The Meaning of Nehemiah 8:7 Explained

Nehemiah 8:7

KJV: Also 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.

YLT: And 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, are on their station,

Darby: And 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: Also 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 Reverse Interlinear

Also 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. 

What does Nehemiah 8:7 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 8:7 mean?

And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah Jamin Akkub Shabbethai Hodijah Maaseiah Kelita Azariah Jozabad Hanan Pelaiah and the Levites helped to understand - the people the Law and the people [stood] in their place
וְיֵשׁ֡וּעַ וּבָנִ֡י וְשֵׁרֵ֥בְיָ֣ה ׀ יָמִ֡ין עַקּ֡וּב שַׁבְּתַ֣י ׀ הֽוֹדִיָּ֡ה מַעֲשֵׂיָ֡ה קְלִיטָ֣א עֲזַרְיָה֩ יוֹזָבָ֨ד חָנָ֤ן פְּלָאיָה֙ וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם מְבִינִ֥ים אֶת־ הָעָ֖ם לַתּוֹרָ֑ה וְהָעָ֖ם עַל־ עָמְדָֽם

וְיֵשׁ֡וּעַ  And  Jeshua 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵשׁוּעַ 
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
וּבָנִ֡י  and  Bani 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּנִי  
Sense: a Gadite, one of David’s mighty warriors.
וְשֵׁרֵ֥בְיָ֣ה ׀  and  Sherebiah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁרֵבְיָה  
Sense: a Levite who assisted Ezra at the reading of the Law and who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah.
יָמִ֡ין  Jamin 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: the 2nd son of Simeon; founder of the family of Jaminites.
עַקּ֡וּב  Akkub 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַקּוּב  
Sense: son of Elioenai and descendant of David through Zerubbabel.
שַׁבְּתַ֣י ׀  Shabbethai 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁבְּתַי  
Sense: a Levite in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
הֽוֹדִיָּ֡ה  Hodijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֹודִיָּה  
Sense: a Levite in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
מַעֲשֵׂיָ֡ה  Maaseiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֵׂיָה 
Sense: a descendant of Jeshua who had taken a foreign wife in the time of Ezra.
קְלִיטָ֣א  Kelita 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קְלִיטָא  
Sense: a Levite who had a foreign wife in the time of Ezra.
עֲזַרְיָה֩  Azariah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲזַרְיָה 
Sense: son of king Amaziah of Judah and king of Judah himself for 52 years; also ‘Uzziah’.
יוֹזָבָ֨ד  Jozabad 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄוזָבָד  
Sense: a Korhite Levite, 2nd son of Obededom, and one of the porters of the temple and of the storehouse there in the time of David.
חָנָ֤ן  Hanan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָנָן  
Sense: one of the chief people of the tribe of Benjamin.
פְּלָאיָה֙  Pelaiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּלָאיָה 
Sense: son of Elioenai and a descendant of David in the royal line.
וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם  and  the  Levites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
מְבִינִ֥ים  helped  to  understand 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בִּין  
Sense: to discern, understand, consider.
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.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לַתּוֹרָ֑ה  the  Law 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
וְהָעָ֖ם  and  the  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
עַל־  [stood]  in 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
עָמְדָֽם  their  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.