Nehemiah 8

Chap. VIII. Ver. 1—18. interpret the law; gh which is kept the feast of tabernacles.— In this chapter w e have, as the late ingenious R. Robinson observes, “a short. but beautiful description of the manner of Ezra’s first preaching. Upwards of 50,000 people assembled in a street or large square near the water-gate, and it was pulpit of wood, in early in the morning of a sabbath day. A was placed there on purpose for the fashion of a small tower, was supported by a scaffold, or the preacher, and this turret; temporary gallery, where, in a wing on the right hand of and in another on the ulpit, sat six of the principal preachers, 1 and many Leeft, seven. Thirteen other principal teachers, were present also on scaffolds erected for the PHIpOte, ulpit, he When Ezra ascended alternately to officiate.

the produced and opened the book of the law, and the whole conand stood. Then gregation instantly rose up from their seats he offered up prayer and praise to God, the people bowing their heads, and worshipping the Lord with their faces to the with uplifted hands, round, and at the close of the prayer, Then, all standing, they solemnly pronounced, Amen, Amen. ‘zra, assisted at times by the Levites, read the law distinctly, and caused them to understand the reading. gave the sense, The sermons delivered so affected the hearers, that they wept excessively, and about noon the sorrow became so exuberant that it was thought necessary by the goand immeasurable the preacher, and the Levites, to restrain It.

They he congregation, that a just grief might therefore reminded t run into excess—that there was an incongruity between a festhat on this festival there were tival and lamentation—and joy; they were delivered from singular causes of extraordinar the very poorest of captivity, the law was restored, and they, the pains of the preachers to underthem, had been made by 6 | Sus are i OATS ee stand it. ‘Go your way,’ said sweet—send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared.’ Be not discouraged—religious joy is a people’s strength. The wise and benevolent sentiments of these noble souls were imbibed by the whole congregation, and 50,000 troubled hearts were calmed in an instant. Home they returned to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to make mirth; they had understood the words that were declared unto him.

Plato was alive at this time, teaching dull philosophy to cold academics: but what was he, and what was Xenophon, or Demosthenes, or any of the pagan orators, in comparison with these men ??

Notes on the verses

Chap. VIII. Ver. 1. brook Kidron. f An and led from the temple down to the from sun-rise, which at this time, (the Ver. 3. From the morning —t. e.: z middle of September, see our Calendar,) was a little before six o’clock. Ver. 4. A pulpit.—Robinson has well described this, (see exposition.) bot he it appears that seems to have made a mistake in the number of persons, since “Thus far do the words exthe young children were not present, only “ those that could understand.” what follows belongs to the history Ver. 8. They read, &c.—Here is a just delineation of the preacher’s duty + Hebrew or any ancient verto tod the word of God distinctly, and to give the sense. But they hada more During their captivity, arduous task than now falls on preachers generally.

t the Jews had in great measure lost their native language, and acquired the Chaldee dialect; the preachers, or their assistants, were obliged to translate a popular translation for their use, as we hapas they read. not then having This, however, was the origin of the Chaldee ‘Targum. pily enjoy.