The Meaning of Nehemiah 9:5 Explained

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.

YLT: And the Levites say, even Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, 'Rise, bless Jehovah your God, from the age unto the age, and they bless the name of Thine honour that is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Darby: And the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, said, Stand up, bless Jehovah your God from eternity to eternity. And let men bless the name of thy glory, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

ASV: Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless Jehovah your God from everlasting to everlasting; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Nehemiah 9:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 9:1-21 - God's Hand In History
What a blessed result of the Bible-study of the previous chapter. It led to confession, separation from evil association and worship. It is good to review the dealings of God with us and with our people in bygone days. There are hilltops in our experience where the air is clear, and we can see the way by which we have been led. At such times we look beyond second causes to the great Orderer of our lives, and our history is one perpetual assertion of THOU. The history of God's dealings with Israel is an epitome of His dealings with ourselves. The choice in Ur, the redemption from Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, the land of rest-all these have their counterparts in our life-story. Side by side with the story of God's care runs the story of transgression, Nehemiah 9:16-18. The gold and black strands are closely interwoven. In the midst of God's best gifts, we break out into sin; yet He still gives us His good spirit, and withholds not the manna which He promised, Nehemiah 9:20. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 9

1  A solemn fast, and repentance of the people
4  The Levites make a confession of God's goodness, and their wickedness

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 9:5 mean?

And said the Levites Jeshua and Kadmiel Bani Hashabniah Sherebiah Hodijah Shebaniah [and] Pethahiah Stand up [and] bless - Yahweh your God from Forever and ever Blessed be Your name glorious and which is exalted above all blessing and praise
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֡ם יֵשׁ֣וּעַ וְ֠קַדְמִיאֵל בָּנִ֨י חֲשַׁבְנְיָ֜ה שֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֤ה הֽוֹדִיָּה֙ שְׁבַנְיָ֣ה פְתַֽחְיָ֔ה ק֗וּמוּ בָּרֲכוּ֙ אֶת־ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם מִן־ הָעוֹלָ֖ם עַד־ ! הָעוֹלָ֑ם וִיבָֽרְכוּ֙ שֵׁ֣ם כְּבוֹדֶ֔ךָ וּמְרוֹמַ֥ם עַל־ כָּל־ בְּרָכָ֖ה וּתְהִלָּֽה

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַלְוִיִּ֡ם  the  Levites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
יֵשׁ֣וּעַ  Jeshua 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵשׁוּעַ 
Sense: son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan.
וְ֠קַדְמִיאֵל  and  Kadmiel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קַדְמִיאֵל  
Sense: a Levite, descendant of Hodaviah, and head of a family of returning exiles; also oversaw the work on the temple and also was one of the leaders of the people who led the people in the public confession.
בָּנִ֨י  Bani 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּנִי  
Sense: a Gadite, one of David’s mighty warriors.
חֲשַׁבְנְיָ֜ה  Hashabniah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲשַׁבְנְיָה  
Sense: the father of Hattush, repairer of the wall.
שֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֤ה  Sherebiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁרֵבְיָה  
Sense: a Levite who assisted Ezra at the reading of the Law and who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah.
הֽוֹדִיָּה֙  Hodijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֹודִיָּה  
Sense: a Levite in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
שְׁבַנְיָ֣ה  Shebaniah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבַנְיָה 
Sense: a Levite who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah.
פְתַֽחְיָ֔ה  [and]  Pethahiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּתַחְיָה  
Sense: a priest, in charge of the 9th course, in the time of David.
ק֗וּמוּ  Stand  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
בָּרֲכוּ֙  [and]  bless 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָעוֹלָ֖ם  Forever 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
! הָעוֹלָ֑ם  ever 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
וִיבָֽרְכוּ֙  Blessed  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
שֵׁ֣ם  Your  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
כְּבוֹדֶ֔ךָ  glorious 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.
וּמְרוֹמַ֥ם  and  which  is  exalted 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Pual, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
עַל־  above 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בְּרָכָ֖ה  blessing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרָכָה  
Sense: blessing.
וּתְהִלָּֽה  and  praise 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּהִלָּה  
Sense: praise, song or hymn of praise.