Nehemiah 8

Ezra Reads the Law

1 And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of ¹the Water Gate, and they asked ²Ezra the scribe to bring ³the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel.

2 Then ⁴Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on ⁵the first day of the seventh month.

3 He read from it before the square which was in front of ⁶the Water Gate from early morning until midday *, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

4 Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.

5 Ezra opened ⁷the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above * all the people; and when he opened it, all the people ⁸stood up.

6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "⁹Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then ¹⁰they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place.

8 They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

``This Day Is Holy"

9 Then Nehemiah, who was the ¹¹governor, and Ezra ¹²the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "¹³This day is holy to the LORD your God; ¹⁴do not mourn or weep." For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

10 Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and ¹⁵send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved."

12 All the people went away to eat, to drink, ¹⁶to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, ¹⁷because they understood the words which had been made known to them.

Feast of Booths Restored

13 Then on the second day the heads of fathers' households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law.

14 They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel ¹⁸should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.

15 ¹⁹So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and ²⁰in Jerusalem, saying, "²¹Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild * olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written."

16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each ²²on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at ²³the Water Gate and in the square at ²⁴the Gate of Ephraim.

17 The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel ²⁵had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And ²⁶there was great rejoicing.

18 ²⁷He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they ²⁸celebrated the feast seven days, and on ²⁹the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.

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Nehemiah 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

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)

Verses 1-8 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.

Verses 9-12 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.

Verses 13-18 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, ( Zechariah 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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 29

1. Nehemiah 3:26
2. Ezra 7:6
3. 2 Chronicles 34:15
4. Deuteronomy 31:9-11; Nehemiah 8:9
5. Leviticus 23:24
6. Nehemiah 8:1
7. Nehemiah 8:3
8. Judges 3:20; 1 Kings 8:12-14
9. Nehemiah 5:13
10. Exodus 4:31
11. Nehemiah 7:65, 70
12. Nehemiah 12:26
13. Nehemiah 8:2
14. Deuteronomy 12:7, 12
15. Deuteronomy 26:11-13
16. Nehemiah 8:10
17. Nehemiah 8:7, 8
18. Lev 23:34, 40, 42
19. Leviticus 23:4
20. Deuteronomy 16:16
21. Leviticus 23:40
22. Jeremiah 32:29
23. Nehemiah 8:1
24. 2 Kings 14:13; Nehemiah 12:39
25. 2 Chronicles 7:8; 2 Chronicles 8:13
26. 2 Chronicles 30:21
27. Deuteronomy 31:11
28. Leviticus 23:36
29. Numbers 29:35

Footnotes 9

[a]. Lit "said to"
[b]. Lit "commanded"
[c]. Lit "the light"
[d]. Or "explaining"
[e]. Heb "Tirshatha," a Persian title
[f]. Lit "make a great rejoicing"
[g]. Lit "And that they will cause to be heard"
[h]. Lit "oil tree," species unknown
[i]. Lit "the booths"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 8

Ezra being desired to bring forth the book of the law, read it to the people and others, expounded it to them, Ne 8:1-8 and Nehemiah exhorted the people to express joy and gladness on this occasion, which they did, Ne 8:9-12 and observing the feast of tabernacles was in the law commanded to be observed, they kept it very strictly and joyfully, Ne 8:13-18.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible