Nehemiah 9:3

stood up Literally, -arose."

in their place cf. Nehemiah 8:7. The people appear to have continued standing where they were for six hours, listening for three hours and worshipping three hours.

and read the people read. By this we should understand that the people's religious representatives, the Levites, read while the people listened. For -the book of the law," cf. Nehemiah 8:3.

one fourthpart] R.V. a fourth part, i.e. a quarter of the day as opposed to the night; i.e. 3 hours. The time of day is not told us. We may conjecture 9.0 a.m. 12.0, and 12.0 3.0 p.m. to have been the two quarters.

the Lord their God Characteristic of this section, cf. Nehemiah 9:4-5; Nehemiah 9:7; Nehemiah 10:29; Nehemiah 10:34.