Nehemiah 8 · Verse 5

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:
Nehemiah 8:5, King James Version

Nehemiah 8:5 in other translations

BSBEzra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up.
WEBEzra 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.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd Ezra openeth the book before the eyes of all the people--for above all the people he hath been--and at his opening it all the people have stood up,
DARBYAnd 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.
BBEAnd Ezra took the book, opening it before the eyes of all the people (for he was higher than the people); and when it was open, all the people got to their feet:
WebsterAnd 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:

What does Nehemiah 8:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. when he opened it, all the people stood up--This attitude they assumed either from respect to God's word, or, rather, because the reading was prefaced by a solemn prayer, which was concluded by a general expression of "Amen, Amen."

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 All the people stood up - This was out of respect to the sacred word: in imitation of this, when the gospel for the day is read in our churches, all the people stand up.

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 8:5 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.

וַיִּפְתַּ֨חvai.yif.Tachand he openedH6605
עֶזְרָ֤א'ez.Ra'EzraH5830
הַסֵּ֙פֶר֙ha.Se.ferthe scrollH5612
לְעֵינֵ֣יle.'ei.Neito [the] eyes ofH5869
כָל\־khol-allH3605
הָעָ֔םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
מֵעַ֥לme.'Al<from> aboveH5921
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הָעָ֖םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
הָיָ֑הha.Yahhe wasH1961
וּכְפִתְח֖וֹu.khe.fit.Choand just as opened [it] heH6605
עָֽמְד֥וּ'a.me.Duthey stood upH5975
כָל\־khol-allH3605
הָעָֽם\׃ha.'Amthe peopleH5971

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

Cross references for Nehemiah 8:5

  • Judges 3:20

    And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

  • 1 Kings 8:14

    And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)

  • Luke 4:16-17

    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 for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
opened.
Lu 4:16,17
sight. Heb. eyes. stood up.
Jud 3:20; 1Ki 8:14

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

Context

  • 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:

  • Nehemiah 8:6

    And 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.

Read all of Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Abrió pues Esdras el libro á ojos de todo el pueblo, (porque estaba más alto que todo el pueblo); y como lo abrió, todo el pueblo estuvo atento.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Esdras ouvrit le livre aux yeux de tout le peuple, car il était élevé au-dessus de tout le peuple; et quand il l’ouvrit, tout le peuple se tint debout.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Esra öffnete das Buch vor den Augen des ganzen Volkes, denn er ragte über dem ganzen Volke empor; und als er es öffnete, stand das ganze Volk auf.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et aperuit Esdras librum coram omni populo: super universum quippe populum eminebat: et cum aperuisset eum, stetit omnis populus.