Nehemiah 9:2

2 And the seed of the sons of Israel was separated from each alien man. And they stood before the Lord, and acknowledged their sins, and the wickednesses of their fathers. (And the descendants of the Israelites separated themselves from every foreigner. And they stood before the Lord, and confessed their sins, and the wickednesses of their forefathers.)

Nehemiah 9:2 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:2

And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers,
&c.] Such as were genuine Israelites, of the seed of Abraham, who had married wives of the Gentiles, strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, either before the reformation by Ezra, not being then discovered, or had fallen into this evil since; but now, on the reading of the law, were convinced of it, and so separated themselves from such wives, which was a proof of the truth of their repentance:

and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their
fathers:
particularly their taking of strange wives, which their fathers had also done, and set them a bad example, which they had followed; of standing and confessing, see ( Luke 18:13 ) .

Nehemiah 9:2 In-Context

1 Forsooth in the four and twentieth day of this month, the sons of Israel came together in fasting, and in sackcloths, and earth was on them. (Now on the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites came together in sackcloths, with earth on their heads, for a fast, to show remorse for their sins.)

2 And the seed of the sons of Israel was separated from each alien man. And they stood before the Lord, and acknowledged their sins, and the wickednesses of their fathers. (And the descendants of the Israelites separated themselves from every foreigner. And they stood before the Lord, and confessed their sins, and the wickednesses of their forefathers.)

3 And they rose together to stand; and they read in the book of the law of the Lord their God four times in the day, and four times in the night; they acknowledged, and praised the Lord their God. (And they stood up in their places; and The Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read to them for one fourth, or one quarter, of the day; and then for another fourth, or quarter, they confessed their sins, and praised the Lord their God.)

4 Forsooth they rised [up] on the degree, of (the) deacons, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Bunni, Shebaniah, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. And the deacons cried with great voice to their Lord God. (And then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Bunni, Shebaniah, Sherebiah, another Bani, and Chenani stood on the platform built for the Levites. And they cried aloud to the Lord their God.)

5 And (the deacons,) Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Rise ye (up), and bless ye the Lord your God, from without beginning and till into without end; and Lord, bless they the high name of thy glory in all blessing and praising. (And the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Rise ye up, and bless ye the Lord your God, forever and ever; yea, Lord, bless they thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.)