Nehemiah 9:1

The People of Israel Pray to the LORD

1 It was the 24th day of the seventh month. The people of Israel gathered together again. They didn't eat any food. They wore black clothes. They put dust on their heads.

Nehemiah 9:1 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:1

Now in the twenty fourth day of this month
The seventh month, the month Tisri or September, two days after the feast of tabernacles was ended:

the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with
sackclothes, and earth upon them;
which were all outward tokens of mourning and humiliation, see ( Joel 1:8 Joel 1:14 ) ( 1 Samuel 4:12 ) which they could not show during the festival; but that being over, they return to it, see ( Nehemiah 8:9 ) .

Nehemiah 9:1 In-Context

1 It was the 24th day of the seventh month. The people of Israel gathered together again. They didn't eat any food. They wore black clothes. They put dust on their heads.

2 The people of Israel separated themselves from everyone else. They stood and admitted they had sinned. They also admitted that their people before them had done evil things.

3 They stood where they were. They listened while the Levites read parts of the Scroll of the Law of the LORD their God. They listened for a fourth of the day. They spent another fourth of the day admitting their sins. They also worshiped the LORD their God.

4 The Levites stood on the stairs. They included Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel and Shebaniah. They also included Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. With loud voices they called out to the LORD their God.

5 Then some Levites spoke up. They included Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani and Hashabneiah. They also included Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah. They said to the people, "Stand up. Praise the LORD your God. He lives for ever and ever!" So the people said, "Lord, may your glorious name be praised. May it be lifted high above every other name that is blessed and praised.