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Nehemiah
Chapter Eight
New King James Version
(NKJV)
Nehemiah 8:1. Now all the people gathered together as one
man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they
told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses
which the Lord had commanded
Israel.
YLT And all the people are
gathered as one man unto the broad place that [is] before the water-gate
and
they say to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses
that Jehovah
commanded Israel.
And all the
people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before
the watergate
....
A large and commodious
street for such a company of people
which led to the water gate
of which see Nehemiah 3:26
hither the people gathered with great unanimity
zeal
and affection:
and they spoke
unto Ezra the scribe;
the same who is called
Ezra the priest
and scribe of the law of God
and said to be a ready one
Ezra 7:6
who came
to Jerusalem thirteen years before this time; but very probably returned to
Babylon again
and was lately come from thence:
to bring the
book of the law of Moses
which the Lord had commanded to Israel;
to observe what was
commanded in it
and which he had ordered to be read
particularly every
seventh year
at the feast of tabernacles
Deuteronomy 31:10
which was now drawing near
though this was not the precise time of reading it;
hence some have thought this year was the sabbatical year; see Nehemiah 5:11.
Nehemiah 8:2.
So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and
women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the
seventh month.
YLT And Ezra the priest
bringeth the law before the assembly
both of men and women
and every one
intelligent to hear
on the first day of the seventh month
And Ezra the
priest brought the law before the congregation
....
Having a perfect copy of
it
which the people knew
and therefore desired him to bring it; he brought it
either out of his own case or chest
or out of the temple where it was laid up;
some restrain this to the book of Deuteronomy; this he produced in sight of the
whole assembly:
both of men and
women;
adult persons of each sex
who met promiscuously; though Grotius thinks the women had a separate place:
and all that
could hear with understanding;
all under age
who yet
were capable of hearing the law read to some advantage to them:
upon the first
day of the seventh month;
the month Tisri
answering
to part of September and October; this was a high day
for not only the first
of every month was a festival
but the first of the seventh month was the feast
of blowing of trumpets
Leviticus 23:24
and besides
this was New Year's day
the first day of their civil year
as the
first of Nisan was of their ecclesiastical year
and was of greater antiquity
than that; and so Jarchi says
this was the first day of the year; to which may
be added
that this was the day on which the altar was first set up
on the Jews'
return from captivity
Ezra 3:6.
Nehemiah 8:3.
Then he read from it in the open square that was in front
of the Water Gate from morning until midday
before the men and women and those
who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to
the Book of the Law.
YLT and he readeth in it
before the broad place that [is] before the water-gate
from the light till the
middle of the day
over-against the men
and the women
and those intelligent
and the ears of all the people [are] unto the book of the law.
And he read
therein
....
Some passages in it
here
and there
which it was necessary the people should have knowledge of; for it
can hardly be thought be began and read on just in the order in which it was:
this he did
before the
street; at the top of it
at one end of it:
that was before
the water gate;
which looked directly to
that:
from the
morning until midday;
from the rising of the sun
to noon
so that he must read six hours; but very probably was relieved at
times by the men with him
after mentioned:
before the men
and the women
and those that could understand; see Nehemiah 8:2
and the ears of
all the people were attentive unto the book of the law;
to the hearing of it read
and to the things contained in it; hence MaimonidesF8Hilchot
Tephillah
c. 12. sect. 9. gathers
that as soon as the reader begins the
reading of the law
it is not lawful to speak about anything
not even the
constitutions of the law
but silently to attend to what is read.
Nehemiah 8:4.
So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made
for the purpose; and beside him
at his right hand
stood Mattithiah
Shema
Anaiah
Urijah
Hilkiah
and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah
Mishael
Malchijah
Hashum
Hashbadana
Zechariah
and Meshullam.
YLT And Ezra the scribe
standeth on a tower of wood that they made for the purpose
and Mattithiah
standeth near him
and Shema
and Anaiah
and Urijah
and Hilkiah
and
Maaseiah
on his right; and on his left Pedaiah
and Mishael
and Malchijah
and Hashum
and Hashbaddana
Zechariah
Meshullam.
And Ezra the
scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood
which they had made for the purpose
....
Or to speak out of
as the
Syriac and Arabic versions; this
in the Hebrew text
is called a
"tower"F9על מגדל
עץ "super turrem ligni"
Montanus; so
Dionysius is said
"concionari ex turri alta"
Ciceron. Tuscul.
