Nehemiah 8:1-12

Ezra Reads the Law

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before ¹the Water Gate. And they told ²Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel.

2 So Ezra the priest ³brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, ⁴on the first day of the seventh month.

3 ⁵And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that 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 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood.

6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, ⁶"Amen, Amen,"⁷lifting up their hands. ⁸And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

7 ⁹Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,^[a]10helped the people to understand the Law, ¹¹while the people remained in their places.

8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,^[b] and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

This Day Is Holy

9 And Nehemiah, who was ¹²the governor, and Ezra ¹³the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ¹⁴"This day is holy to the LORD your God; ¹⁵do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.

10 Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and ¹⁶send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

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

12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because ¹⁷they had understood the words that were declared to them.

Nehemiah 8:1-12 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.

Cross References

• 1. Nehemiah 3:26
• 2. See Ezra 7:6
• 3. See Deuteronomy 31:11
• 4. Leviticus 23:24
• 5. See Nehemiah 13:1
• 6. See Nehemiah 5:13
• 7. Psalms 134:2; Lamentations 3:41; [1 Timothy 2:8]
• 8. See 2 Chronicles 20:18
• 9. [Nehemiah 9:4]
• 10. See 2 Chronicles 35:3
• 11. Nehemiah 9:3
• 12. Nehemiah 7:65, 70; Nehemiah 10:1; Ezra 2:63
• 13. Nehemiah 12:26
• 14. ver. 2; Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1
• 15. [Ecclesiastes 3:4]
• 16. Esther 9:19, 22
• 17. ver. 7, 8

Footnotes

• [a]. Vulgate; Hebrew and the Levites
• [b]. Or with interpretation, or paragraph by paragraph