Nehemiah 9:3
in Nehemiah 9While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped Jehovah their God.
KJV
And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.
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This verse in Nehemiah 9
Commentary
6 notes on this verseOne fourth part of the day - As they did no manner of work on this day of fasting and humiliation, so they spent the whole of it in religious duties. They began, says Calmet, on the first hour, and continued these exercises to the third hour; from the third they recommenced, and continued till the sixth hour; from the sixth to the ninth; and from the ninth, to the twelfth or last hour. 1. They heard the law read, standing; 2. They prostrated themselves, and confessed their sins;
This site's exposition
for a quarter of the day
The assembly reads "from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day" (9:3). Jamieson, Fausset and Brown place the whole service between the morning and evening sacrifice, six hours given to the word and the answer it required. Hearing comes before answering.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
"And they rose to stand, and read, etc." For who would not marvel that the people had such an extraordinary care for piety, that four times a day, that is, at dawn, the third hour, the sixth, and the ninth, at times when they were …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
What were the heads of the prayer that was made to God on that occasion, wherein they made a thankful acknowledgment of God's mercies, a penitent confession of sin, and a humble submission to the righteous hand of God in the judgments that were brought upon them, concluding with a solemn resolution of new obedience,
And they stood up in their place,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This solemn diet of worship, which probably commenced at the morning sacrifice, was continued for six hours, that is, till the time of the evening sacrifice.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּק֙וּמוּ֙ | vaiyakumu | and they stood | H6965 → | 628 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עָמְדָ֔ם | ʾamedam | place their | H5977 → | 9 times |
| וַֽיִּקְרְא֗וּ | vaiyikreu | and they read aloud | H7121 → | 733 times |
| בְּסֵ֨פֶר | besefer | in [the] scroll of | H5612 → | 186 times |
| תּוֹרַ֧ת | torat | [the] law of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾeloheihem | God their | H430 → | 2601 times |
| רְבִעִ֣ית | reviit | [the] fourth of | H7243 → | |
| הַיּ֑וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וּרְבִעִית֙ | ureviit | and a fourth | H7243 → | |
| מִתְוַדִּ֣ים | mitvadim | [they were] confessing | H3034 → | 114 times |
| וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֔ים | umishtachavim | and [they were] bowing down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לַיהוָ֖ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ פ | ʾeloheihem | God their | H430 → | 2601 times |
וַיָּק֙וּמוּ֙and they stood
vaiyakumuH6965 →628 times
עַל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עָמְדָ֔םplace their
ʾamedamH5977 →9 times
וַֽיִּקְרְא֗וּand they read aloud
vaiyikreuH7121 →733 times
בְּסֵ֨פֶרin [the] scroll of
beseferH5612 →186 times
תּוֹרַ֧ת[the] law of
toratH8451 →219 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖םGod their
ʾeloheihemH430 →2601 times
רְבִעִ֣ית[the] fourth of
reviitH7243 →
הַיּ֑וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
וּרְבִעִית֙and a fourth
ureviitH7243 →
מִתְוַדִּ֣ים[they were] confessing
mitvadimH3034 →114 times
וּמִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֔יםand [they were] bowing down
umishtachavimH7812 →172 times
לַיהוָ֖הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ פGod their
ʾeloheihemH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.