What Does Nehemiah 8:10 Mean?
Nehemiah 8:10
“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
QUICK ANSWER
After the reading of the law of God, Nehemiah tells the people to stop mourning and instead eat, drink, and celebrate because the day is holy. It should be a time of rejoicing.
CONTEXT
Roughly 70 years eariler, the temple was finished by Zerubbabel. Now, the wall has been rebuilt by Nehemiah and his men. The people of Jerusalem have gathered to hear the Law read aloud by Ezra. As they listen, they begin to weep upon understanding the words because they realize how far from God they had fallen.
BASIC BREAKDOWN
“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet,
During the celebration, the people needed to focus on the blessings and enjoy the good things that God puts in your life.
and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared:
They should also give what they have to those who are in need around them.
for this day is holy unto our Lord:
The day was dedicated to celebrating God's faithfulness and the restoration of His people, rather than mourning past sins.
neither be ye sorry;
Don't focus on the past. Celebrate God's goodness in the present.
for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
God is the source of our strength... not ourselves.
APPLICATION
Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that true strength comes from the joy the Lord gives, not from our circumstances. Even in difficult or convicting moments, God’s joy can renew and sustain us. It encourages us to find our hope and energy in Him rather than in temporary things. When we rest in God’s joy, we gain the strength to keep moving forward.
RELATED VERSES
Psalm 30:5 - “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Deuteronomy 16:14-15 - “And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates: Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord shall choose: because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.”
Philippians 4:4 - “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”
Romans 15:13 - “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Isaiah 12:3 - “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
