Nehemiah 9:5

Neh 9:5 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.

Ver. 5. Then the Levites, Jeshua, &c., said, Stand up] Gird yourselves, and serve the Lord, as Luk 17:8. Be instant, or stand close to the work, επιστηθι, 2Ti 4:2; set sides and shoulders to it; rouse up yourselves, and wrestle with God. Hoc agite, Do this, said the Roman priest to the people at their sacrifices. And Sacerdos parat fratrum mentes dicendo, Sursum corda, saith Cyprian, In the primitive times the ministers prepared the people to serve God, by saying, Lift up your hearts ( De Oratione).

And bless the Lord your God for ever] Give him immortal thanks, all possible praise, amore more, ore, glorify him doingly, 1Co 10:30-31 Eph 1:11-12. Think of the multitude, seasonableness, suitableness, constancy, &c., of God’s favours; and then give him the glory due unto his name; which yet we can never do, because his name is exalted above all blessing and praise (as it followeth here), so that if we should do nothing else all our days, yea, as long as the days of heaven shall last (said that martyr), but kneel upon our knees and sing over David’s Psalms to God’s praise, yet should we fall far short of what we owe to the Lord, who is most worthy to be praised.

And blessed be thy glorious name] These holy Levites, having called upon the people to bless God, break forth into the performance of this divine duty themselves. So St Paul often, exhorting the saints to pray, falls a praying for them.

Which is exalted above all blessing and praise] So that when we have done our utmost herein, we can never out do. David is oft so transported, that he seems to forget himself, as a bird that hath got a note, records it over and over, as Psa 136:1-26, "for his mercy endureth for ever." And Psa 150:1-6, in six verses are twelve Hallelujahs. "Praise him," saith he, Neh 9:2, "according to his excellent greatness," "for great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised," Psa 145:3; and Neh 9:5, "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord," or, Let every breath praise the Lord. As oft as we breathe we are to breathe out the praises of God, and to make our breath like the perfumed smoke of the Tabernacle.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh 9:5. Then the Levites, Jeshua, &c., said, Stand up, and bless the Lord for ever and ever — Praise him and give him thanks, as long as you have any being; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise — The super-excellent perfections of which, the noblest creatures cannot worthily magnify. The Levites, it is likely, praised him in these or such like words, in which all the people joined, either with their lips, or in their hearts.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9:5-37 This long prayer confesses the nation’s sins and praises God for his compassion throughout history (cp. Pss 105–106; 135–136). It prompted listeners to confess their own unfaithfulness and to call on God to be compassionate and forgive their sins.

9:5-6 The Levites’ prayer praised God for his glorious reputation, his sole divinity, his creation of the universe, his providential care for life on earth, and his worship by angels. Putting the focus on God brought Israel’s present circumstances into proper perspective.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Then the Levites . . . said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God--If this prayer was uttered by all these Levites in common, it must have been prepared and adopted beforehand, perhaps, by Ezra; but it may only embody the substance of the confession and thanksgiving.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 5. Stand up and bless the Lord your God] It is the shameless custom of many congregations of people to sit still while they profess to bless and praise God, by singing the Psalms of David or hymns made on the plan of the Gospel! I ask such persons, Did they ever feel the spirit of devotion while thus employed? If they do, it must be owned that, by the prevalence of habit, they have counteracted the influence of an attitude most friendly to such acts of devotion.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(5) Hashabniah.—Not found elsewhere. No reason is given why this company is somewhat different from the former; the LXX. arbitrarily omit all names after Kadmiel. Similarly, they insert “and Ezra said” before Neh_9:6. The psalm was perhaps composed by Ezra, but uttered by the Levites in the name of the congregation.

Stand up and bless . . . Blessed be.—Or, let them bless.

Thou, even thou, art Lord alone.—The three phrases mark how the address to the people glides into direct adoration of God.

Thy glorious name.—Literally found again in Psa_72:19 alone.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. Then] As in Neh_9:4, the ‘copula’; no very exact sequence of time is implied.

Hashabniah … Hodijah] R.V. Hashabneiah … Hodiah. The Levitical names of the previous verse appear here with some variations. Bunni, the second Bani, Chenani disappear; and the names of Hashabneiah, Hodiah, Pethahiah are introduced afresh. The remaining five names are the same in both lists; and this adds to the difficulty in accounting for the variation, for there seems to be no reason for a partial change of personnel at this juncture. Very possibly the Hebrew text is in fault.

The LXX. gives only two names, Jeshua and Kadmiel, but its tendency to shorten lists of names (cf. Neh_8:7) diminishes the value of its testimony in the present instance.

The best way of accounting for the variation is to suppose that the compiler turns at this point to a different source of information, in which there was a slight disagreement in the list of names. The compiler transcribes: he neither corrects nor explains; and the variation is evidence both of his candour and of the general honesty of subsequent copyists.

Stand up] It may be questioned whether these words should be understood literally. Some commentators suppose that the Levites enjoin the people to exchange the kneeling position of prayer for the standing posture of praise. In Neh_9:2 we are told the people ‘stood and confessed their sins,’ and in Neh_9:3 they ‘confessed and worshipped the Lord.’ Now ‘worshipping’ is not necessarily ‘kneeling.’ Prayer and confession are quite consistent with a ‘standing position,’ cf. Neh_8:5 and note.

