Nehemiah 8
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
2And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
3And 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.
4And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people;(for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9And 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.
10Then 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.
11So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
12And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
13And 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.
14And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:
15And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
16So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
17And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
18Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- עַםʻamH597115× in this chapter
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
- יוֹםyôwmH311714× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- כֹּלkôlH360514× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- תּוֹרָהtôwrâhH84519× in this chapter
a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8348× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- כִּיkîyH35887× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- עֶזְרָאʻEzrâʼH58307× in this chapter
Ezra, an Israelite
- עָשָׂהʻâsâhH62137× in this chapter
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
- אֵתʼêthH8537× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30686× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- בִּיןbîynH9956× in this chapter
to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understand
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH4305× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- סֻכָּהçukkâhH55215× in this chapter
a hut or lair
- אָמַרʼâmarH5595× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- סֵפֶרçêpherH56125× in this chapter
properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book
- עַלʻalH59215× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- עָלֶהʻâlehH59295× in this chapter
a leaf (as coming up on a tree); collectively, foliage
- דָּבָרdâbârH16974× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- הוּאhûwʼH19314× in this chapter
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
- לֵוִיִּיLêvîyîyH38814× in this chapter
a Levite or descendant of Levi
- אַלʼalH4084× in this chapter
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
- אֵלʼêlH4134× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- סָפַרçâpharH56084× in this chapter
properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate
- עַדʻadH57044× in this chapter
as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64404× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- רְחֹבrᵉchôbH73394× in this chapter
a width, i.e. (concretely) avenue or area
- שַׁעַרshaʻarH81794× in this chapter
an opening, i.e. door or gate
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9354× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- בֵּןbênH11213× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- גָּדוֹלgâdôwlH14193× in this chapter
great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
- יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêlH34783× in this chapter
Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
- כֹּהֵןkôhênH35483× in this chapter
literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
- אִישׁʼîyshH3763× in this chapter
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
- מַיִםmayimH43253× in this chapter
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen
- מִןminH44803× in this chapter
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
- עָמַדʻâmadH59753× in this chapter
to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
- עֵץʻêtsH60863× in this chapter
a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)
- קָדוֹשׁqâdôwshH69183× in this chapter
sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary
- קָרָאqârâʼH71213× in this chapter
to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
- שָׁמַעshâmaʻH80853× in this chapter
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)