Nehemiah 8:6

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) And Ezra blessed the Lord.—The book was formally and solemnly opened in the sight of the people. At this request the multitude arose, and, after a doxology offered by Ezra, they all uttered a double Amen, “with lifting up of their hands,” in token of their most fervent assent; and then “with faces bowed to the ground,” in token of adoration.

The great God is Nehemiah’s expression, not Ezra’s; the sentence used is not reported.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:1-8 Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, as acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of families should bring their families with them to the public worship of God. Women and children have souls to save, and are therefore to acquaint themselves with the word of God, and to attend on the means of grace. Little ones, as they come to reason, must be trained up in religion. Ministers when they go to the pulpit, should take their Bibles with them; Ezra did so. Thence they must fetch their knowledge; according to that rule they must speak, and must show that they do so. Reading the Scriptures in religious assemblies is an ordinance of God, whereby he is honoured, and his church edified. Those who hear the word, should understand it, else it is to them but an empty sound of words. It is therefore required of teachers that they explain the word, and give the sense of it. Reading is good, and preaching is good, but expounding makes reading the better understood, and preaching the more convincing. It has pleased God in almost every age of the church to raise up, not only those who have preached the gospel, but also those who have given their views of Divine truth in writing; and though many who have attempted to explain Scripture, have darkened counsel by words without knowledge, yet the labours of others are of excellent use. All that we hear must, however, be brought to the test of Scripture. They heard readily, and minded every word. The word of God demands attention. If through carelessness we let much slip in hearing, there is danger that through forgetfulness we shall let all slip after hearing.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Stood up - The attitude of attention and respect. Compare the existing practice of the Christian Church at the reading of the Gospel for the day.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. when he opened it, all the people stood up—This attitude they assumed either from respect to God's word, or, rather, because the reading was prefaced by a solemn prayer, which was concluded by a general expression of "Amen, Amen."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God,.... Before he began to read in the book of the law, he addressed himself to God in a short prayer, wholly in the benedictory way; ascribing blessing, honour, and glory to him, celebrating his being and perfections, setting forth his greatness and his excellency, who was the author and giver of the law he was about to read; and this he the rather did, that what he read might be the more carefully attended to, and come with the greater authority, weight, and influence on those that heard it; and so, Maimonides (o) says, it is the custom with the Jews, in their synagogues, for the reader, after he has opened the book, and looked out the place he reads, to say this blessing,"Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the world, who hath chosen us out of all people, and hath given us his law; blessed art thou, O Lord, who hast given us the law; and all the people answer, Amen;''as they now did, as follows:

and all the people answered, Amen, Amen: repeating the word, to declare their hearty assent to what Ezra had expressed; the Jews have many rules concerning pronouncing the "Amen", that it must not be too quick, curt, and short, nor with too high a voice (p):

with lifting up their hands; a prayer gesture, to which the apostle refers, 1 Timothy 2:8,

and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground; expressing hereby the awful sense they had of the Divine Being, and their profound adoration of him.

(o) Hilchot Tephillah, c. 12. sect. 5. (p) Schulchan Aruch, ut supra, (par. 1.) c. 124. sect. 12.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. the great God] cf. Nehemiah 9:32; Ezra 5:8. In Nehemiah’s own writing it occurs Nehemiah 1:5.

Amen, Amen] The people’s response: see note on Nehemiah 5:13; cf. 1 Chronicles 16:36.

with lifting up their hands] See note on Ezra 9:5. Cf. Psalm 134:2, ‘Lift up your hands to the sanctuary (Marg. Or, in holiness) and bless ye the Lord.’ 2Ma 14:34.

worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground] The phrase ‘with the face to the earth,’ occurs very generally of reverence without the idea of worship; cf. Genesis 19:1; Genesis 42:6; Genesis 48:12; 1 Samuel 20:41; 1 Samuel 24:8; 1 Chronicles 21:21. But it is also used of worship before God, as in Numbers 22:31; 2 Chronicles 7:3; 2 Chronicles 20:18; and compare the expression ‘let us worship and bow down,’ Psalm 95:6; Job 1:20. After this united act of worship they resumed their attitude of attention (Nehemiah 8:3).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - Ezra blessed the Lord. Ezra began by an ascription of praise to Jehovah, as the Levites, probably under his direction, begin in Nehemiah 9:5, and as David began his last address to the congregation (1 Chronicles 29:10). The great God. The epithet belongs to the writer rather than to Ezra himself, who in his own book never uses it. It recurs in this section (Nehemiah 9:32), and is also employed by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:5). Amen, Amen. The repetition marks intensity of feeling, as does the lifting up their hands. Compare 2 Kings 11:14; Luke 23:21; and for the lifting up of the hands, so natural in prayer, see Psalm 134:2; 1 Timothy 2:8, etc. Worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Compare 2 Chronicles 7:3; Ezra 10:2. Nehemiah 8:6

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Ezra began by blessing the Lord, the great God, perhaps with a sentence of thanksgiving, as David did, 1 Chronicles 29:10, but scarcely by using a whole psalm, as in 1 Chronicles 16:8. To this thanksgiving the people answered Amen, Amen (comp. 1 Chronicles 16:36), lifting up their hands (ידיהם בּמעל, with lifting up of their hands; the form מעל occurring only here), and worshipping the Lord, bowing down towards the ground.