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.

KJV (with Strong's)

Then the Levites {H3881}, Jeshua {H3442}, and Kadmiel {H6934}, Bani {H1137}, Hashabniah {H2813}, Sherebiah {H8274}, Hodijah {H1941}, Shebaniah {H7645}, and Pethahiah {H6611}, said {H559}, Stand up {H6965} and bless {H1288} the LORD {H3068} your God {H430} for ever {H5769} and ever {H5769}: and blessed {H1288} be thy glorious {H3519} name {H8034}, which is exalted {H7311} above all blessing {H1293} and praise {H8416}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Then the L'vi'im Yeshua, Kadmi'el, Bani, Hashavn'yah, Sherevyah, Hodiyah, Sh'vanyah and P'tachyah said, "Stand up, and bless ADONAI your God from everlasting to everlasting; let them say: "'Blessed be your glorious name, exalted above all blessing and praise!

Berean Standard Bible

Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

American Standard Version

Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, andPethahiah, 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.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Nehemiah 9:5 marks a pivotal moment of communal worship and spiritual awakening, as the Levites lead the returned exiles in a majestic call to praise and an invocation preceding a lengthy prayer of confession. This verse serves as a powerful summons for the assembly to rise in reverence and eternally bless the LORD their God, whose glorious name is declared to be utterly exalted beyond all human capacity for blessing and praise, thereby establishing a profound tone of awe, humility, and transcendent adoration for the subsequent recounting of God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Nehemiah 9:5 functions as the solemn and dramatic prelude to the extensive national prayer of confession and adoration that comprises the entirety of [Nehemiah 9](/nehemiah/9 "Nehemiah 9 - The Great Prayer of Confession"). This moment of corporate worship immediately follows a period of intense spiritual renewal, including the joyous celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the public reading and explanation of the Law by Ezra and the Levites, as meticulously detailed in [Nehemiah 8](/nehemiah/8 "Nehemiah 8 - Reading of the Law and Feast of Tabernacles"). The transition from the feasting and instruction of [Nehemiah 8](/nehemiah/8 "Nehemiah 8 - Reading of the Law and Feast of Tabernacles") to a day of fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, as introduced in [Nehemiah 9:1](/nehemiah/9-1 "Nehemiah 9:1 - Day of Fasting and Confession"), signifies a deliberate and profound shift towards repentance and a renewed covenant commitment. The Levites, who had been crucial in teaching and interpreting the Law, now assume the prominent role of leading the community in this act of corporate worship, historical reflection, and confession, underscoring their ongoing divine appointment as spiritual guides and liturgical leaders.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** This significant event is situated within the post-exilic period, specifically in the mid-5th century BC, following the return of the Jewish people from seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Under the dual leadership of Nehemiah, who oversaw the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, and Ezra, who spearheaded the restoration of the Law, the community was actively engaged in re-establishing its identity as God's covenant people. The command to "Stand up" (Hebrew: *qum*) was a deeply ingrained cultural practice in the ancient Near East, signifying a posture of profound respect, reverence, and readiness, particularly when in the presence of a king, a dignitary, or a deity. For the Israelites, this physical posture embodied a humble yet active engagement in worship, acknowledging God's supreme authority and majesty. The collective nature of this worship reflects the strong communal identity of Israel, forged through their shared experiences of exile, return, and the ongoing, arduous process of national restoration and spiritual renewal.
