Nehemiah 9:3

And they stood up in their place,.... In the outward court of the temple, where men used to stand when they prayed and confessed their sins: and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God;

And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God. Read in the book of the law.

Read in the book of the law; so as they did before, giving them the sense of what they read; of which See Poole "", See Poole "". One fourth part of the day, to wit, for three hours; for there were accounted twelve hours in their day, . Probably they began after the morning sacrifice, at which divers religious people used to be present, but now they were all assembled together upon this great occasion; and they continued their work from that time till the evening sacrifice, with which they closed the work of the day. Another fourth part they confessed, both God’ s mercies, as appears from the matter of the following prayer, and their own sins, as is expressed , this day being chiefly set apart for that work. Worshipped the Lord their God; partly by the acknowledgment and adoration of his wonderful mercy in forgiving their sins, and saving them from the deserved judgments, which they either felt or feared, and giving them his law, and the knowledge thereof; and partly by imploring his further grace and mercy to them.

Nehemiah 9:3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God [one] fourth part of the day; and [another] fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.Ver. 3. And they stood up in their place] The people stood, for reverence’ sake, to the word read. See Nehemiah 8:5. Or the ministers stood up in their pulpits, where they represent God himself as his ambassadors; and should therefore lay down all self-respects and aims at the pulpit door; and be fully of his mind, who said, I would not be found speaking or doing aught that I thought Christ would not approve of, if he were corporally present. (Ecolamp.) And read in the book] Giving the sense of that they read; and applying it close to men’ s consciences. This was preaching indeed; for as every sound is not music, so neither is every pulpit discourse preaching. Cura pastoralis est ars artium et scientia scientiarum, saith one, It is a matter of great skill to divide the word aright. See Nehemiah 8:8. One fourth part of the day] i.e. For three hours: from nine o’ clock to twelve. This warranteth our preaching fast sermons; though prayer be the chief business of such a day. See Jeremiah 36:6-7. And another fourth part] sc. From twelve to three: thus besides the ordinary morning and evening sacrifices, they divided the day between preaching and prayer, as those did, Acts 6:4. And as the priests of old taught Jacob God’ s judgments, and put incense before the Lord, Deuteronomy 33:10. The Jews at this day boast that they divide the day (even the working day) into three parts; the first, ad Tephillah, they spend in prayer; the second, ad Torah, in reading the law; the third, ad Malachah, in their worldly business. But you are not bound herein to believe them. They confessed] Not without supplication for pardon, and power to do better. And worshipped the Lord their God] Inwardly and outwardly, giving him his due glory, and resting upon him by a lively faith in the gracious promises; being fully persuaded of this, that, together with the forgiveness of sin, they should have those particular blessings which they sued for, so far as might stand with God’ s glory and the good of their souls.

(3) One fourth part.—Both day and night were divided into four parts. All orders standing in their respective place, the reading occupied the morning and the worship the afternoon. It is the latter which is now made prominent, as the former had been prominent in the preceding chapter.

Verse 3. One fourth part of the day] As they did no manner of work on this day of fasting and humiliation, so they spent the whole of it in religious duties. They began, says Calmet, on the first hour, and continued these exercises to the third hour; from the third they recommenced, and continued till the sixth hour; from the sixth to the ninth; and from the ninth, to the twelfth or last hour. 1. They heard the law read, standing; 2. They prostrated themselves, and confessed their sins; 3. They arose to praise God for having spared and dealt thus mercifully with them.

3. stood up] Literally, ‘arose.’ in their place] cf. Nehemiah 8:7. The people appear to have continued standing where they were for six hours, listening for three hours and worshipping three hours. and read] the people read. By this we should understand that the people’s religious representatives, the Levites, read while the people listened. For ‘the book of the law,’ cf. Nehemiah 8:3. one fourth part] R.V. a fourth part, i.e. a quarter of the day as opposed to the night; i.e. 3 hours. The time of day is not told us. We may conjecture 9.0 a.m.–12.0, and 12.0–3.0 p.m. to have been the two quarters. the Lord their God] Characteristic of this section, cf. Nehemiah 9:4-5; Nehemiah 9:7, Nehemiah 10:29; Nehemiah 10:34.

3. Read in… the law — In the same manner, probably, as on the first day of the month. Nehemiah 8:1-8. One fourth part of the day — About three hours, reckoning from the twelve hours of the labourer’s day.