The Meaning of Nehemiah 8:10 Explained

Nehemiah 8:10

KJV: Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

YLT: And he saith to them, 'Go, eat fat things, and drink sweet things, and sent portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for to-day is holy to our Lord, and be not grieved, for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.'

Darby: And he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared; for the day is holy to our Lord; and be not grieved, for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.

ASV: Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then he said  unto them, Go your way,  eat  the fat,  and drink  the sweet,  and send  portions  unto them for whom nothing is prepared:  for [this] day  [is] holy  unto our Lord:  neither be ye sorry;  for the joy  of the LORD  is your strength. 

What does Nehemiah 8:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 8:1-18 - New Light From God's Law
Surely this was the first public Bible-reading! When will the people be again as hungry for the Word of God as these Jews who stood in the open space from early dawn till the scorching noon? What reverence for the Word! When Ezra opened the Book, all the people stood up. What holy worship! When he blessed the great God, all the people answered, Amen, amen! What a model to us all! They gave the sense, so that they understood. What searching of heart! The people wept when they heard the words of the law.
There is nothing which weakens us so much as does unrestrained remorse. Contriteness of heart is wholesome and helpful, but excessive grief incapacitates us for our duties. It is well therefore to cultivate holy joy; the joy of sin forgiven, of acceptance with God, of hope that anchors us to the unseen, and that cannot be ashamed. You may not be able to joy in yourself or your surroundings, but you may always rejoice in the Lord. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 8

1  The reverent manner of reading and hearing the law
9  They comfort the people
13  The eagerness of the people to hear and be instructed
16  They keep the feast of tabernacles

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 8:10 mean?

And he said to them go your way eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions for nothing whom is prepared to those for holy [this] day [is] to our Yahweh and not do sorrow the joy of Yahweh is your strength
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֡ם לְכוּ֩ אִכְל֨וּ מַשְׁמַנִּ֜ים וּשְׁת֣וּ מַֽמְתַקִּ֗ים וְשִׁלְח֤וּ מָנוֹת֙ לְאֵ֣ין נָכ֣וֹן ל֔וֹ כִּֽי־ קָד֥וֹשׁ הַיּ֖וֹם לַאֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ וְאַל־ תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּ חֶדְוַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה הִ֥יא מָֽעֻזְּכֶֽם

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶ֡ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
לְכוּ֩  go  your  way 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אִכְל֨וּ  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
מַשְׁמַנִּ֜ים  the  fat 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁמָן 
Sense: fatness, fat piece, fertile place, richly prepared food.
וּשְׁת֣וּ  and  drink 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
מַֽמְתַקִּ֗ים  the  sweet 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַמְתַקִּים  
Sense: sweetness, sweet thing.
וְשִׁלְח֤וּ  and  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מָנוֹת֙  portions 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: מָנָה  
Sense: part, portion.
לְאֵ֣ין  for  nothing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
נָכ֣וֹן  whom  is  prepared 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: כּוּן 
Sense: to be firm, be stable, be established.
ל֔וֹ  to  those 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
קָד֥וֹשׁ  holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
הַיּ֖וֹם  [this]  day  [is] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לַאֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ  to  our  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
וְאַל־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּ  do  sorrow 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָצַב 
Sense: to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest.
חֶדְוַ֥ת  the  joy 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֶדְוָה  
Sense: joy, gladness.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מָֽעֻזְּכֶֽם  your  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: מָעֹוז 
Sense: place or means of safety, protection, refuge, stronghold.