"Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'"
— Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)
Nehemiah 8:10 is the "the joy of the Lord is your strength" verse. This page gives the verse, where it sits in Nehemiah 8, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about joy, Bible verses about strength, and Bible verses about Nehemiah.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
"Portions" is manah (H4490), a share of food. "Holy" is qadosh (H6918), set apart. "Grieve" (KJV "be ye sorry") is atsab (H6087), to be pained or grieved. "Joy" is chedvah (H2304), gladness, a rare word in the Old Testament. "Strength" is maoz (H4581), a stronghold or place of safety.
Where it sits in Nehemiah 8
The wall of Jerusalem had just been finished (Nehemiah 6:15). In the seventh month the people gathered at the square before the Water Gate, and Ezra read the Book of the Law "from daybreak till noon" (Nehemiah 8:3). The Levites helped, "making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read" (Nehemiah 8:8).
When the people heard it, they wept (Nehemiah 8:9). Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites told them this was not a day for mourning. After verse 10, "all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them" (Nehemiah 8:12).
What the verse is saying
The people wept because God's word showed them how far they had fallen short. Nehemiah does not tell them their sin does not matter. He tells them that this day belongs to God, and God's joy, not their grief, is what will hold them up.
The joy is "of the Lord": it comes from him and is found in him. The word for strength, maoz, is the same word used for a refuge in Nahum 1:7. And the joy is shared: send food to those who have nothing. Psalm 16:11 says the same source of joy is God's presence. See also Philippians 4:4.
Questions people ask
What does Nehemiah 8:10 say?
In the NIV it ends, "This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The KJV ends, "neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Who said "the joy of the Lord is your strength"?
Nehemiah 8:10 credits Nehemiah. Verse 9 says Nehemiah, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites were all telling the people not to mourn.
Why were the people weeping in Nehemiah 8?
They wept as they heard the words of the Law read aloud by Ezra (Nehemiah 8:9).
What does "the joy of the Lord is your strength" mean?
The joy that comes from God is a stronghold. The Hebrew word for strength, maoz, means a fortress or place of safety, so God's joy is where his people are kept safe.
What other verses talk about joy as strength?
Psalm 28:7 (the Lord is my strength and my shield... my heart leaps for joy), Romans 15:13 (may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace), and Philippians 4:4 (rejoice in the Lord always) are close companions.