If not taken literally, it must be understood in its common metaphorical sense ‘arise,’ ‘up!’ prefacing an appeal to the laity to join in praise with the Levites.

for ever and ever] R.V. from everlasting to everlasting. Cf. Psa_41:13, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting,’ Psa_90:2, ‘even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God,’ Psa_103:17. The words are connected more appropriately with ‘the Lord your God’ than with the verb ‘bless.’ This ascription to the Eternal Jehovah is possibly taken from a familiar doxology in Jewish worship (cf. Psa_41:13).

blessed be] R.V. marg. ‘Or, let them bless’. The rendering ‘let them bless’ is more literal. The third Pers. Plur. will refer either to the Israelites or, by a more comprehensive thought, to the dwellers of the earth. But the change of person is abrupt and not without awkwardness. It is perhaps due to a quotation from a Doxology; compare a somewhat similar clause introduced in Psa_106:48.

The LXX. rendering introduces the words ‘and Ezra said’ as a prefix to this clause, as if the whole of the ensuing address were his utterance. No other evidence, however, supports this reading; but it seems to preserve a very probable tradition based on the similarity of this confession to that of Ezra in Ezra 9.

thy glorious name] Literally, ‘the name of thy glory’ (kâbôd) as in Psa_72:19, ‘blessed be his glorious name for ever.’ The expression differs very slightly from that in 1Ch_29:13, ‘Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name’ (lit. the name of thy glory ‘tiphereth’). The Name is the Being of God made known to man; the glory (kâbôd) of it is its manifestation (Exo_33:18; Exo_33:22), of which splendour (tiphereth) is an accompaniment.

exalted above all blessing and praise] i.e. man can add nothing thereto by the highest blessings or by the noblest praises. He dwelleth in the ‘light unapproachable,’ cf. 1Ti_6:16. The Hebrew has ‘and (or, even) exalted:’ the LXX. καὶ ὑψώσουσιν ἐπὶ: Vulg. ‘excelso in.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then the Levites, Jeshua,.... Or, then the Levites, even Jeshua:

and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah; the same as before, with a little variation of their names, and perhaps some of them might have two names:

and said; to the men that stood and confessed their sins, Neh 9:2

stand up; for though they are before said to stand, yet, through shame and confusion of face, and awe of the Divine Majesty, might be fallen on their faces to the ground:

and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever; for all the great and good things he had done for them, notwithstanding their sins; and particularly for his pardoning grace and mercy they had reason to hope for:

and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise: the glory of which name, nature, and perfections of his, cannot be set forth by the highest praises of men, and the largest ascriptions of blessing and honour to him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Stand up - The people had knelt to confess and to worship God Neh 9:3. They were now to take the proper attitude for praise. Compare throughout the margin reference.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

To eternity. Existing. (Sa) --- Bless him continually. (Menochius) --- Let one generation after another praise his holy name. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Then the Levites said all the following words. Either therefore they all used the same words, being composed and agreed upon by Ezra and themselves; or they all prayed in the same manner, and to the same purpose, having agreed among themselves concerning the matter of their confessions and prayers. And these are the words which one of them used; and it is implied that the rest of their prayers were of the same nature.

For ever and ever; from day to day, as long as you live, and to all eternity.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. Stand up — The Levites thus call upon the congregation to join in offering the prayer, and probably the people, rising, responded, and blessed be thy glorious name, etc. And thus they continued, reciting and responding, through all this confession prepared for them by Ezra.

For ever and ever — Hebrew, from everlasting to everlasting. Always and unceasingly is Jehovah to be praised.

Exalted above all blessing — All worship and praise must fail fully to recognise and appreciate the worth and power of that GLORIOUS NAME.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Stand up. The people had prostrated themselves (see the comment on ver. 3) for confession and prayer; they are now bidden to "stand up" for praise. Compare the practice of the Christian Church. Blessed be. Literally, "let them bless." The Levites turn their address, after its opening clause, from the people to Jehovah himself, who henceforth becomes the subject of it. Thy glorious name. The high honour due to the "name" of God is taught by the sacred writers with one uniform voice from Moses (Exo_20:7) to the last "surviving apostle. (Rev_15:4) The "glorious name" of God is an expression which occurs four times in our version of the Old Testament; but the exact phrase here used is found only in Psa_72:19.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then the Levites ... said, "Stand up ... ever."

Here the Levites are speaking to the people of Israel.

give praise to Yahweh

"bless Yahweh"

Jeshua ... Kadmiel ... Bani ... Sherebiah ... Shebaniah

men's names. See how you translated this in Nehemiah 9:3-4. (See: How to Translate Names)

Hashabneiah ... Hodiah ... Pethahiah

men's names (See: How to Translate Names)

May they bless your glorious name

the Levites are speaking to Yahweh. "May the people of Judah bless your glorious name, Yahweh"

the highest heavens, with all their host ... the host of heaven worship you

A host is an army. The "host of heaven" speaks in a metaphor of the many stars as if they were an army. The stars in turn are a metaphor for the many angels. The stars worshiping Yahweh is a metaphor for the angels worshiping Yahweh. (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

Levi

praise

Yahweh

God

bless

glory

name

exalt

heaven

angel

earth

life

worship

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

from everlasting to ever lasting From the beginning of the world until its end, He shall be blessed.

and they shall bless Your glorious Name Now the Levites spoke toward the Shechinah in prayer, for He is great and exalted over every blessing and praise, for all the blessings and praises are His. Another explanation is that He is exalted above every blessing and praise; that no creature can bless Him or praise Him according to His greatness and His exaltedness, for He is exalted and raised higher than the mouth can express.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.