Nehemiah 8:13

13 And on the second day the heads of families assembled with all the people, the priests and Levites, to Esdras the scribe, to attend to all the words of the law.

Nehemiah 8:13 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 8:13

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 8:13 In-Context

11 And the Levites caused all the people to be silent, saying, Be silent, for a holy day, and despond not.

12 So all the people departed to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, for they understood the words which he made known to them.

13 And on the second day the heads of families assembled with all the people, the priests and Levites, to Esdras the scribe, to attend to all the words of the law.

14 And they found written in the law which the Lord commanded Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths, in the feast in the seventh month:

15 and that they should sound with trumpets in all their cities, and in Jerusalem. And Esdras said, Go forth to the mountain, and bring branches of olive, and branches of cypress trees, and branches of myrtle, and branches of palm trees, and branches of thick tree, to make booths, according to that which was written.