* **Key Themes:** Nehemiah 9:5 introduces and powerfully articulates several foundational themes that reverberate throughout the subsequent prayer in [Nehemiah 9](/nehemiah/9 "Nehemiah 9 - The Great Prayer of Confession") and indeed across the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it issues a resounding **Call to Worship and Reverence**, inviting the entire assembly to actively participate in praising God, a posture that inherently signifies honor, submission, and adoration. Secondly, the verse profoundly emphasizes **God's Exalted and Glorious Name**, asserting His absolute transcendence and incomparable majesty. God's "name" (Hebrew: *shem*) represents His very character, His revealed attributes, His reputation, and His manifest presence, all of which are declared to be intrinsically glorious and utterly beyond human capacity to fully bless or praise, echoing the sentiment found in [Psalm 145:3](/psalm/145-3 "Psalm 145:3 - God's Greatness is Unsearchable"). Thirdly, the directive to bless God "for ever and ever" underscores the theme of **Eternal Praise**, signifying that God's inherent worthiness of adoration is unending, timeless, and perpetual. Finally, the explicit mention of specific Levites by name reinforces the theme of **Levitical Leadership in Worship**, affirming their divinely appointed and crucial role in guiding the spiritual life, liturgical practices, and covenant renewal of the community, a function deeply rooted in the Mosaic covenant, as seen, for example, in [Numbers 3:6-9](/numbers/3-6 "Numbers 3:6-9 - Duties of the Levites").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **bless (Hebrew, _bārak'_):** This primitive root (H1288), used twice in the verse, literally means "to kneel" or "to bow down." When directed from humans to God, it signifies an act of humble adoration, praise, and ascribing honor to Him. It is an acknowledgment of His inherent goodness and supreme worth, rather than an act of bestowing something upon Him. The term also carries the nuance of declaring God's inherent blessedness and majesty.
* **glorious (Hebrew, _kābôwd'_):** This noun (H3519), often translated "glory," fundamentally denotes weight, honor, splendor, and inherent majesty. When applied to God's "name," it speaks of the manifest presence of His divine attributes, His intrinsic dignity, and the awe-inspiring radiance of His being. It signifies that God's character and His self-revelation are intrinsically weighty, substantial, and worthy of profound reverence and adoration.
* **exalted (Hebrew, _rûwm'_):** This primitive root (H7311) means "to be high," "lofty," or "lifted up." In this context, it powerfully conveys God's absolute transcendence and supreme elevation above all created things. The declaration that God's name is "exalted above all blessing and praise" indicates that His glory infinitely surpasses any and all human attempts to articulate, comprehend, or even respond to His greatness, placing Him in a category entirely unique, incomparable, and beyond human measure.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said,"**: This opening clause precisely identifies the specific Levites who are leading this solemn call to worship. The meticulous naming of these individuals provides historical authenticity and underscores their designated, authoritative role as spiritual facilitators for the community. They are guiding the people in a profound corporate act of repentance and praise, their authority stemming from their Levitical office and their commitment to upholding the Law.
* **"Stand up [and] bless the LORD your God for ever and ever:"**: This is a direct, imperative command addressed to the assembled people. "Stand up" is a call to assume a posture of reverence, active engagement, and readiness before God. "Bless the LORD your God" is an invitation for the people to acknowledge, declare, and ascribe inherent goodness and supreme worth to God. The emphatic phrase "for ever and ever" extends this call to praise into eternity, emphasizing the timeless, unending, and perpetual nature of God's deservingness of adoration.
* **"and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise."**: This clause transitions from an imperative to a declarative statement, functioning as a profound doxology. It is a theological affirmation that God's "glorious name"—His revealed character, majestic presence, and inherent attributes—is intrinsically worthy of blessing and adoration. The powerful declaration that it is "exalted above all blessing and praise" underscores God's infinite transcendence and His absolute incomparability. This means that no human praise, no matter how fervent, eloquent, or sincere, can ever fully encompass, adequately express, or truly add to the boundless glory and majesty of God. Our highest praises are but faint, yet necessary, echoes of His infinite and self-existent worth.

