved at times by the men with him, after mentioned: before the men and the women, and those that could understand; see Nehemiah 8:2, and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law; to the hearing of it read, a…

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…
Jerusalem — Called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the “city of God,” the “holy city;” by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning “the holy;” once “the city of Judah” (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the…
Commandments · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Gates · Of Jerusalem: Water gate — Of Jerusalem: Water gate
Law Of Moses, The · Publicly read: By Ezra — Publicly read: By Ezra
Morning · Continued until noon — Continued until noon
Scribes · Acted as: Religious teachers — Acted as: Religious teachers
Scriptures, The · Are called the: Book of the law — Are called the: Book of the law
Synagogue · The Scriptures were read and expoun — The Scriptures were read and expoun
Synagogues · Revival of, after the captivity — Revival of, after the captivity
Word Of God · .BOOK OF THE LAW — .BOOK OF THE LAW

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 8:3

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:2

John Gill on Nehemiah 8:3

Dictionary and topics

Nehemiah 8:3

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:2

John Gill on Nehemiah 8:3

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Nehemiah 8:3

Rashi on Nehemiah 8:3