Nehemiah8
World English Bible · Public Domain
1All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel.
2Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
3He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
4Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5Ezra 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.
6Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God. All the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground.
7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place.
8They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
9Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is holy to Yahweh your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.
10Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”
11So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved.”
12All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
13On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law.
14They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;
15and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, as it is written.”
16So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate.
17All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness.
18Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Nehemiah 8.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The reading and expounding the law. (1–8). The people called upon to be joyful. (9–12). The feast of tabernacles, The joy of the people. (13–18).
vv1-8
Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, as acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of families should bring their families with them to the public worship of God. Women and children have souls to save, and are therefore to acquaint themselves with the word of God, and to attend on the means of grace. Little ones, as they come to reason, must be trained up in religion. Ministers when they go to the pulpit, should take their Bibles with them; Ezra did so. Thence they must fetch their knowledge; according to that rule they must speak, and must show that they do so. Reading the Scriptures in religious assemblies is an ordinance of God, whereby he is honoured, and his church edified. Those who hear the word, should understand it, else it is to them but an empty sound of words. It is therefore required of teachers that they explain the word, and give the sense of it. Reading is good, and preaching is good, but expounding makes reading the better understood, and preaching the more convincing. It has pleased God in almost every age of the church to raise up, not only those who have preached the gospel, but also those who have given their views of Divine truth in writing; and though many who have attempted to explain Scripture, have darkened counsel by words without knowledge, yet the labours of others are of excellent use. All that we hear must, however, be brought to the test of Scripture. They heard readily, and minded every word. The word of God demands attention. If through carelessness we let much slip in hearing, there is danger that through forgetfulness we shall let all slip after hearing.
vv9-12
It was a good sign that their hearts were tender, when they heard the words of the law. The people were to send portions to those for whom nothing was prepared. It is the duty of a religious feast, as well as of a religious fast, to draw out the soul to the hungry; God's bounty should make us bountiful. We must not only give to those that offer themselves, but send to those out of sight. Their strength consisted in joy in the Lord. The better we understand God's word, the more comfort we find in it; the darkness of trouble arises from the darkness of ignorance.
vv13-18
They found written in the law about the feast of tabernacles. Those who diligently search the Scriptures, find things written there which they have forgotten. This feast of tabernacles was a representation of the believer's tabernacle state in this world, and a type of the holy joy of the gospel church. The conversion of the nations to the faith of Christ, is foretold under the figure of this feast, Zec 14:16. True religion will render us strangers and pilgrims upon earth. We read and hear the word acceptably and profitably, when we do according to what is written therein; when what appears to be our duty is revived, after it has been neglected. They minded the substance; else the ceremony had been of no use. They did it, rejoicing in God and his goodness. These are the means which the Spirit of God crowns with success, in bringing the hearts of sinners to tremble and to become humbled before God. But those are enemies to their own growth in holiness, who always indulge sorrow, even for sin, and put away from them the consolations tendered by the word and Spirit of God.
Key Words
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
אָסַף: to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)
אֶחָד: properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
רְחֹב: a width, i.e. (concretely) avenue or area
פָּנִים: the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
מַיִם: water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen
שַׁעַר: an opening, i.e. door or gate
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
Cross References
Nehemiah 8Explicit Mosaic law for gathering branches and dwelling in booths during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Prescribes the holy convocation and blowing of trumpets on the first day of the seventh month.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the practice of sending portions to the needy during times of holy feasting and joy.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Commandments concerning the Feast of Tabernacles and rejoicing with the whole community.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Ehud's message from God prompts Eglon to rise up in reverence, mirroring Israel standing for the Law.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Affirms the priest's messenger role to preserve knowledge and cause the people to understand the Law.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Records the previous, less comprehensive celebration of Tabernacles immediately after returning from exile.
Supported by JFB
Requires the public reading of the Law at the Feast of Tabernacles every seventh year.
Supported by JFB
Locates the assembly street near the Water Gate, where the Nethinims dwelt.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Prophetic integration of the Feast of Tabernacles representing the future conversion of all nations.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The law concerning battlements on flat roofs, where the people constructed their temporary booths.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prescribes the solemn assembly on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the great joy and extended praise seen in Hezekiah's historic Passover revival.
Supported by JFB
Jesus cries out on the last, great day of this same Feast of Tabernacles.
Supported by JFB