Nehemiah 9:3 - Exposition

In their place . See above, Nehemiah 8:7 . The people and the ministers had their appointed "places"in every gathering of a religious character. The former now "stood up" in their proper place, and read , i.e. "engaged in the reading of the law, not, however, as actual readers, but as listeners. The readers would be the Levites (see Nehemiah 8:7 , Nehemiah 8:8 ). One fourth part of the day . The day and the night were alike divided by the Jews into four parts, each of three hours duration. The nocturnal divisions are frequently alluded to in the New Testament ( Mark 13:35 ; John 18:28 , etc.). Worshipped. Literally, "bowed themselves down," or "prostrated themselves."