Neh 8:5-18 - Commentary

Commentary

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Text -- Nehemiah 8:5-18 (NET)

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Context

8:5 Ezra opened the book in plain view of all the people, for he was elevated above all the people. When he opened the book, all the people stood up. 8:6 Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 8:7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah– all of whom were Levites– were teaching the people the law, as the people remained standing. 8:8 They read from the book of God’s law, explaining it and imparting insight. Thus the people gained understanding from what was read. 8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priestly scribe, and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law. 8:10 He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 8:11 Then the Levites quieted all the people saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy. Do not grieve.” 8:12 So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food with others and to enjoy tremendous joy, for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them. 8:13 On the second day of the month the family leaders met with Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law. 8:14 They discovered written in the law that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 8:15 and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written.” 8:16 So the people went out and brought these things back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. 8:17 So all the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great joy. 8:18 Ezra read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last. They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly as was required.

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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Names, People and Places:

· Akkub son of Eli-O-Enai (Hananiah Zerubbabel David Judah); Akkub I,a Levite who was chief gate keeper under Nehemiah; Akkub II,a chief Temple Servant under Nehemiah; Akkub III,a Levite scribe who helped Ezra explain the law; Akkub IV

· Azariah son of Ahimaaz; grandson and successor of Zadok I,son of Nathan; a priest who was chief of Solomons officers,son and successor of king Amaziah of Judah,son of Ethan son of Zerah of Judah,son of Jehu son of Obed of Judah,son of Johanan; descendant of Meraioth I,son of Hilkiah before the exile; high priest Azariah III,a descendant of Hilkiah the priest,son of Zephaniah/Uriel (Korah Levi); forefather of Samuel,son of Oded; prophet under King Asa,second son of Jehoshaphat; brother of King Jehoram,fifth son of Jehoshaphat; brother of King Jehoram,son of Jeroham; a commander who helped enthrone Joash,son of Obed; a commander who helped enthrone Joash,the priest who confronted Uzziah for offering incense,a chief of Ephraim under Israel's King Pekah,father of Joel (Kohath Levi), who served under Hezekiah,son of Jehallelel (Merari Levi). He served under Hezekiah,chief priest, of Zadok's line, under Hezekiah,son of Maaseiah son of Ananiah; a repairer of Nehemiah's wall,a man who accompanied Zerubbabel back to the land of Judah,a scribe who helped Ezra explain the reading of the Law,a priest who signed the covenant to keep God's law,a prince of Judah who led praises to God on the new city wall,son of Hoshaiah; one of the leaders rebelling against Jeremiah,a man exiled from Judah and trained with Daniel in Babylon

· Bani a man of Gad; one of David's military elite,son of Shemer (Merari Aaron Levi),a man descended from Perez of Judah,a non-Levite ancestor of men who put away their heathen wives,a non-Levite ancestor of others who put away heathen wives,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law,son of Henadad (Levi); a signer of the pledge to keep the law,an Israelite chief who signed the covenant to obey God's law,son of Hashabiah and father of head Levite Uzzi under Nehemiah

· Ephraim the tribe of Ephraim as a whole,the northern kingdom of Israel

· Ezra a man of Judah; probably the son of Hodiah

· Hanan son of Shashak of Benjamin,son of Azel of Benjamin,son of Maacah; one of David's military elite,a Levite; head of a group of temple servants in Ezra's time,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law,son of Henadad, a Levite who signed the pledge to obey the law,an Israelite chief who signed the covenant to keep God's law,a man of God who had a room in the temple; son of Igdaliah

· Hodiah a man of Judah,son of Henadad; a Levite,an Israelite chief who signed the covenant to obey God's law

· Israel a citizen of Israel.,a member of the nation of Israel

· Jamin son of Simeon,son of Ram of Judah,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law

· Jerusalem the capital city of Israel,a town; the capital of Israel near the southern border of Benjamin

· Jeshua chief of a division of priests serving in David's sanctuary,a man a Levite assistant to Kore in managing the free will offerings of the temple under King Hezekiah,a chief priest and leader among those who returned from exile with Zerubbabel; son of Jozadak; father of Joiakim,father of Jozabad, a Levite on duty in the time of Ezra,a man whose descendants returned from exile in Babylon,the father of Ezer who helped to repair the wall,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law; son of Kadmiel,son of Nun; successor of Moses,son of Azaniah; a Levite leader who signed the covenant to obey God's law,a town of Judah

