Nehemiah 8:7-17

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 ¹governor, and Ezra ²the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "³This day is holy to the LORD your God; ⁴do 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 ⁵send 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, ⁶to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, ⁷because 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 ⁸should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.

15 ⁹So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and ¹⁰in Jerusalem, saying, "¹¹Go 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 ¹²on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at ¹³the Water Gate and in the square at ¹⁴the 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 ¹⁵had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And ¹⁶there was great rejoicing.

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Nehemiah 8:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

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

Cross References 16

1. Nehemiah 7:65, 70
2. Nehemiah 12:26
3. Nehemiah 8:2
4. Deuteronomy 12:7, 12
5. Deuteronomy 26:11-13
6. Nehemiah 8:10
7. Nehemiah 8:7, 8
8. Lev 23:34, 40, 42
9. Leviticus 23:4
10. Deuteronomy 16:16
11. Leviticus 23:40
12. Jeremiah 32:29
13. Nehemiah 8:1
14. 2 Kings 14:13; Nehemiah 12:39
15. 2 Chronicles 7:8; 2 Chronicles 8:13
16. 2 Chronicles 30:21

Footnotes 6

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