Nehemiah 8 · Verse 4

Nehemiah 8:4

And 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.
Nehemiah 8:4, King James Version

Nehemiah 8:4 in other translations

BSBEzra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
WEBEzra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
ASVAnd 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 Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
YLTAnd Ezra the scribe standeth on a tower of wood that they made for the purpose, and Mattithiah standeth near him, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right; and on his left Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddana, Zechariah, Meshullam.
DARBYAnd Ezra the scribe stood upon a high stage of wood, which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkijah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddana, Zechariah, Meshullam.
BBEAnd Ezra the scribe took his place on a tower of wood which they had made for the purpose; and by his side were placed Mattithiah and Shema and Anaiah and Uriah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah on the right; and on the left, Pedaiah and Mishael and Malchijah and Hashum and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Nehemiah 8:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. Ezra ... stood upon a pulpit of wood--Not made in the form known to us, but only a raised scaffold or platform, broad enough to allow fourteen persons to stand with ease upon it. Ezra's duty was very laborious, as he continued reading aloud from morning until midday, but his labor was lightened by the aid of the other priests present. Their presence was of importance, partly to show their cordial agreement with Ezra's declaration of divine truth; and partly to take their share with him in the important duty of publicly reading and expounding the Scripture.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Stood upon a pulpit of wood - מגדל migdal, a tower, a platform, raised up for the purpose, to elevate him sufficiently for the people both to see and hear him; for it is said, Neh 8:5, that he was above all the people. This is the first intimation we have of a pulpit, or structure of this kind. But we must not suppose that it was any thing similar to those tubs or barrels ridiculously set up in churches and chapels, in which a preacher is nearly as much confined, during the time of his preaching, as if he was in the stocks.

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 8:4 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.

וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֞דvai.ya.'a.Modand he stoodH5975
עֶזְרָ֣א'ez.Ra'EzraH5830
הַסֹּפֵ֗רha.so.Ferthe scribeH5608
עַֽל\־'al-onH5921
מִגְדַּל\־mig.dal-a high platform ofH4026
עֵץ֮'etzwoodH6086
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
עָשׂ֣וּ'a.Supeople had madeH6213
לַדָּבָר֒la.da.Varfor the matterH1697
וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֣דvai.ya.'a.Modand he stoodH5975
אֶצְל֡וֹ'etz.Lobeside himH681
מַתִּתְיָ֡הma.tit.YahMattithiahH4993
וְשֶׁ֡מַעve.She.ma'and ShemaH8087
וַ֠עֲנָיָהVa.'a.na.yahand AnaiahH6043
וְאוּרִיָּ֧הve.'u.ri.Yahand UriahH223
וְחִלְקִיָּ֛הve.chil.ki.Yahand HilkiahH2518
וּמַעֲשֵׂיָ֖הu.ma.'a.se.Yahand MaaseiahH4641
עַל\־'al-onH5921
יְמִינ֑וֹye.mi.Noright [hand] hisH3225
וּמִשְּׂמֹאל֗וֹu.mi.se.mo.Loand from left hisH8040
פְּ֠דָיָהPe.da.yahPedaiahH6305
וּמִֽישָׁאֵ֧לu.mi.sha.'Eland MishaelH4332
וּמַלְכִּיָּ֛הu.mal.ki.Yahand MalkijahH4441
וְחָשֻׁ֥םve.cha.Shumand HashumH2828
וְחַשְׁבַּדָּ֖נָהve.chash.ba.Da.nahand HashbaddanahH2806
זְכַרְיָ֥הze.khar.YahZechariahH2148
מְשֻׁלָּֽם\׃\ \פme.shu.LamMeshullamH4918

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

Cross references for Nehemiah 8:4

  • Nehemiah 10:18

    Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,

  • Nehemiah 10:25

    Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

  • Ezra 10:33

    Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

  • Ezra 10:29

    And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

  • Nehemiah 10:3

    Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah,

  • Nehemiah 10:20

    Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

  • Nehemiah 11:5

    And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col–hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.

  • Nehemiah 11:7

    And these are the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jesaiah.

  • Nehemiah 10:7

    Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

  • Nehemiah 12:13

    Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
pulpit. Heb. tower. Maaseiah.
10:25; 11:5
Malchiah.
10:3
Hashum.
10:18; Ezr 10:33
Meshullam.
10:7,20; 11:7; 12:13; Ezr 10:29

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Nehemiah 8:4

    And 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.

  • Nehemiah 8:5

    And 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:

Read all of Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Esdras el escriba estaba sobre un púlpito de madera, que habían hecho para ello; y junto á él estaban Mathithías, y Sema, y Anías, y Urías, é Hilcías, y Maasías, á su mano derecha; y á su mano izquierda, Pedaía, Misael, y Malchîas, y Hasum, y Hasbedana, Zachârías, y Mesullam.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Esdras, le scribe, se tenait sur une estrade de bois qu’on avait faite pour l’occasion; et Matthithia, et Shéma, et Anaïa, et Urie, et Hilkija, et Maascéïa, se tenaient à côté de lui, à sa droite; et à sa gauche, Pedaïa, et Mishaël, et Malkija, et Hashum, et Hashbaddana, Zacharie, et Meshullam.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Esra, der Schriftgelehrte, stand auf einem Gerüst von Holz, welches man zu diesem Zwecke gemacht hatte. Und neben ihm standen Mattithja und Schema und Anaja und Urija und Hilkija und Maaseja, zu seiner Rechten; und zu seiner Linken Pedaja und Mischael und Malkija und Haschum und Haschbaddana, Sekarja, Meschullam.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Stetit autem Esdras scriba super gradum ligneum, quem fecerat ad loquendum: et steterunt juxta eum Mathathias, et Semeia, et Ania, et Uria, et Helcia, et Maasia, ad dexteram ejus: et ad sinistram, Phadaia, Misaël, et Melchia, et Hasum, et Hasbadana, Zacharia, et Mosollam.