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the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Nehemiah 8:8

They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Commandments;   Feasts;   Instruction;   Interpreter;   Law;   Levites;   Repentance;   Synagogue;   Word of God;   Worship;   Thompson Chain Reference - Book;   Ezra;   Law;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Scriptures, the;   Synagogues;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ezra;   Synagogue;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Canon;   Education;   Ezra;   Israel;   Levite;   Malachi;   Priest;   Scribes;   Synagogue;   Teacher;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Levite;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Preaching;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Synagogue;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Canon of the Old Testament;   Captivity;   Church;   Education;   Hebrew Language;   Levites;   Nehemiah, the Book of;   Priest;   Scribes;   Scriptures;   Shelemiah;   Versions;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezra, Book of;   Nehemiah;   Preaching in the Bible;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Ezra;   Ezra, Book of;   Malachi;   Synagogue;   Talmud;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ezra ;   Levites ;   Scribes;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Targum;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Captivity;   Ezra;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Canon of the Old Testament;   Distinctly;   Languages of the Old Testament;   Targum;   Teach;   Text of the Old Testament;   Trumpets, Feast of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Bible;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cantillation;   Homiletics;   Law, Reading from the;   Liturgy;   Meturgeman;   Midrash;   Music, Synagogal;   Revelation;   Scribes;   Targum;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
King James Version
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
English Standard Version
They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
New Century Version
They read from the Book of the Teachings of God and explained what it meant so the people understood what was being read.
New English Translation
They read from the book of God's law, explaining it and imparting insight. Thus the people gained understanding from what was read.
Amplified Bible
So they read from the Book of the Law of God, translating and explaining it so that the people understood the reading.
New American Standard Bible
They read from the book, from the Law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.
World English Bible
They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they read in the booke of the Lawe of God distinctly, and gaue the sense, & caused them to vnderstand the reading.
Legacy Standard Bible
They read from the book, from the law of God, explaining and giving insight, and they provided understanding of the reading.
Berean Standard Bible
So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.
Complete Jewish Bible
They read clearly from the scroll, in the Torah of God, translated it, and enabled them to understand the sense of what was being read.
Darby Translation
And they read in the law of God distinctly out of the book, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.
Easy-to-Read Version
They read the Book of the Law of God. They made it easy to understand, and explained what it meant. They did this so that the people could understand what was being read.
George Lamsa Translation
So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, so that they understood the reading thereof.
Good News Translation
They gave an oral translation of God's Law and explained it so that the people could understand it.
Lexham English Bible
So they read the book from the law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that they could understand the reading.
Literal Translation
And they read aloud clearly in the Book of the Law of God, and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they red in the boke of the lawe of God distinctly and planely, so that men vnderstode the thinge that was red.
American Standard Version
And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
Bible in Basic English
And they gave out the words of the book the law of God, clearly, and gave the sense of it, so that their minds were able to take it in.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they read in the booke of the lawe of God distinctly, and gaue the sense, and caused them to vnderstand the reading.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they read in the book, in the Law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
King James Version (1611)
So they read in the booke, in the Law of God distinctly, and gaue the sense, and caused them to vnderstand the reading.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they read in the book of the law of God, and Esdras taught, and instructed them distinctly in the knowledge of the Lord, and the people understood the law in the reading.
English Revised Version
And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei redden in the book of Goddis lawe distinctli, `ether atreet, and opynli to vndurstonde; `and thei vndurstoden, whanne it was red.
Update Bible Version
And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
Webster's Bible Translation
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.
New King James Version
So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
New Living Translation
They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.
New Life Bible
They read from the book of the Law of God, telling the meaning of it so that they understood what was read.
New Revised Standard
So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So they read in the book of the law of God, distinctly, - and, giving the sense, caused them to understand the reading.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood: and they understood when it was read.
Revised Standard Version
And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly; and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
Young's Literal Translation
and they read in the book, in the law of God, explaining -- so as to give the meaning, and they give understanding to the convocation.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

Contextual Overview

1When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel. 2On the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. 3While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law. 4The scribe Ezra stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. 6Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they knelt low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the law to the people as they stood in their places. 8They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and gave the sense: Habakkuk 2:2, Matthew 5:21, Matthew 5:22, Matthew 5:27, Matthew 5:28, Luke 24:27, Luke 24:32, Luke 24:45, Acts 8:30-35, Acts 17:2, Acts 17:3, Acts 28:23

Reciprocal: Leviticus 10:11 - General Deuteronomy 27:14 - General 2 Kings 22:13 - great 2 Chronicles 17:7 - to teach 2 Chronicles 30:22 - taught 2 Chronicles 35:3 - the Levites Ezra 7:25 - teach ye Nehemiah 8:9 - the Levites Nehemiah 8:12 - because Nehemiah 8:13 - to understand the words of the law Nehemiah 9:3 - they stood Isaiah 32:4 - heart Ezekiel 46:10 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 8:10
So Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove from the ark again.
Genesis 8:11
When the dove came to him at evening, there was a plucked olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water on the earth’s surface had gone down.
Genesis 8:12
After he had waited another seven days, he sent out the dove, but it did not return to him again.
Song of Solomon 1:15
How beautiful you are, my darling.How very beautiful!Your eyes are doves.
Song of Solomon 2:14
My dove, in the clefts of the rock,in the crevices of the cliff,let me see your face,let me hear your voice;for your voice is sweet,and your face is lovely.
Matthew 10:16
“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So they read in the book,.... Ezra and those with him; he first began to read and expound, and when weary they relieved him, and did the same:

in the law of God distinctly; which was the book they read in, and which they read plainly and intelligibly, so as to be heard and understood; this seems to respect the clear and distinct pronunciation of the words of it, and not the explanation or meaning of it, which is after expressed; some think the sense is, that they first read it in Hebrew, and then translated it into Chaldee, that the people might better understand it, being just come out of Babylon, where they had been used to the Chaldee language; but though this was a practice in later times, it does not seem to have obtained so early, or that there was a necessity of it:

and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading; not hereby how to read it, but chiefly to understand what was read, that they might clearly know their duty to God and men: the Talmudists q give the meaning of the text thus; "by the law of God" they understand the Scripture; by the phrase "distinctly", the Targum or translation of it into Chaldee; by "the sense", the verses or the accents; and by "the reading", the distinction of the accents: some think from hence came the practice of reading the law in the synagogues every sabbath day,

Acts 13:15.

q T. Bab. Nedarim, fol. 37. 2. & Megillah, fol. 3. 1. & Hieros. Megillah, fol. 74. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Gave the sense - Either by rendering the Hebrew into the Aramaic dialect, or perhaps simply by explaining obscure words or passages.

Caused them to understand - Either “they (the people) understood what was read;” or, “they (the Levites) expounded as they read.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 8:8. So they read in the book — For an explanation of this verse, see the observations at the end of the chapter. Nehemiah 8:17; Nehemiah 8:17.


 
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