Nehemiah 8 · Verse 2

Nehemiah 8:2

And 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.
Nehemiah 8:2, King James Version

Nehemiah 8:2 in other translations

BSBOn the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.
WEBEzra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
ASVAnd Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
YLTAnd Ezra the priest bringeth the law before the assembly, both of men and women, and every one intelligent to hear, on the first day of the seventh month,
DARBYAnd Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
BBEAnd Ezra the priest put the law before the meeting of the people, before the men and women and all those who were able to take it in, on the first day of the seventh month.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Nehemiah 8:2 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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 - This was the first day of what was called the civil year; and on it was the feast of trumpets, the year being ushered in by the sound of these instruments.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, as acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of families should bring their families with them to the public worship of God. Women and children have souls to save, and are therefore to acquaint themselves with the word of God, and to attend on the means of grace. Little ones, as…

Read the full comment on Nehemiah 8:1-8 →

Nehemiah 8:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיָּבִ֣יאvai.ya.Vi'and he broughtH935
עֶזְרָ֣א'ez.Ra'EzraH5830
הַ֠כֹּהֵןHa.ko.henthe priestH3548
אֶֽת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַתּוֹרָ֞הha.to.Rahthe lawH8451
לִפְנֵ֤יlif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
הַקָּהָל֙ha.ka.Halthe assemblyH6951
מֵאִ֣ישׁme.'Ishfrom manH376
וְעַד\־ve.'ad-and untoH5704
אִשָּׁ֔ה'i.ShahwomanH802
וְכֹ֖לve.Kholand everyH3605
מֵבִ֣יןme.Vin[one who] understoodH995
לִשְׁמֹ֑עַlish.Mo.a'to listenH8085
בְּי֥וֹםbe.Yomon dayH3117
אֶחָ֖ד'e.ChadoneH259
לַחֹ֥דֶשׁla.Cho.deshof the monthH2320
הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי\׃ha.she.vi.'I<the> seventhH7637

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Nehemiah 8:2

  • Leviticus 23:24

    Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

  • Malachi 2:7

    For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

  • Numbers 29:1

    And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.

  • Isaiah 28:9

    Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

  • Acts 15:21

    For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

  • Deuteronomy 17:18

    And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

  • Deuteronomy 31:9-13

    And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: …

  • 2 Chronicles 17:7-9

    Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Ben–hail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob–adonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
priest.
De 17:18; 31:9,10; Mal 2:7
congregation.
De 31:11-13; 2Ch 17:7-9; Ac 15:21
could hear with understanding. Heb. understood in hearing.
Isa 28:9
the first.
Le 23:24; Nu 29:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Nehemiah 8:1

    And 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.

  • Nehemiah 8:2

    And 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.

  • 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.

Read all of Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Esdras el sacerdote, trajo la ley delante de la congregación, así de hombres como de mujeres, y de todo entendido para escuchar, el primer día del mes séptimo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le premier jour du septième mois, Esdras, le sacrificateur, apporta la loi devant la congrégation des hommes et des femmes, et devant tous ceux qui avaient de l’intelligence pour entendre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und am ersten Tage des siebten Monats brachte Esra, der Priester, das Gesetz vor die Versammlung, sowohl der Männer als der Weiber, und vor alle, die Verständnis hatten, um zuzuhören.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Attulit ergo Esdras sacerdos legem coram multitudine virorum et mulierum, cunctisque qui poterant intelligere, in die prima mensis septimi.