Nehemiah 8

all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. Nehemiah 8:1

This chapter really begins with the last statement of the previous chapter. The people coming together as one is a Hebrew idiom for unity. [1] God can do things when his people are unified before him. Interestingly, this important gathering took place near the Water Gate rather than in the temple area. Of course, this was a popular place where many people went daily. The Water Gate was located near the southeast corner of the temple, just south of Ophel. We know it today as the Gihon Spring or the main source of water for the ancient city of Jerusalem. [2]

We have here the sudden appearance of Ezra the Scribe who had been absent for a number of years. It is within the realm of reason that Nehemiah may have sent for him when the wall was completed in order that he might participate in the celebration. [3] The reading of the Book of the Law in its entirety was in answer to instructions laid down by God in Deuteronomy 31:9-13.

It was a great time for celebration since the holy month of Tishri (our September/October) was beginning. This month started with the sounding of the trumpet on the first day; then the Day of Atonement on the tenth day; and the week-long celebration of Tabernacles beginning on the fifteenth day. In Israel today after the trumpets sound there are ten Days of Awe as people prepare for the Day of Atonement. This awesome day is not mentioned by Nehemiah. The month of Tishri today is almost taken up with celebration. If you want something done in Israel during this time people are likely to answer you with “ a-cha-re ha hag ” (after the holiday). The seventh month for Israelites was the crown of the whole year. [4]

We sense the Spirit of God working even before the reading of the Law. J. Edwin Orr defined revival as: “The Spirit of God working through the Word of God, in the lives of the people of God.” This chapter is a great example of this. [5] The city’s material needs had been met with the building of the wall and now their spiritual needs were being met. [6]

“So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand” (8:2). This meeting came at an awesome time. It started with the dual events of Rosh Kodesh, the beginning of the month or the New Moon and the sounding of trumpets (Lev. 23:24; Num. 10:10; 29:1). On many occasions, I was in Jerusalem as trumpets were sounding over the city and it never failed to send a chill of excitement up my spine.

This was a general meeting that even included children, at least those with some understanding of what was going on. Often meetings in Israel did not include women but this one did.

“He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law” (8:3). Nehemiah probably read in Hebrew for about six hours and the people continued to be very attentive to the words of the Lord. It is always a good sign when people want to hear the Bible. The holy scriptures helped Israel to become the “people of the Book.” They have greatly helped other nations throughout history. French author Victor Hugo once said, “England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare but the Bible made England.” [7]

“Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam” (8:4). Bible commentators see this structure as a prototype pulpit that may have emerged along with the synagogue itself during the Babylonian period. [8] The thirteen helpers may well have been priests supporting him. Pett says, “Together with Ezra they made up fourteen, seven and seven, an intensification of the number of divine perfection and completeness…” [9]

“Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up” (8:5). Standing for the scripture reading is a sign of utmost respect for the word. This custom has continued down to the present in some congregations. Unfortunately, the public reading of scripture, which is clearly commanded in the New Testament (1 Tim. 4:13), has not continued in most places. It is strange today that we probably have more access to the Bible than any people in history. Yet, we seem to read it less and less. There is a gross ignorance of the Bible today in many churches. The evangelist Ray Stedman was distressed with the biblical ignorance of church members in the many places he ministered. He even heard one man remark: “I thought Dan and Beersheba were husband and wife, like Sodom and Gomorrah.” [10] The Barna organization has done some recent surveys on Bible reading in the US. Here are some of the results: “Adults who use the Bible daily account for 14 percent of the total adult population, followed by 13 percent who use it several times a week, 8 percent who do so once a week, 6 percent about once a month and 8 percent who use it three to four times a year.” [11]

“Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground” (8:6). We are witnessing here a great biblical praise session with the people responding by hearty “Amens.” This Hebrew praise word has the root of being firm and is related to the Hebrew emunah which means “faith” in English. [12] Many times it is translated “verily,” or “truly.” The people have an interesting posture for prayer with their faces to the ground. The normal Jewish posture for prayer was with the eyes open and hands lifted to heaven. [13]

Ezra’s Helpers

The Levites – Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah – instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Nehemiah 8:7-8

It is clear that most of the audience understood Ezra. Otherwise, they would not have listened to his reading for six hours straight. However, there must have been a contingent of the people whose vernacular was Aramaic. The Levites had the task of wandering through the crowds and helping these folks to understand the Law. The need for Aramaic translations probably resulted later in the Targums, the Aramaic paraphrases of the Old Testament. [14]

Coffman quotes Oesterley who said: “…that by Ezra’s inspiration and under his guidance the Law (of Moses) was now for the first time put before the Jews in such a way as to convince them that it was the most important thing in the world, that their lives should be conducted wholly in accordance with its precepts.” [15]

“Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, ‘This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law” (8:9). The reading of the law had a profound effect upon the people. They were stunned and were weeping over their transgressions. However, it was a joyous feast day. It was necessary for Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites to help restrain their weeping. Kidner says, “holiness and gloom go ill together.” [16] They would need to hold off their weeping at least until the Day of Atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month.

We might note here that Nehemiah is called the governor, using the Persian title Tirshatha for the first time. This was the same title used by Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:63). [17] Earlier, Nehemiah had used the Hebrew title for governor ( pechâh ) in referring to himself (5:14). It is of interest that Nehemiah and Ezra are only seen acting together in this section and later in 12:36. [18]

“Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength’” (8:10). They were to go and eat richly prepared foods. They were also to drink sweet drinks or sweet wines. Israel probably had sweet wines in that early time. Even today the Hebron wines are pleasingly sweet. It was to be a time of celebration.