#### Literary Devices
Nehemiah 9:5 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound theological message and evoke a sense of awe. The most prominent is **Apostrophe**, as the Levites initially address the assembled people with an imperative ("Stand up and bless the LORD your God") and then immediately pivot to a direct address to God Himself ("blessed be thy glorious name"). This dynamic shift creates an immediate sense of participatory reverence and directs the focus from the human act of worship to the divine object of that worship. **Hyperbole** is powerfully utilized in the phrase "exalted above all blessing and praise." This is not meant to imply that human praise is impossible or futile, but rather to emphasize the immeasurable, incomparable, and utterly transcendent greatness of God's glory, which infinitely surpasses any human capacity for articulation or comprehension. The **Repetition** of the root "bless" (*bārak*) serves to highlight the central action and theme of the verse, reinforcing both the imperative call to worship and the inherent blessedness and worthiness of God's name. Finally, the **Inclusion of Names** (Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah) functions as a form of historical grounding and emphasizes the specific, authoritative leadership of the Levites in this pivotal moment of national repentance and spiritual renewal, lending credibility and solemnity to the occasion.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Nehemiah 9:5 articulates a foundational theological truth about the very nature of God and the appropriate human response to His being. It asserts God's absolute sovereignty, infinite transcendence, and incomparable majesty, declaring Him to be utterly unique and infinitely superior to all created beings and their expressions of worship. Our praise, therefore, is not an attempt to add to God's inherent glory, but rather a humble and joyful acknowledgment of His pre-existent, uncreated splendor. This profound understanding fosters deep humility in worship, compelling us to recognize that even our most earnest adoration, eloquent words, and fervent expressions fall infinitely short of His true majesty. Yet, paradoxically, it also invites us into a privileged relationship, where we are permitted, by grace, to participate in declaring the worth of the One who is truly beyond all comprehension. This verse sets the theological stage for the subsequent prayer, which meticulously recounts God's faithful acts throughout Israel's history, demonstrating that His glorious name is not merely an abstract concept but is dynamically revealed through His active engagement with His people in covenant faithfulness.

* [1 Chronicles 29:10-13](/1_chronicles/29-10-13 "1 Chronicles 29:10-13 - David's Prayer of Praise and Acknowledgment of God's Sovereignty")
* [Psalm 145:3](/psalm/145-3 "Psalm 145:3 - The Lord is Great and Greatly to be Praised")
* [Isaiah 6:3](/isaiah/6-3 "Isaiah 6:3 - The Seraphim Proclaim God's Holiness")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Nehemiah 9:5 offers a timeless and profound blueprint for authentic worship, reminding us that our adoration of God should be characterized by both deep reverence and an endlessly expansive recognition of His greatness. The imperative call to "Stand up and bless the LORD" transcends mere physical posture; it signifies an internal readiness, an intentional posture of the heart, and a deliberate engagement with God's holiness and presence. This challenges us to move beyond superficial or perfunctory praise, prompting us to pause and truly consider the infinite worth of the One we worship. Understanding that God's glorious name is "exalted above all blessing and praise" cultivates a profound sense of humility within us, recognizing that our most eloquent words and fervent expressions can only ever be a faint echo of His true, boundless majesty. This realization should not diminish our praise but rather deepen our awe, inspiring us to continually seek to know Him more fully and express our adoration with greater sincerity, devotion, and intentionality, both in our private devotions and within the communal context of the church, where believers unite to declare God's unparalleled greatness to a watching world.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What does it mean for your personal worship to "stand up" and actively engage with God's presence, beyond just physical posture?**
* **How does the idea of God's name being "exalted above all blessing and praise" shape your understanding of His majesty and your own humility in worship?**
* **In what specific ways can your communal worship experiences better reflect the eternal and transcendent nature of God's glory?**
* **How can acknowledging God's "glorious name" transform your daily life, your perspective on challenges, and your interactions with others?**

