Nehemiah 8:7
What does Nehemiah 8:7 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 8:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 8:7 means
A team of Levites is named who “caused the people to understand the law.” Their labor shows that hearing Scripture is only the start; God provides teachers to make the meaning clear. The people “stood in their place,” suggesting they remained where they were, patient and steady, as instruction was given. Understanding is not accidental. It comes through faithful explanation and sustained attention. The long list of names honors those who serve behind the scenes, translating hearing into comprehension. Corporate renewal requires more than a single voice; it involves many servants helping people grasp and apply God’s Word so that conviction and obedience rest on true understanding.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah and Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites made the law clear to the people: and the people kept in their places.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, giving the people understanding in the law, and the people, <FI>are<Fi> on their station,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Now Josue, and Bani, and Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Sephtai, Odia, Maasia, Celtia, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, the Levites, made silence among the people to hear the law: and the people stood in their place.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people [stood] in their place.
Context
Following the people’s worship, the scene narrows to the instructional role of the Levites. Verse 7 introduces them and their task, preparing for the summary statement in verse 8 about how they read and explained the Law. The narrative emphasizes that public reading was accompanied by careful teaching, which will explain the deep emotional response and the leaders’ pastoral direction that follows.
v.6And Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground.
v.7This passage
v.8And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nehemiah 10:9
And the Levites: namely, Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
- Nehemiah 11:16
and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God;
- Nehemiah 3:19
And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another portion, over against the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall.
- Nehemiah 11:19
Moreover the porters, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren, that kept watch at the gates, were a hundred seventy and two.
- Leviticus 10:11
and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Jehovah hath spoken unto them by Moses.
- Nehemiah 10:12
Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
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