In their joy, they were not to forget the needy but were to send portions of food to them (cf. Deut. 16:14; Esth. 9:19). Nehemiah mentions that the joy of the Lord is our strength. It is hard to be joyful and depressed or defeated at the same time. Years ago, when many Christians sang the scriptures, we sang “the joy of the Lord is my strength” and it did a lot to lift our spirits.

“The Levites calmed all the people, saying, ‘Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.’ Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them” (8:11-12). The people obeyed their leaders and did what they were told. We note that they all now understood the word of God. The Levites had done a good job of translating and making plain the teaching of Ezra. Now they could all rejoice. The great composer Franz Josef Haydn wrote, “When I think upon my God my heart is so full that the notes dance and leap from my pen and since God has given me a cheerful heart, it will be pardoned me that I serve him with a cheerful spirit.” [19]

Men’s Day, A Time For Fathers And Leaders

On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. Nehemiah 8:13

After that great first day of celebration it appears that wives, children and others went home but the men stayed for more teaching from Ezra. In verse 18 we realize that this continued throughout the whole festival. Ppeople were hungry for the word of God. A revival was in the air. “Someone asked evangelist Billy Sunday if revivals lasted, and he replied, ‘no, neither does a bath; but it’s good to have one occasionally!’” [20] It is always a good sign when the men get excited and want to come to church. In the US men often lag behind while the women are left to carry on with many of the church functions.

“They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month” (8:14). Kidner comments: “The feast had two sides to it: it was a vintage festival, the ‘ingathering at the year’s end’ (Ex. 34:22), but also a memorial to the wilderness, when God had ‘made the people of Israel dwell in booths’ (Lv. 23:43). It seems to have been this aspect that had fallen into neglect.” [21] Guzik says, “…We often are deceived into thinking the path of gladness is in doing our own thing, but gladness and freedom come only through obedience.” [22] The people were instructed to take branches of palms, willows and other leafy trees and build their booths or sukkahs. In Jerusalem today, city crews assist by trimming many of the trees at this time of year and leaving the branches handy for gathering.

“and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: ‘Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters’ – as it is written” (8:15). They had discovered this scripture, the only place in the Pentateuch that commands the building of booths. [23] Now they had become quite evangelistic in spreading the word about this commandment.

Today in Israel the Orthodox Jews begin to build their tabernacles immediately when the Day of Atonement ends. So after dark on that evening, they happily begin building.

Obeying The Commandment

So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. Nehemiah 8:16

In Jerusalem at this time of year sukkahs are seen everywhere, even on the porches of high-rise apartments. They are even seen along the sidewalks. Some labor to build fancy sukkahs while others use the easy-to-assemble bought ones. All over the downtown, the brightly colored decorations (much like our Christmas ones) are for sale. This holiday is certain to delight children and in the evenings one can hear joy reverberating from sukkah to sukkah. Often it is possible to hear fathers teaching children about the Exodus and the wilderness journey of their ancient ancestors. The simple sukkot (Hebrew plural of sukkah ) are made by erecting four upright 2×4 boards to make a rectangle; then bracing them together with other boards and covering them with bedsheets or other light material. The little structures are then topped with the goodly tree branches, but not so thick as to obscure the stars. The people of Israel even eat and sleep in these flimsy structures.

“The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great” (8:17). We can see that the sukkah building really caught on with the people. They were all doing it. This caused Nehemiah to exclaim that there had been no such celebration from the days of Joshua until his day. We know from scripture that there had been some previous times when the festival was kept and when sukkot were built (cf. 1 Ki. 8:2; 8:65; 2 Chron. 7:8: 8:13; 31:3). Rawlinson suspects that there had not been such a general celebration and one so full of joy as this one. [24] Clarke adds: “No feast of tabernacles since Joshua’s time had been so heartily and so piously celebrated.” [25]

“Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly” (8:18). The people were determined to meticulously keep the laws relating to Tabernacles. We can only imagine the great joy and blessing they all felt on that last day when they all assembled before their God.

Footnotes

1. Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 8:1.

2. Ibid.

3. Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 8:1.

4. Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 103.

5. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, v. 8:1-3.

6. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 775.

7. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 225.

8. Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 8:4.

9. Ray Stedman, Commentary on 2 Timothy 3:1-9. http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/timothy

10. Barna Organization: https://www.barna.com/research/state-of-the-bible-2018-seven-top-findings/

11. Utley, Bible Lessons International, Nehemiah, v. 8:6.

12. Ibid.

13. Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther, The New American Commentary, p. 226.

14. Quoted in Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v, 8:7.

15. Kidner, Ezra & Nehemiah, p. 107.

16. Dummelow, Commentary on Nehemiah, John Dummelow’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 8:9.

17. Pett, Commentary on Nehemiah, Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible, v. 8:9.

18. Quoted in Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 777.

19. Ibid., p. 778.

20. Guzik, Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Ezra, vs. 8:14-18.

21. Anders, g. ed. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Holman Old Testament Commentary, p. 219.

22. Coffman, Commentary on Nehemiah, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, v. 8:13.

23. Clarke, Commentary on Nehemiah, The Adam Clarke Commentary, v. 8:17.