Nehemiah 8:11 (ASV)

Passage

So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 8:9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

Nehemiah 8:12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

Nehemiah 8:13 And on the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers` [houses] of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "levites", "stilled", "people", "saying", "hold", "peace", "holy", and "neither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "levites" and "stilled", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Then he said unto them Go your..." into verse 12's "And all the people went their way...", so "levites" and "stilled" belong inside that flow. In Nehemiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "levites" and "stilled" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.