### FAQ
**Why are specific Levites named here, and what was their role?**

Answer: The naming of specific Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—serves several crucial purposes within the narrative of Nehemiah. Firstly, it lends historical authenticity and precision to the account, confirming that these were real individuals who held positions of significant authority and responsibility within the post-exilic community. Secondly, and more importantly, it highlights the indispensable leadership role of the Levites in the spiritual life of Israel. From the time of Moses, the Levites were divinely set apart for service in the tabernacle and later the temple, entrusted with responsibilities such as teaching the Law, leading worship, and facilitating the spiritual connection between God and His people. In the immediate context of Nehemiah, these very Levites had just played a vital role in publicly reading and explaining the Law to the people, ensuring its comprehension (as vividly described in [Nehemiah 8:7-8](/nehemiah/8-7-8 "Nehemiah 8:7-8 - Levites Explaining the Law to the People")). Now, they transition seamlessly to leading the entire assembly in this profound and solemn act of corporate confession and praise. Their explicit presence and leadership underscore the organized, intentional, and divinely ordained nature of this pivotal spiritual gathering for the nation.

**What does it mean for God's name to be "exalted above all blessing and praise"?**

Answer: This powerful and poetic phrase conveys the infinite transcendence and incomparable majesty of God. It does not imply that human praise is futile, unwelcome, or somehow insufficient to reach God. Rather, it profoundly communicates that God's inherent glory, His intrinsic worth, and His boundless being far surpass anything that finite human beings can conceive, articulate, or bestow upon Him. Our "blessing" of God is not an act of adding to His essence or making Him more glorious; instead, it is an act of humble recognition, adoration, and declaration of His inherent, uncreated goodness and splendor. The phrase "exalted above all blessing and praise" suggests that even the highest, most profound, and most eloquent expressions of human adoration fall infinitely short of fully capturing or adequately responding to the boundless greatness of God's character. It cultivates a deep sense of awe and humility in the worshiper, reminding us that God is utterly unique, beyond all comparison, and that His glory is self-existent and inexhaustible. Our praise, therefore, is a necessary and humble, yet essential, echo of His own infinite worth.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Nehemiah 9:5, with its resounding call to bless God's glorious name eternally and its declaration that this name is exalted above all blessing and praise, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "glorious name" of God, which the Levites declared to be beyond all human comprehension and praise, is most perfectly and fully revealed in Jesus, the very embodiment of divine glory. As [John 1:14](/john/1-14 "John 1:14 - The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us") majestically proclaims, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." It is through Christ that God's otherwise unapproachable glory is made tangible, accessible, and intimately knowable to humanity. The eternal praise envisioned in Nehemiah is now offered to God *through* Christ, for it is in Him that "all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" ([Colossians 1:19](/colossians/1-19 "Colossians 1:19 - All the Fullness of God Dwells in Christ")). Furthermore, the ultimate fulfillment of every knee bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, as prophesied in [Philippians 2:9-11](/philippians/2-9-11 "Philippians 2:9-11 - Jesus' Exaltation and Universal Confession"), demonstrates that the very name of Jesus embodies and perfectly expresses the exalted name of God. Our worship in the new covenant is a "sacrifice of praise" offered continually through Him ([Hebrews 13:15](/hebrews/13-15 "Hebrews 13:15 - Offering a Sacrifice of Praise Through Jesus")), and the "for ever and ever" aspect of praise finds its eschatological reality in the heavenly throne room where God and the Lamb are eternally worshipped by all creation ([Revelation 4:8-11](/revelation/4-8-11 "Revelation 4:8-11 - Heavenly Worship of God the Creator") and [Revelation 5:11-14](/revelation/5-11-14 "Revelation 5:11-14 - Heavenly Worship of the Lamb")). Thus, Nehemiah 9:5 serves as a prophetic overture to the Christ-centered worship that defines the new creation and the eternal adoration of the triune God.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 103:1

¶ [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name.

Psalms 103:2

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3

¶ Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Chronicles 29:13

Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

Jeremiah 33:10

¶ Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say [shall be] desolate without man and without beast, [even] in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,

Jeremiah 33:11

The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD [is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: [and] of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.