John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 6. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God , etc.] Before he began to read in the book of the law, he addressed himself to God in a short prayer, wholly in the benedictory way; ascribing blessing, honour, and glory to him, celebrating his being and perfections, setting forth his greatness and his excellency, who was the author and giver of the law he was about to read; and this he the rather did, that what he read might be the more carefully attended to, and come with the greater authority, weight, and influence on those that heard it; and so, Maimonides says, it is the custom with the Jews, in their synagogues, for the reader, after he has opened the book, and looked out the place he reads, to say this blessing, “Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the world, who hath chosen us out of all people, and hath given us his law; blessed art thou, O Lord, who hast given us the law; and all the people answer, Amen;” as they now did, as follows: and all the people answered, Amen, Amen : repeating the word, to declare their hearty assent to what Ezra had expressed; the Jews have many rules concerning pronouncing the “Amen”, that it must not be too quick, curt, and short, nor with too high a voice f53 : with lifting up their hands ; a prayer gesture, to which the apostle refers, ( 1 Timothy 2:8), and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground ; expressing hereby the awful sense they had of the Divine Being, and their profound adoration of him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, a acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of familie should bring their families with them to the public worship of God Women and children have souls to save, and are therefore to acquain themselves with the word of God, and to attend on the means of grace Little ones, as they come to reason, must be trained up in religion Ministers when they go to the pulpit, should take their Bibles with them; Ezra did so. Thence they must fetch their knowledge; according to that rule they must speak, and must show that they do so. Reading the Scriptures in religious assemblies is an ordinance of God, whereby he is honoured, and his church edified. Those who hear the word, shoul understand it, else it is to them but an empty sound of words. It is therefore required of teachers that they explain the word, and give the sense of it. Reading is good, and preaching is good, but expoundin makes reading the better understood, and preaching the more convincing It has pleased God in almost every age of the church to raise up, no only those who have preached the gospel, but also those who have give their views of Divine truth in writing; and though many who have attempted to explain Scripture, have darkened counsel by words withou knowledge, yet the labours of others are of excellent use. All that we hear must, however, be brought to the test of Scripture. They hear readily, and minded every word. The word of God demands attention. I through carelessness we let much slip in hearing, there is danger tha through forgetfulness we shall let all slip after hearing.
Original Hebrew ויברך1288 עזרא5830 את853 יהוה3068 האלהים430 הגדול1419 ויענו6030 כל3605 העם5971 אמן543 אמן543 במעל4607 ידיהם3027 ויקדו6915 וישׁתחו7812 ליהוה3068 אפים639 ארצה׃776