Quaest. l. 5.
partly because of its height
and partly because in the form of
one; and also for its largeness
considering the use it was for; for it was so
large as to hold fourteen men
as appears by what follows: a pulpit of wood was
made for the king in the court
to read the law fromF11Schulchan
Aruch
par. 1. c. 141. sect. 7. ; though
according to Jacob Leo
it was a
throne like an high tower; see Gill on 2 Kings 11:14
the
pulpits
in the Jewish synagogues
made after the same manner
as Aben Ezra
observes
are called by the sameF12Misn. Sotah
c. 7. sect. 8. name:
and beside him
stood Mattithiah
and Shema
and Anaiah; and Urijah
and Hilkiah
and Maaseiah
on his right hand; and on his left hand
Pedaiah
and Mishael
and Malchiah
and Hashum
and Hashbadana
Zechariah
and Meshullam;
in all thirteen; there
were six on his right
and seven on his left
who stood here
not merely in
honour to him
and as approvers and supporters of the truth of what he read
but to relieve him when weary.
Nehemiah 8:5.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people
for he
was standing above all the people; and when he opened it
all the people
stood up.
YLT And Ezra openeth the
book before the eyes of all the people -- for above all the people he hath been
-- and at his opening [it] all the people have stood up
And Ezra opened
the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people)
....
So plainly seen by them
and what he did
and the more easily heard
for which purpose the pulpit was
made for him to stand in:
and
when he
opened it
all the people stood up;
that they might the better
hear the law read
as well as in honour and reverence of it; the Jews sayF13T.
Bab. Megillah
fol. 21. 1.
that from the times of Moses to Rabban Gamaliel
they learned the law only standing; but after his death a disease came into the
world
and they learned it sitting; and now it is a canon with them
that it is
not necessary to stand at the reading of the lawF14Schulchan Aruch
par. 1. Orach Chayim
c. 146. sect. 4. .
Nehemiah 8:6.
And Ezra blessed the Lord
the great God. Then all
the people answered
“Amen
Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed
their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces
to the ground.
YLT and Ezra blesseth
Jehovah
the great God
and all the people answer
`Amen
Amen
' with lifting
up of their hands
and they bow and do obeisance to Jehovah -- faces to the
earth.
And Ezra
blessed the Lord
the great God
....
Before he began to read in
the book of the law
he addressed himself to God in a short prayer
wholly in
the benedictory way; ascribing blessing
honour
and glory to him
celebrating
his being and perfections
setting forth his greatness and his excellency
who
was the author and giver of the law he was about to read; and this he the
rather did
that what he read might be the more carefully attended to
and come
with the greater authority
weight
and influence on those that heard it; and
so
MaimonidesF15Hilchot Tephillah
c. 12. sect. 5. says
it is the
custom with the Jews
in their synagogues
for the reader
after he has opened
the book
and looked out the place he reads
to say this blessing
"Blessed
art thou
O Lord our God
King of the world
who hath chosen us out of all
people
and hath given us his law; blessed art thou
O Lord
who hast given us
the law; and all the people answer
Amen;'as they now did
as follows:
and all the
people answered
Amen
Amen:
repeating the word
to
declare their hearty assent to what Ezra had expressed; the Jews have many
rules concerning pronouncing the "Amen"
that it must not be too
quick
curt
and short
nor with too high a voiceF16Schulchan Aruch
ut supra
(par. 1.) c. 124. sect. 12. :
with lifting up
their hands;
a prayer gesture
to which
the apostle refers
1 Timothy 2:8
and they bowed
their heads
and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground;
expressing hereby the
awful sense they had of the Divine Being
and their profound adoration of him.
Nehemiah 8:7.
Also Jeshua
Bani
Sherebiah
Jamin
Akkub
Shabbethai
Hodijah
Maaseiah
Kelita
Azariah
Jozabad
Hanan
Pelaiah
and the Levites
helped the
people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place.
YLT And Jeshua
and Bani
and Sherebiah
Jamin
Akkub
Shabbethai
Hodijah
Maaseiah
Kelita
Azariah
Jozabad
Hanan
Pelaiah
and the Levites
giving the people understanding in
the law
and the people
[are] on their station
Also Jeshua
and
Bani
and Sherebiah
Jamin
Akkub
Shabbethai
Hodijah
Maaseiah
Kelita
Azariah
Jozabad
Hanan
Pelaiah
and the Levites
....
