Nehemiah 8:12

send portions Cf. Nehemiah 8:10.

because they had understood the words that were declared unto them Literally, -the words which they had declared unto them." The LXX. ἐγνώρισεν, Vulg. -docuerat" make it probable that there was a reading -Which hehad declared unto them." What are -the words" here referred to? Some think that we should understand by them the command of Ezra and the Levites that the people should be joyful (Nehemiah 8:9-11). But this gives a very limited application, and we should then have expected some other verb like -obeyed" or -gave heed to" rather than -understood." It will be noticed that the word -understood" is the same as that used in Nehemiah 8:8. This supplies the probable interpretation. The people sorrowed (Nehemiah 8:9) because they had not kept the Law: they now rejoiced because they were able to understand it.