All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
Parallel Translations
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All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
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And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
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And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
Cross-references (19)
Passages linked to Nehemiah 8:12 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 119:174 I have longed for your salvation, Yahweh. Your law is my delight.
- Nehemiah 8:7-8 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place. They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
- Psalms 119:72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.
- Psalms 119:97 How I love your law! It is my meditation all day.
- Psalms 119:103-104 How sweet are your promises to my taste, more than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts, I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.
- Psalms 119:111 I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
- Psalms 119:127 Therefore I love your commandments more than gold, yes, more than pure gold.
- Psalms 119:130 The entrance of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.
- Psalms 119:171 Let my lips utter praise, for you teach me your statutes.
- Luke 24:32 They said to one another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”
- Job 23:12 I haven’t gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
- Psalms 19:8-11 Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. Moreover your servant is warned by them. In keeping them there is great reward.
- Psalms 119:14 I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, as much as in all riches.
- Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in your statutes. I will not forget your word.
- Psalms 126:1-3 When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad.
- Proverbs 2:10-11 For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,
- Proverbs 24:13-14 My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste; so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.
- Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by your name, Yahweh, God of Armies.
- Romans 7:18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Neh 8:12 And all the people went their way…
Neh 8:12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
Ver. 12. And all the people went their way to eat] To do all that they were directed to do. They had been in the furnace of mortification; and now they were willing to be cast into the mould of God’s word, and to be whatsoever the Lord would have them to be. They were only his clay and wax, a willing people, waiting for his law.
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And to make great mirth] i.e. All kind of honest jollity; for the better exciting their hearts to true thankthlness.
Because they had understood the words] Not the threatenings only to the refractory, but the promises also to the penitent and obedient. The Levites had taught them, doubtless, as the truth is in Jesus, that God therefore threateneth that he may not punish, and desireth to be disarmed, Amo 4:12; that he giveth to do what he commandeth to be done; that his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear him, to them that keep his covenant, and that think upon his commandments to do them, qui faciunt praecepta, etsi non perfieiant, that are doing at it, though they are far from perfection, Psa 103:18. This was very comfortable; this put into them that joy of the Lord which was their strength; this more cheered them than all their good cheer of their peace offerings.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Because they now knew God’s mind, and their own…
Because they now knew God’s mind, and their own duty, which they were resolved to practise; which gave them ground of hope and trust in God’s mercy, and consequently of great and just joy.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And all the people went their way to eat…
And all the people went their way to eat and to drink,.... Freely and cheerfully:
and to send portions; to the poor, who had nothing to eat and drink:
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and to make great mirth; with music, vocal and instrumental:
because they had understood the words that were declared unto them; the meaning of the several laws read and explained unto them, whereby they better understood their duty, and in what instances and in what manner it was to be performed; how much more reason is there for joy and gladness, when the Gospel, and the doctrines of it, are clearly known and understood? Psa 89:15.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 12. send portions] Cf. Neh_8:10.
12. send portions] Cf. Neh_8:10.
because they had understood the words that were declared unto them] Literally, ‘the words which they had declared unto them.’ The LXX. ἐγνώρισεν, Vulg. ‘docuerat’ make it probable that there was a reading ‘Which he had declared unto them.’ What are ‘the words’ here referred to? Some think that we should understand by them the command of Ezra and the Levites that the people should be joyful (Neh_8:9-11). But this gives a very limited application, and we should then have expected some other verb like ‘obeyed’ or ‘gave heed to’ rather than ‘understood.’ It will be noticed that the word ‘understood’ is the same as that used in Neh_8:8. This supplies the probable interpretation. The people sorrowed (Neh_8:9) because they had not kept the Law: they now rejoiced because they were able to understand it.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (12) They had understood.—They had caught the meaning of…
(12) They had understood.—They had caught the meaning of the command to rejoice.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain To make great mirth. Or "great rejoicing," not "mirth"…
To make great mirth. Or "great rejoicing," not "mirth" in the sense which the word now commonly bears.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.