That is
others of them
besides those named; for they seem all to be Levites
unless they can be
thought to be priests
and so the Levites are distinguished from them; but the
former seems evident from Nehemiah 9:4 these
also
caused the
people to understand the law;
as well as Ezra; from
whence it is plain that he did not only read the law
but gave the sense of it
especially where there was any seeming difficulty
and these men were assisting
in the same work: and the people stood in their place; to hear the law read and
explained; they did not move from their first station
but continued in it from
morning to noon; they were both attentive and constant.
Nehemiah 8:8.
So they read distinctly from the book
in the Law of God; and they
gave the sense
and helped them to understand the reading.
YLT and they read in the
book
in the law of God
explaining -- so as to give the meaning
and they give
understanding to the convocation.
So they read in
the book
....
Ezra and those with him;
he first began to read and expound
and when weary they relieved him
and did
the same:
in the law of
God distinctly;
which was the book they
read in
and which they read plainly and intelligibly
so as to be heard and
understood; this seems to respect the clear and distinct pronunciation of the
words of it
and not the explanation or meaning of it
which is after
expressed; some think the sense is
that they first read it in Hebrew
and then
translated it into Chaldee
that the people might better understand it
being
just come out of Babylon
where they had been used to the Chaldee language; but
though this was a practice in later times
it does not seem to have obtained so
early
or that there was a necessity of it:
and gave the
sense
and caused them to understand the reading;
not hereby how to read it
but chiefly to understand what was read
that they might clearly know their
duty to God and men: the TalmudistsF17T. Bab. Nedarim
fol. 37. 2.
& Megillah
fol. 3. 1. & Hieros. Megillah
fol. 74. 4. give the meaning
of the text thus; "by the law of God" they understand the Scripture;
by the phrase "distinctly"
the Targum or translation of it into
Chaldee; by "the sense"
the verses or the accents; and by "the
reading"
the distinction of the accents: some think from hence came the
practice of reading the law in the synagogues every sabbath day
Acts 13:15.
Nehemiah 8:9.
And Nehemiah
who was the governor
[a] Ezra the
priest and scribe
and the Levites who taught the people said to all the
people
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn
nor weep.” For all the people wept
when they heard the words of the Law.
YLT And Nehemiah -- he [is]
the Tirshatha -- saith (and Ezra the priest
the scribe
and the Levites who
are instructing the people) to all the people
`To-day is holy to Jehovah your
God
do not mourn
nor weep:' for all the people are weeping at their hearing
the words of the law.
And Nehemiah
which is the Tirshatha
....
Or governor
as Zerubbabel
had been
and now Nehemiah
see Ezra 2:63
and Ezra the
priest and scribe;
see Nehemiah 8:1
and the Levites
that taught the people;
see Nehemiah 8:7
said unto all
the people
this day is holy unto the Lord your God;
being both the new moon
and the feast of blowing of trumpets:
mourn not
nor
weep;
which was unsuitable to a
festival
and especially such an one as this
in which trumpets were to be
blown
and gladness to be shown
Numbers 10:10
for all the
people wept when they heard the words of the law;
perceiving they had not
kept it
but had broke it in many instances
and so liable to the wrath and
judgment of God in case of disobedience.
Nehemiah 8:10.
Then he said to them
“Go your way
eat the fat
drink the sweet
and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is
holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow
for the joy of the Lord is your
strength.”
YLT And he saith to them
`Go
eat fat things
and drink sweet things
and sent portions to him for whom
nothing is prepared
for to-day [is] holy to our Lord
and be not grieved
for
the joy of Jehovah is your strength.'
Then he said
unto them
....
Nehemiah the Tirshatha or
governor:
go your way;
to their own houses
and
refresh themselves; it being noon
and they had stood many hours attentive to
the reading and expounding of the law:
eat the fat
and drink the sweet:
not a common meal
but a
feast
consisting of the richest provisions
the best of food and liquors
and send
portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared;
for the poor
who had no
food at home provided for them; the widow
fatherless
and stranger
who at
festivals were to partake of the entertainment
Deuteronomy 16:11
for this day is
holy unto our Lord: neither be you sorry;
confirming what the
Levites had said and exhorted to
Nehemiah 8:9
for the joy of
the Lord is your strength;
to rejoice
as the Lord
commanded them on such days as these
was a means both of increasing their
bodily strength and their inward strength
and of fitting them the more to
perform their duty to God and men with cheerfulness
which sorrow and heaviness
made unfit for; and the joy which has the Lord for its object
and comes from
him
is the cause of renewing spiritual strength
so as to run and not be
weary
walk and not faint
in the ways of God.
