The Meaning of Nehemiah 8:6 Explained

Nehemiah 8:6

KJV: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

YLT: and Ezra blesseth Jehovah, the great God, and all the people answer, 'Amen, Amen,' with lifting up of their hands, and they bow and do obeisance to Jehovah -- faces to the earth.

Darby: And Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen! with lifting up of their hands; and they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground.

ASV: and 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Ezra  blessed  the LORD,  the great  God.  And all the people  answered,  Amen,  Amen,  with lifting up  their hands:  and they bowed  their heads, and worshipped  the LORD  with [their] faces  to the ground. 

What does Nehemiah 8:6 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 8:6 mean?

And blessed Ezra - Yahweh God The great and answered all the people Amen Amen while lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshiped Yahweh with [their] faces to the ground
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ עֶזְרָ֔א אֶת־ יְהוָ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים הַגָּד֑וֹל וַיַּֽעֲנ֨וּ כָל־ הָעָ֜ם אָמֵ֤ן ׀ אָמֵן֙ בְּמֹ֣עַל יְדֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּקְּד֧וּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוֻּ֛ לַיהוָ֖ה אַפַּ֥יִם אָֽרְצָה

וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ  And  blessed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
עֶזְרָ֔א  Ezra 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶזְרָא  
Sense: the priest and scribe who led the reforms of the returned exiles in Jerusalem; co-worker with Nehemiah.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַגָּד֑וֹל  The  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וַיַּֽעֲנ֨וּ  and  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
הָעָ֜ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אָמֵ֤ן ׀  Amen 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָמֵן  
Sense: verily, truly, amen, so be it.
אָמֵן֙  Amen 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָמֵן  
Sense: verily, truly, amen, so be it.
בְּמֹ֣עַל  while  lifting  up 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֹעַל  
Sense: lifting.
יְדֵיהֶ֔ם  their  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וַיִּקְּד֧וּ  and  they  bowed  their  heads 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָדַד  
Sense: (Qal) to bow down.
וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוֻּ֛  and  worshiped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
לַיהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אַפַּ֥יִם  with  [their]  faces 
Parse: Noun, md
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
אָֽרְצָה  to  the  ground 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.