Nehemiah 8:10 (DRB)

Passage

And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 8:8 And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood: and they understood when it was read.

Nehemiah 8:9 And Nehemiah (he is Athersatha) and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said: This is a holy day to the Lord our God: do not mourn, nor weep: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Nehemiah 8:10 And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Nehemiah 8:11 And the Levites stilled all the people, saying: Hold your peace, for the day is holy, and be not sorrowful.

Nehemiah 8:12 So all the people went to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth: because they understood the words that he had taught them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "meats", "drink", "sweet", "wine", "send", "portions", and "prepared". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "meats", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "And Nehemiah he is Athersatha and Esdras..." into verse 11's "And the Levites stilled all the people...", so "said" and "meats" 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 "said" and "meats" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.