Nehemiah 9 5

Nehemiah 9:5 kjv

Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Nehemiah 9:5 nkjv

And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: "Stand up and bless the LORD your God Forever and ever! "Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!

Nehemiah 9:5 niv

And the Levites?Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah?said: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting." "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

Nehemiah 9:5 esv

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, "Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Nehemiah 9:5 nlt

Then the leaders of the Levites ? Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah ? called out to the people: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!" Then they prayed: "May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise!

Nehemiah 9 verses

Nehemiah 9 5 Meaning

Nehemiah 9:5 is a resounding call to worship and an declaration of God's supreme nature. The Levites commanded the gathered Israelites to rise in reverence and offer blessings to the Lord their God, acknowledging His eternal existence from the very beginning of time to its ultimate end. The verse then immediately transitions into a powerful affirmation that God's glorious name, embodying His entire character and essence, is infinitely exalted and transcends all human praise and blessings, underscoring His incomprehensible majesty.

Nehemiah 9 5 Context

Nehemiah 9:5 occurs within a powerful moment of spiritual renewal and repentance in post-exilic Judah. Following the reading and understanding of the Law in chapter 8, the people had gathered for a solemn assembly of fasting, confession, and worship. Chapter 9 is a lengthy prayer, predominantly a historical recounting of God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness. Verse 5 acts as a magnificent prelude, an urgent command by the Levites for the entire congregation to assume a posture of worship before embarking on this deep historical confession and petition. It sets the foundational truth—God's eternal, transcendent glory—before reflecting on their covenant history and subsequent pleas. This context of communal spiritual awakening after the return from Babylonian exile underscores the profound significance of praising the living, true God in contrast to the gods of their captors or their own past idols.

Nehemiah 9 5 Word analysis

• Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:
  • Levites: Specific individuals are named, highlighting their designated role as spiritual leaders, facilitators of worship, and interpreters of God's Word. They guided the congregation in their response to the renewed covenant.
• "Stand up" (ק֚וּמוּ - qûmû): A direct command. This verb signifies not merely a change in physical posture but an act of reverent readiness, honor, and active engagement. In ancient Near Eastern culture, standing before royalty or deity was a sign of respect and attentive listening, indicating readiness for solemn action.
• "and bless" (וּבָרְכוּ - ûvârªkû): From the Hebrew verb barakh. When humans bless God, it means to praise Him, adore Him, acknowledge His greatness and goodness, and speak well of His character. It is an act of recognizing His inherent worth and glorifying Him, rather than conferring benefit upon Him.
• "the Lord" (יְהוָה - Yahweh): This is the ineffable covenant name of God, revealing Him as the self-existent, eternal, faithful God who enters into relationship with His people. Using "Yahweh" emphasizes His personal and redemptive character, known through His mighty acts on behalf of Israel.
• "your God" (אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - ’elohêkem): "Elohim" signifies God's power and might as Creator and Sovereign, but with the suffix "-kem" (your), it emphasizes the unique and personal relationship He has established with the people of Israel through His covenant.
• "from everlasting to everlasting" (מִן־הָעוֹלָם וְעַד־הָעוֹלָם - min-hā‘ôlām wə‘ad-hā‘ôlām): This phrase (min ha-ʿolam ve-ʿad ha-ʿolam) stresses God's timelessness, eternality, and unchangeable nature. He has no beginning and no end. He is eternally existent, past, present, and future, the immutable ground of all being. This concept profoundly distinguishes Him from all created gods and finite human existence.
• "Blessed be" (יְהִי מְבֹרָךְ - yəhî məḇōrāḵ): A declarative and supplicatory expression, akin to "May it be blessed!" or "Let it be blessed!" It expresses the desire that God's name be praised and honored continuously.
• "your glorious name" (שֵׁם כְּבוֹדֶךָ - shêm kəḇōḏeḵā):
  • Name (Shem): In Hebrew thought, "name" encompasses more than a label; it signifies the full revelation of one's character, reputation, authority, and presence.
  • Glorious (Kavod): Denotes weighty splendor, majesty, honor, and the visible manifestation of God's essence. God's "glorious name" means His revealed being, character, and power in all their inherent splendor and majesty.
• "which is exalted" (וּמְרוֹמָם - ûmərômām): From the verb rum (to be high, to be lifted up). This indicates God's supreme position, His elevation above all creation, powers, and authorities. It conveys His unparalleled majesty and sovereign rule. It's not something made high, but inherently high and continuously recognized as such.
• "above all blessing and praise" (עַל־כָּל־בְּרָכָה וּתְהִלָּה - ‘al-kāl-bərāḵāh ûtəhillāh): This is a profound statement of divine transcendence. It means that God's intrinsic glory, His glorious Name, is so infinitely magnificent that no human words, no matter how eloquent or sincere, can adequately praise Him or add to His ultimate worth. Our best blessings and most fervent praises are utterly insufficient to fully express or encompass His boundless majesty. This encourages a humble and reverent worship.

Nehemiah 9 5 Bonus section

• Polemics against Paganism: This verse offers a stark theological contrast to the contemporary polytheistic religions of the ancient Near East. Unlike their gods, who were often tied to specific localities, limited powers, and could be influenced by human actions, the God of Israel is presented as eternal, transcendent, and ultimately beyond the full grasp or enhancement of human praise. His glorious "name" (representing His full character and being) exists inherently in its own unparalleled majesty, rather than relying on human adulation for its establishment.
• The Weight of "Glory" (Kavod): The Hebrew word kavod fundamentally means "weight" or "heaviness," connoting something substantial, significant, and full of majesty. When applied to God's name, it conveys the immeasurable, weighty splendor of His revealed character, emphasizing His awesome and profound reality that commands utter reverence.
• Liturgical Gateway: This verse serves a key liturgical function within the long prayer of Nehemiah 9. It acts as an powerful invitation and a threshold, establishing the nature of the One being addressed—His eternality, His glory, and His transcendent supremacy—before the Levites embark on recounting Israel's history of divine faithfulness and human failing. It frames all subsequent confession and petition within the context of who God truly is.

Nehemiah 9 5 Commentary

Nehemiah 9:5 functions as an awe-inspiring overture to Israel's communal prayer of confession and remembrance. The directive "Stand up" signals a shift from ordinary posture to one of reverence and engagement, symbolizing the spiritual attentiveness required for approaching the Almighty. The immediate command to "bless the Lord your God" emphasizes the primary response due to Him, identifying Him intimately as their covenant God, Yahweh, who is revealed and actively present. The declaration that God exists "from everlasting to everlasting" foundationalizes their worship on His immutable, eternal nature, presenting Him as entirely distinct from all temporal pagan deities or the transient empires that had come and gone. The climax arrives with the breathtaking assertion that God's "glorious name is exalted above all blessing and praise." This is not a dismissiveness of human worship but rather a declaration of His incomprehensible grandeur. It reveals that God's intrinsic worth and majesty are infinite, transcending any finite praise that humanity could possibly offer. Our most profound expressions of adoration merely scratch the surface of His boundless glory. This serves to instill humility, encouraging the worshipers to acknowledge the inadequacy of their efforts while still spurring them to offer their utmost, knowing He is worthy of infinitely more.

• Practical Usage:
  • Before prayer or corporate worship, consciously acknowledge God's eternal presence and His transcendence over all your thoughts and words.
  • When feeling overwhelmed by life, remember that the God you worship is "from everlasting to everlasting," an unchanging and infinite anchor for your soul.
  • In moments of deep praise, recognize that God's true glory infinitely surpasses your highest adoration, fostering humility and wonder.