Nehemiah 9 · Verse 3

Nehemiah 9:3

And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.
Nehemiah 9:3, King James Version

Nehemiah 9:3 in other translations

BSBWhile they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.
WEBThey stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God a fourth part of the day; and a fourth part they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.
ASVAnd they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped Jehovah their God.
YLTand rise up on their station, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth of the day, and a fourth they are confessing and bowing themselves to Jehovah their God.
DARBYAnd they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day; and a fourth part they confessed, and worshipped Jehovah their God.
BBEAnd for a fourth part of the day, upright in their places, they were reading from the book of the law of their God; and for a fourth part of the day they were requesting forgiveness and worshipping the Lord their God.
WebsterAnd they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshiped the LORD their God.

What does Nehemiah 9:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. they ... read in the book of the law--Their extraordinary zeal led them to continue this as before. one fourth part of the day--that is, for three hours, twelve hours being the acknowledged length of the Jewish day (Joh 11:9). This solemn diet of worship, which probably commenced at the morning sacrifice, was continued for six hours, that is, till the time of the evening sacrifice. The worship which they gave to the Lord their God, at this season of solemn national humiliation, consisted in acknowledging and adoring His great mercy in the forgiveness of their great and multiplied offenses, in delivering them from the merited judgments which they had already experienced or which they had reason to apprehend, in continuing amongst them the light and blessings of His word and worship, and in supplicating the extension of His grace and protection.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 One fourth part of the day - As they did no manner of work on this day of fasting and humiliation, so they spent the whole of it in religious duties. They began, says Calmet, on the first hour, and continued these exercises to the third hour; from the third they recommenced, and continued till the sixth hour; from the sixth to the ninth; and from the ninth, to the twelfth or last hour. 1. They heard the law read, standing; 2. They prostrated themselves, and confessed their sins; 3. They arose to praise God for having spared and dealt thus mercifully with them.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nehemiah 9:1-3

The word will direct and quicken prayer, for by it the Spirit helps our infirmities in prayer. The careful study of God's word will more and more discover to us our own sinfulness, and the plenteousness of his salvation; thus it calls us to mourn for sin, and to rejoice in him. Every discovery of the truth of God, should render us more unwearied in attendance on his sacred word, and on his worship.

Read the full comment on Nehemiah 9:1-3 →

Nehemiah 9:3 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.

וַיָּק֙וּמוּ֙vai.ya.Ku.muand they stoodH6965
עַל\־'al-atH5921
עָמְדָ֔ם'a.me.Damplace theirH5977
וַֽיִּקְרְא֗וּvai.yik.re.'Uand they read aloudH7121
בְּסֵ֨פֶרbe.Se.ferin [the] scroll ofH5612
תּוֹרַ֧תto.Rat[the] law ofH8451
יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם'e.lo.hei.HemGod theirH430
רְבִעִ֣יתre.vi.'It[the] fourth ofH7243
הַיּ֑וֹםhai.Yomthe dayH3117
וּרְבִעִית֙u.re.vi.'Itand a fourthH7243
מִתְוַדִּ֣יםmit.va.Dim[they were] confessingH3034
וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֔יםu.mish.ta.cha.Vimand [they were] bowing downH7812
לַיהוָ֖הla.Yah.wehto YahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם\׃\ \פ'e.lo.hei.HemGod theirH430

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

Cross references for Nehemiah 9:3

  • Nehemiah 8:3-4

    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. 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 8:7-8

    Also 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. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they stood.
8:4,7,8
one fourth.
8:3

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

Context

  • Nehemiah 9:2

    And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

  • Nehemiah 9:3

    And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.

  • Nehemiah 9:4

    Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God.

Read all of Nehemiah 9

Nehemiah 9:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y puestos de pie en su lugar, leyeron en el libro de la ley de Jehová su Dios la cuarta parte del día, y la cuarta parte confesaron y adoraron á Jehová su Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils se levèrent à leurs places, et lurent dans le livre de la loi de l’ Éternel, leur Dieu, pendant un quart de la journée; et pendant un quart, ils firent confession et se prosternèrent devant l’ Éternel, leur Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie standen auf an ihrer Stelle und lasen in dem Buche des Gesetzes Jehovas, ihres Gottes, ein Viertel des Tages. Und ein anderes Viertel des Tages bekannten sie ihre Sünden und warfen sich nieder vor Jehova, ihrem Gott.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et consurrexerunt ad standum: et legerunt in volumine legis Domini Dei sui, quater in die, et quater confitebantur, et adorabant Dominum Deum suum.