Nehemiah 8:1–3
All the people gather as one man to hear the law
Study it word by word1And all the people gathered as one man into the square that is in front of the Water Gate, and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which YHWH had commanded Israel.
2So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, from man to woman, and all who could understand to listen, on the first day of the seventh month.
3And he read in it before the square that is in front of the Water Gate, from the light until the middle of the day, in front of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were toward the book of the law.
In its context
…
4And Ezra the scribe stood on a tower of wood that they had made for this; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, at his right; and at his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam.
5And Ezra opened the book before the eyes of all the people, for he was above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
Its words in the original
- יֵּאָסְפוּyeasfu· gather
Gather, bring together; store up; take away. "Be gathered to one's people" is to die.
- עָםam· people
People: a human group joined by kinship, history and destiny. "My people", said by God, is Israel. Also the people as a crowd, or troops.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- אֶחָדechad· one
One; only, the same. Also "first" in a series.
- רְחוֹבrechov· square
Square: the open space of a town.
- פְנֵיfene· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- שַׁעַרshaar· gate
Gate of a city. It was also the open place where the elders met, business was done and disputes were judged.
- מָּיִםmayim· water
Water. In Hebrew it is always plural ("waters").
- יֹּאמְרוּyomru· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- עֶזְרָאezra· Ezra
Ezra: a priest and scribe, a descendant of Aaron, who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem to teach the law. Also another man of the same name in Nehemiah. The name means "help".
- סֹּפֵרsofer· count, tell
Count (numbers) and also tell (relate, recount). From here comes the word for "scribe".
- הָבִיאhavi· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- סֵפֶרsefer· writing, book
Writing, document, book (in ancient times, a scroll).
- תּוֹרַתtorat· instruction, law
"Torah": instruction, teaching that gives direction; hence "law". Later it is the name of the five books of Moses. This translation uses "instruction", and "law" when the body of laws is meant.
- מֹשֶׁהmoshe· Moses
Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).
- צִוָּהtsiva· command
Command, give an order; give charge to someone.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- כֹּהֵןkohen· priest
Priest: one who serves God on behalf of the people and presents the offerings.
- קָּהָלkahal· assembly
Assembly: a large group of people gathered; later, the people of Israel gathered before God.
- אִשָּׁהisha· woman, wife
Woman; with a possessive ("his woman"), wife. In Hebrew it is "ishah", which sounds like "ish", man.
- מֵבִיןmevin· understand, discern
Understand, discern: perceive clearly, distinguish, see what ought to be done.
- שְׁמֹעַshemoa· hear, listen, obey
Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.
- יוֹםyom· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- חֹדֶשׁchodesh· month, new moon
Month. The Hebrew month begins with the new moon; so the same word also means "new moon".
- שְּׁבִיעִיshevii· seventh
Seventh.
- יִּקְרָאyikra· call, proclaim
Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.
- אוֹרor· light
Light: daylight, the light of a lamp or of the heavenly bodies. Figuratively, life, joy or well-being.
- מַחֲצִיתmachatsit· half
Half.
- נֶגֶדneged· in front of, counterpart
In front of, opposite, before. The full phrase "as in front of him" means someone who corresponds to him, a counterpart.
- אָזְנֵיazne· ear
Ear. "Speak in someone's ears" is to tell him something directly.