Nehemiah 8:11. So the Levites quieted all the people
saying
“Be still
for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”
YLT And the Levites are
keeping all the people silent
saying
`Be silent
for to-day [is] holy
and be
not grieved.'
So the Levites
stilled all the people
....
Made them quiet and easy
being backed by the governor:
saying
hold
your peace;
refrain from weeping and
mourning:
for the day is
holy;
a festival
set apart for
joy and gladness:
neither be ye
grieved;
inwardly; as they were not
to show any signs of sorrow outwardly
so they were not to cherish grief
inwardly.
Nehemiah 8:12.
And all the people went their way to eat and drink
to send
portions and rejoice greatly
because they understood the words that were
declared to them.
YLT And all the people go to
eat
and to drink
and to send portions
and to make great joy
because they
have understood concerning the words that they made known to them.
And all the
people went their way to eat and to drink
....
Freely and cheerfully:
and to send
portions;
to the poor
who had
nothing to eat and drink:
and to make
great mirth;
with music
vocal and
instrumental:
because they
had understood the words that were declared unto them;
the meaning of the several
laws read and explained unto them
whereby they better understood their duty
and in what instances and in what manner it was to be performed; how much more
reason is there for joy and gladness
when the Gospel
and the doctrines of it
are clearly known and understood? Psalm 89:15.
Nehemiah 8:13.
Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of
all the people
with the priests and Levites
were gathered to Ezra the scribe
in order to understand the words of the Law.
YLT And on the second day
have been gathered heads of the fathers of all the people
the priests
and the
Levites
unto Ezra the scribe
even to act wisely concerning the words of the
law.
And on the
second day were gathered together
....
The second day of the
month
and of the new year
the day after the feast of blowing of trumpets
and
after the law had been read and explained:
the chief of
the fathers of all the people:
heads of tribes and
families: the priests and the Levites; who
though they were instructors of
others
needed to be taught themselves
of which they were sensible: and
therefore came
unto Ezra the
scribe
even to understand the words of the law;
some things in it
which
upon reading the day before
they observed had some difficulty in them
and
which they did not clearly and thoroughly understand; and therefore applied to
Ezra
a ready scribe in the law
for better information
and that they might be
better able to teach the people; which was highly commendable in them.
Nehemiah 8:14.
And they found written in the Law
which the Lord had commanded
by Moses
that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast
of the seventh month
YLT And they find written in
the law that Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses
that the sons of Israel
dwell in booths in the feast
in the seventh month
And they found
written in the law which the Lord had commanded by Moses
....
The children of Israel
to
be observed by them; either by hearing it read the day before
or by
conversation with Ezra
they perceived it was enjoined in the law
particularly
in Leviticus 23:39
that the
children of Israel should dwell in booths
in the feast of the seventh month:
which was the same month
and this the second day of it
and therefore the time drew near for keeping it;
for it was to begin the fifteenth.
Nehemiah 8:15.
and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and
in Jerusalem
saying
“Go out to the mountain
and bring olive branches
branches of oil trees
myrtle branches
palm branches
and branches of leafy
trees
to make booths
as it is written.”
YLT and that they proclaim
and cause to pass over all their cities
(and in Jerusalem
) saying
`Go ye out
to the mount
and bring leaves of the olive
and leaves of the oil tree
and
leaves of the myrtle
and leaves of the palms
and leaves of thick trees
to
make booths as it is written.'
And that they
should publish and proclaim in all their cities
and in Jerusalem
....
That is
as Jarchi
interprets it
by supplying it thus:
and they
commanded that they should publish
&c.
