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Nehemiah 8

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Ezra Reads the Law 1–8

1
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Jehovah had commanded to Israel. ​
2
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. ​
3
And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. ​
4
And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ​
5
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people); and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ​
6
And Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground. ​
7
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. ​
8
And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading. ​

Grief Turns to the Joy of the Lord 9–12

9
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. ​
10
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength. ​
11
So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
12
And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. ​

Discovery and Celebration of the Feast of Booths 13–18

13
And on the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers’housesof all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law. ​
14
And they found written in the law, how that Jehovah had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; ​
15
and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
16
So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.
17
And all the assembly of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. ​
18
Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the ordinance. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Nehemiah 8

Verse 1

the street that was before the water gate — The gathering is the people's own: they 'spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses'. It is the first day of the seventh month (v.2), 'a memorial of blowing of trumpets' (Lev 23:24). Ezra had 'prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD' (Ezra 7:10).

Verse 2

men and women, and all that could hear with understanding — The reading is for the whole congregation, as Moses commanded: 'men, and women, and children' gathered 'that they may hear, and that they may learn' (Deut 31:12). 'Understanding' is bin, the verb that runs through this chapter (vv.3, 7, 8, 9, 12).

Verse 3

from the morning until midday — The reading filled the morning in the open square, to 'the men and the women, and those that could understand'; Moses had said to read the law 'in their hearing' (Deut 31:11). Of the hearers the Hebrew says simply that the ears of all the people were toward the book, which the KJV renders 'attentive'.

Verse 4

a pulpit of wood — Migdal is a tower, so a raised stand of wood built 'for the purpose'. Thirteen men stood beside Ezra, six at his right hand (Mattithiah to Maaseiah) and seven at his left (Pedaiah to Meshullam). He stood there as 'Ezra the scribe', the title of v.1.

Verse 5

all the people stood up — Ezra opened the book 'in the sight of all the people', being 'above all the people', and they rose as he opened it. The scribe who had set his heart 'to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments' (Ezra 7:10) now teaches it openly.

Verse 6

Amen, Amen — Amen, 'so be it', was the people's answer in the law itself: 'And all the people shall answer and say, Amen' (Deut 27:15). Lifted hands are as in Ps 141:2, and bowed heads and worship as in 1 Chr 29:20, 'bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD'; here they worship 'with their faces to the ground'.

Verse 7

caused the people to understand the law — Thirteen men are named, with 'the Levites', and the people 'stood in their place' as they taught. The verb is bin in its causing form, to give understanding; v.9 calls them 'the Levites that taught the people' with the same verb.

Verse 8

gave the sense — Sekel, insight or understanding, given along with the reading. 'Distinctly' is parash, to make plain by separating. 'The reading' is mikra, which the KJV renders so only here; elsewhere it is 'convocation', as in 'an holy convocation' (Lev 23:24).

Verse 9

This day is holy unto the LORD — Nehemiah is called 'the Tirshatha', the governor's title (also Neh 7:65, 70; 10:1). The people wept 'when they heard the words of the law', and are told to mourn not, since the day is holy: the first of the seventh month, a sabbath and holy convocation (Lev 23:24).

Verse 10

the joy of the LORD — Chedvah, gladness, is found only here and in 1 Chr 16:27, 'strength and gladness are in his place'. The command is practical: 'eat the fat, and drink the sweet', and 'send portions' (manot) to those with nothing prepared, as the Jews later sent 'portions one to another, and gifts to the poor' (Esth 9:22).

Verse 12

because they had understood — The cause of the mirth (simchah) is stated: 'because they had understood the words that were declared unto them'. The people then did all three things v.10 commanded: they ate, they drank, and they sent portions. The verb is again bin, as in v.8.

Verse 13

to understand the words of the law — On the second day the heads of the families, with the priests and Levites, came to Ezra. The verb changes here to sakal, to gain insight; they came to study, and in the reading they 'found written' the instruction about booths (v.14).

Verse 14

dwell in booths — What they 'found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses' is the command of Lev 23:42, 'Ye shall dwell in booths seven days'. A booth is a sukkah. The feast fell in the seventh month, the same month as the reading of v.2.

Verse 17

since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun — Jeshua is Joshua. The feast had been kept before (2 Chr 7:8; Ezra 3:4, 'as it is written'); what had not been done 'so' was the whole congregation sitting 'under the booths' of branches (v.15). The 'very great gladness' is the same word, simchah, as the mirth of v.12.

Verse 18

a solemn assembly — Ezra read 'day by day' through the feast, as Moses had commanded for the feast of tabernacles in the year of release (Deut 31:10–11). The eighth day was atzereth, a 'solemn assembly' on which 'ye shall do no servile work' (Lev 23:36); Solomon's feast ended the same way (2 Chr 7:9).