Nehemiah 8 6

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.

Nehemiah 8:6 nkjv

And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:6 niv

Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:6 esv

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

Nehemiah 8:6 nlt

Then Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the people chanted, "Amen! Amen!" as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8 verses

Nehemiah 8 6 Meaning

Nehemiah 8:6 describes the profound, communal response of the people of Israel as Ezra, the scribe, blessed the Lord, the great God. Their immediate and enthusiastic affirmation, expressed through a double "Amen" and deep physical acts of reverence—lifting their hands, bowing their heads, and prostrating themselves with faces to the ground—signifies a powerful moment of corporate worship, unity, and submission to the divine. This scene marks a pivotal point in their spiritual restoration following the return from exile, demonstrating heartfelt acknowledgment of God's majesty and their commitment to His Word.

Nehemiah 8 6 Context

Nehemiah chapter 8 records a pivotal event in the post-exilic history of Israel. Following the completion of Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah's leadership, the physical rebuilding is complemented by a spiritual revival. On the first day of the seventh month, a sacred convocation is called where Ezra, a skilled scribe and priest, stands on a wooden platform to publicly read from the Book of the Law of Moses to all the people. This act, unheard of since pre-exilic times, highlights the desperate need for the people to reconnect with God's covenant and commandments. The immediate context of verse 6 is Ezra's opening prayer and blessing before the extensive reading begins. This public display of reverence sets the tone for the spiritual journey of understanding, repentance, and renewal that follows throughout the chapter and into chapters 9 and 10. The historical context is critical: Israel has just returned from 70 years of Babylonian captivity, a punishment largely due to their disobedience to God's law. This gathering signifies their desire to re-establish their covenant relationship with God and rebuild their spiritual identity.

Nehemiah 8 6 Word analysis

• And Ezra blessed (וַיְבָרֶךְ vay'varekh): From the root בָּרַךְ (barak), meaning "to kneel," "to praise," "to bless." While God often blesses humans with favor, here, Ezra blesses God. This is an act of acknowledging God's worth, praising His character, and expressing gratitude. It's a deep act of adoration, showing submission and homage.
• the LORD (יְהוָה YHWH): The covenant name of God, the Tetragrammaton, revealing His personal and active presence with His people. It emphasizes His unchangeable nature and faithfulness to His promises.
• the great God (הָאֱלֹהִים הַגָּדוֹל ha'Elohim ha'gadol): Elohim signifies God as Creator and sovereign, while hagadol ("the great") highlights His omnipotence, majesty, and transcendence. Ezra's specific designation of God underscores His supreme authority and unique standing above all other deities, a crucial affirmation for people emerging from idolatrous cultures.
• And all the people (כָּל־הָעָם kol-ha'am): Signifies a complete, unanimous response, not just a few leaders. This unity underscores the corporate nature of the revival and shared commitment to God.
• answered (וַיַּעֲנוּ vayya'anu): Implies a direct, audible, and immediate vocal response, indicating active participation and agreement.
• Amen, Amen (אָמֵן אָמֵן Amen, Amen): A Hebrew affirmation meaning "so be it," "truly," "firmly agreed." Repeating it emphasizes sincerity, absolute certainty, and wholehearted consent. It signifies their total concurrence with Ezra's blessing and perhaps with the authority of the Law that was about to be read.
• with lifting up their hands (בְּהָרִימָם יְדֵיהֶם b'harimam yedeihem): A common posture of prayer, supplication, and praise in the ancient Near East and throughout Scripture. It symbolizes open reception, surrender, a reaching out to God, and solemn invocation.
• and they bowed their heads (וַיִּקְּדוּ רֹאשֵׁיהֶם vayyiqdu rosheihem): A gesture of humility, respect, and submission. It reflects acknowledging authority and deference.
• and worshipped (וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ vayyishtachavu): The strongest Hebrew word for worship, denoting complete prostration, falling facedown. It expresses deep reverence, humility, adoration, and submission, acknowledging God's absolute sovereignty.
• the LORD (לַיהוָה laYHVH): Reiterates that their worship is directed specifically to the covenant God of Israel.
• with their faces to the ground (אֶרְצָה פָּנִים artzah panim): Describes the extent of their prostration, emphasizing total submission, humility, and utter awe in the presence of God. It signifies a complete laying down of self before divine majesty.

Words-group analysis:

• "Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God": Highlights the proper human response to God's revelation. Ezra, as God's representative and minister of the Word, initiates a formal act of praise, acknowledging God's supreme nature and power. This sets the theological foundation for the entire assembly.
• "And all the people answered, Amen, Amen": This phrase shows corporate unity and enthusiastic affirmation. The double "Amen" turns passive hearing into active agreement and commitment, sealing the blessing as their own.
• "with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground": This sequence of physical postures illustrates a complete and escalating display of reverence, from outward expression (lifting hands), to internal humility (bowing heads), culminating in ultimate submission and adoration (prostrating with faces to the ground). It portrays a holistic worship that involves mind, heart, and body in deep submission to God.

Nehemiah 8 6 Bonus section

This verse not only records a historical event but also provides enduring principles for corporate worship. The structure of Ezra blessing God, followed by the people's resounding "Amen," mirrors ancient Jewish liturgical practices and influences later Christian worship where a congregational "Amen" affirms a prayer or doxology. This passage highlights the necessary sequence of proclaiming God's worth (by the leader) and the congregational response (Amen, postures). It emphasizes that true worship is not merely intellectual assent but an active, physical, and emotional engagement born out of recognition of God's greatness. The communal aspect is paramount; it's "all the people," showcasing unity and collective devotion, essential for rebuilding a community centered on God. This act of corporate worship served to prepare their hearts to receive and obey the Law that Ezra was about to read, indicating that genuine encounter with God's presence precedes deep engagement with His Word.

Nehemiah 8 6 Commentary

Nehemiah 8:6 paints a vivid picture of a profound moment of corporate worship, marking the beginning of spiritual renewal for the post-exilic community in Jerusalem. It underscores the critical importance of a divinely appointed leader (Ezra) initiating a call to worship that is then wholeheartedly embraced by the entire congregation. Ezra’s act of "blessing the LORD, the great God," is not simply uttering words, but an act of profound adoration that acknowledges God's unique majesty and sovereignty, a stark contrast to any lingering pagan influences. The people’s robust, unified response, indicated by the emphatic double "Amen," demonstrates a genuine spiritual hunger and an earnest desire to reaffirm their covenant relationship with God.

Their physical postures—lifting hands, bowing heads, and prostrating themselves with faces to the ground—are deeply symbolic. Lifting hands expresses supplication, surrender, and open receptivity to God; bowing heads signifies humility and respect for divine authority; and prostrating, the deepest form of obeisance, communicates absolute submission and worship. This complete bodily engagement reveals the depth of their reverence and conviction, transforming intellectual understanding into embodied worship. This verse provides a powerful example of what responsive, corporate worship looks like—a blend of inspired leadership, unanimous affirmation, and profound physical and spiritual submission to the One True God, setting the stage for sincere repentance and renewed commitment to God's Law.