Ezra and those with him
gave orders that heralds should proclaim in all cities where the Jews dwelt
that the feast of tabernacles would be kept
and they should prepare for it;
and which seems to be the true sense
since it is not written in the law that
such a proclamation should be made; but this was an order of their own
thereby
to give notice of it
that all might be provided:
go forth unto
the mount
and fetch olive branches
and pine branches
and myrtle branches
and palm branches
and branches of thick trees
to make booths
as it is
written;
in Leviticus 23:40
where the first three of these seem to be called boughs of goodly trees; though
the JewsF18T. Bab. Succah
fol. 35. 1. commonly understand them of
pomecitrons
of which the Syriac version here interprets the myrtle branches;
and by them are meant the citron branches
with the leaves and fruit
and which
the Jews make absolutely necessary to the keeping of the feast
and for
beautiful ones will give a large price; some of them go every year to Spain
and buy as many as they can
and dispose of them wherever Jews liveF19Buxtorf.
Synagog. Jud. c. 21. p. 454. : and those branches were to be fetched
not
properly speaking to make the booths of
which were made of boards and planks
but for the decoration of them; and it was not necessary
according to Aben
Ezra
that some of each of these should be gathered for that purpose
but of
any sort of them; for he interprets the words disjunctively olive branches
or
pine branches
or myrtle branches
&c. these
according to the common
notion of the Jews
were tied up in little bundles
and carried in the hand
which they call "lulabs"; and they observeF20Succah
fol.
12. 1.
the thick branches were for them
which included the rest; now these
they were to fetch from the mount of Olives
and other mountains about
Jerusalem; near to which also there was a place called MotzaF21Misn.
Saccah
c. 4. sect. 5. ; whither they went
and gathered the willows of the
brook mentioned in Leviticus 23:39.
Nehemiah 8:16.
Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves
booths
each one on the roof of his house
or in their courtyards or the courts
of the house of God
and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open
square of the Gate of Ephraim.
YLT And the people go out
and bring in
and make for themselves booths
each on his roof
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.
So the people
went forth
and brought them
....
Went out of Jerusalem to
the mountains adjacent
and fetched in branches of the said trees
one or
another:
and made
themselves booths
everyone upon the roof of his house;
which were flat
Deuteronomy 22:8
and they might be made anywhere
so be it they were open to the air:
and in their
courts
and in the courts of the house of God;
the common people in the
courtyards belonging to their houses
and the priests and Levites in the courts
of the temple
the yards or open places adjoining to them:
and in the
street of the watergate;
which led to that
and
seems to have been a very large street
in which many booths might be built
Nehemiah 3:26
and in the
street of the gate of Ephraim;
which led to the gate
through which the road lay to the tribe of Ephraim
see 2 Kings 14:13
none
were erected without the walls of the city
for fear of the enemy.
Nehemiah 8:17.
So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity
made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of
Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very
great gladness.
YLT And they make -- all the
assembly of the captives of the captivity -- booths
and they sit in booths;
for the sons of Israel had not done
from the days of Jeshua son of Nun
so
unto that day
and there is very great joy.
And all the
congregation of them that were come again out of captivity made booths
....
These came to Jerusalem
and made them booths there; for there only was this feast kept
see John 7:2
and sat under
the booths;
there they dwelt during the
seven days of it
in commemoration of their ancestors dwelling in booths in the
wilderness
see Leviticus 23:42
for since the
days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done
so;
Joshua observed it
when
be had brought and settled the people of Israel in the land of Canaan; and it
had been observed since
before this time
as appears from 1 Kings 8:2 Ezra 3:4; but not
so
with such exactness
with such zeal and affection
with such a regard to
the law of God
as to read it every day of the feast
as in the next verse
and
with such joy and gladness; wherefore there is no reason to suspect a
corruption in the text
as a learned manF23Delancy's Life of King
David
vol. 1. p. 395. marg. does
who supposes that Joshua is put for Josiah:
and there was
very great gladness;
that they were restored
unto and settled in their land
had the book of the law
and the knowledge of
it
and were directed and enabled to observe it.
Nehemiah 8:18.
Also day by day
from the first day until the last day
he read
from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the
eighth day there was a sacred assembly
according to the prescribed
manner.
YLT And he readeth in the
book of the law of God day by day
from the first day till the last day
and
they make a feast seven days
and on the eighth day a restraint
according to
the ordinance.
Also day by
day
from the first day unto the last day
he read in the book of the law of
God
....
That is
Ezra; this was
done by him every day during the feast
whereas only the first and last days
were the holy convocations on which it seems to have been read:
and they kept
the feast seven days
and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly
according to
the manner;
prescribed in Leviticus 23:39.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Nehemiah 8:9
Hebrew Tirshatha