Nehemiah 8:9

``This Day Is Holy"

9 Then Nehemiah, who was the ¹governor, and Ezra ²the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "³This day is holy to the LORD your God; ⁴do not mourn or weep." For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

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Nehemiah 8:9 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 8:9

And Nehemiah which is the Tirshatha
Or governor, as Zerubbabel had been, and now Nehemiah, see ( Ezra 2:63 )

and Ezra the priest and scribe;
see ( Nehemiah 8:1 Nehemiah 8:2 ) ,

and the Levites that taught the people;
see ( Nehemiah 8:7 )

said unto all the people, this day is holy unto the Lord your God;
being both the new moon and the feast of blowing of trumpets:

mourn not, nor weep;
which was unsuitable to a festival, and especially such an one as this, in which trumpets were to be blown, and gladness to be shown, ( Numbers 10:10 )

for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law;
perceiving they had not kept it, but had broke it in many instances, and so liable to the wrath and judgment of God in case of disobedience.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Nehemiah 8:9 In-Context

7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place.

8 They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

9 Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

10 Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord . Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved."

Cross References 4

1. Nehemiah 7:65, 70
2. Nehemiah 12:26
3. Nehemiah 8:2
4. Deuteronomy 12:7, 12

Footnotes 1

[a]. Heb "Tirshatha," a Persian title