OET interlinear NEH 9:5

uW Translation Notes:

הַ⁠לְוִיִּ֡ם

the,Levites

This phrase indicates that the eight men listed were Levites. If you said in your translation that the eight men listed in 8:4 were also Levites, here you could say, “Eight more Levites named.”

Note 1 topic: translate-names

יֵשׁ֣וּעַ וְ֠⁠קַדְמִיאֵל בָּנִ֨י חֲשַׁבְנְיָ֜ה שֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֤ה הֽוֹדִיָּה֙ שְׁבַנְיָ֣ה פְתַֽחְיָ֔ה

Yēshūˊa/(Jeshua) and,Kadmiel Bānī Ḩₐshaⱱnə\sup_yāh Shērēⱱə\sup_yāh Hōdiy\sup_yāh Shəⱱan\sup_yāh Pətaḩ\sup_yāh

These are the names of eight men.

Note 2 topic: translate-symaction

ק֗וּמוּ

stand_up

Here, rise up seems to mean “get up from a kneeling posture.” This would have symbolized that a new part of the ceremony was beginning. The people were to move from sorrowful confession to a resolute and joyful rededication of their community to God.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

בָּרֲכוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵי⁠כֶ֔ם מִן־הָ⁠עוֹלָ֖ם עַד־הָ⁠עוֹלָ֑ם

bless DOM YHWH God_of,your_all's from/more_than the,everlasting until the,everlasting

The Levites speak these words to the people. They are not telling the people to praise God during all the time from eternity past to eternity future. Rather, they are using an idiom, “from eternity to eternity,” to mean that Yahweh is the God who has always existed and will always exist. If it would be helpful in your language, you could put it in those terms. Alternate translation: “Praise Yahweh, your God, who has always existed and will always exist”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / aside

וִ⁠יבָֽרְכוּ֙ שֵׁ֣ם כְּבוֹדֶ֔⁠ךָ

and,blessed name_of glorious_of,your

In this sentence, the Levite who is speaking turns abruptly from addressing the people to addressing God. (Your in the previous sentence meant the people, while your here refers to God.) This is somewhat like the places earlier in the book where Nehemiah stops addressing his readers and speaks directly to God in prayer. However, here the people are meant to hear and do what is being described. So If it would be helpful in your language, you could express these as words that continue to be directed to the people, as in the previous sentence. Alternate translation: “Praise his glorious name”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וִ⁠יבָֽרְכוּ֙ שֵׁ֣ם כְּבוֹדֶ֔⁠ךָ

and,blessed name_of glorious_of,your

As in 1:9, name is a figurative way of referring to the fame or reputation of a person. This is described by something associated with it, how well known someone’s name is and how people react to hearing it. God’s reputation, in turn, is based on what he has done and what this reveals about who he is, and so his “name” would also represent that. Alternate translation: “praise you for who you are and what you have done”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וּ⁠מְרוֹמַ֥ם עַל־כָּל־בְּרָכָ֖ה וּ⁠תְהִלָּֽה

and,exalted on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in all/each/any/every blessing and,praise

Here God’s name is described in a spatial metaphor as being higher than or lifted up above blessing and praise. This means that all of the things that people could do to honor and praise God could never be sufficient to acknowledge how much honor and praise he actually deserves. Alternate translation: “we can never bless you and praise you as much as you deserve”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

עַל־כָּל־בְּרָכָ֖ה וּ⁠תְהִלָּֽה

on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in all/each/any/every blessing and,praise

Blessing and praise are abstract nouns that refer to the act of openly honoring someone for their character and actions. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the idea behind these words with the verb forms of these words. Alternate translation: “we can never bless you and praise you as much as you deserve”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

עַל־כָּל־בְּרָכָ֖ה וּ⁠תְהִלָּֽה

on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in all/each/any/every blessing and,praise

In this context, blessing and praise mean basically the same thing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could combine these words. Alternate translation: “we can never acknowledge you sufficiently”