· Joshua a son of Eliezer; the father of Er; an ancestor of Jesus,the son of Nun and successor of Moses,son of Nun of Ephraim; successor to Moses,a man: owner of the field where the ark stopped,governor of Jerusalem under King Josiah,son of Jehozadak; high priest in the time of Zerubbabel

· Jozabad a man of Gederah; one of the Benjamites who defected to David at Ziklag,two commanders from Manasseh who defected to David in Ziklag,an officer in charge of the temple store house under King Hezekiah,a chief officer of the house of God in Josiah's time,son of Jeshua; a Levite on duty in the time of Ezra,a man who put away his heathen wife; a priest descended from Pashhur,a man who put away his heathen wife; a Levite,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law,a chief Levite who helped supervise the outside work on the house of God in Nehemiah's time

· Kelita a Levite who put away his heathen wife,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law,son of Henadad; a signer of the covenant to obey God's law

· Levites relating to Levi and the priesthood given to him,a tribal name describing people and ceremonies as sacred

· Ma-Aseiah a Levite worship leader in David's time,son of Adaiah; a commander who helped enthrone King Joash,a man who was a recruiting officer for King Uzziah's army,son of King Ahaz,a man who was governor of Jerusalem under King Josiah,a priest descended from Jeshua who put away his heathen wife,a priest descended from Harim who put away his heathen wife,a priest descended from Pashhur who put away his heathen wife,a layman of Pahath-Moab clan who put away his heathen wife,son of Ananiah; father of Azariah who helped repair the wall,a man who stood with Ezra when he read the law to the assembly,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law,an chief who signed the covenant to keep the law of Moses,son of Baruch of Judah; a returned exile in Jerusalem,son of Ithiel of Benjamin,a priest who helped celebrate the completion of the wall,father of Zephaniah the priest in the time of Jeremiah,a false prophet in the time of King Zedekiah of Judah,son of Shallum, a gate keeper under King Jehoiakim

· Moses a son of Amram; the Levite who led Israel out of Egypt and gave them The Law of Moses,a Levite who led Israel out of Egypt and gave them the law

· Nehemiah leader among those who returned from exile with Zerubbabel,son of Hacaliah; governor of the returned exiles,son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-Zur

· Nun son of Elishama; father of Joshua (Ephraim), Moses' aide

· Pelaiah son of Eli-O-Enai (Hananiah Zerubbabel David Judah),a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law,son of Henadad; a signer of the covenant to obey God's law

· Shabbethai a Levite who objected to Israel's putting away heathen wives,a Levite who helped Ezra explain the reading of the law,a Levite supervisor for rebuilding the temple under Nehemiah

· Sherebiah a Levite leader, recruiter, and teacher under Ezra,son of Henadad, a Levite; a signer of Nehemiah's covenant

· Water Gate a gate into Jerusalem

Table of Contents

Verse Notes / Footnotes NET Notes

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Neh 8:5 Heb “it”; the referent (the book) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Neh 8:7 The MT reads “and the Levites.” The conjunction (“and”) should be deleted, following the LXX, Aquila, and the Vulgate. That th...

NET Notes: Neh 8:8 Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹tn The exact meaning of the pual participle מְפֹרָשׁ (mÿforash) in this verse is uncertain. The basic sense of the Hebrew word seems to be “to make distinct.” The word may also have the sense of “to divide in parts,” “to interpret,” or “to translate.” The context of Neh 8:8 does not decisively clarify how the participle is to be understood here. It probably refers to the role of the Levites as those who explained or interpreted the portions of biblical text that had been publicly read on this occasion. A different option, however, is suggested by the translation distincte (“distinctly”) of the Vulgate (cf. KJV, ASV). If the Hebrew word means “distinctly” here, it would imply that the readers paid particular attention to such things as word-grouping and pronunciation so as to be sure that the listeners had every opportunity to understand the message that was being read. Yet another view is found in the Talmud, which understands translation of the Hebrew text into Aramaic to be what is in view here. The following explanation of Neh 8:8 is found in b. Megillah 3a: “‘And they read in the book, in the law of God’: this indicates the [Hebrew] text; ‘with an interpretation’: this indicates the targum; ‘and they gave the sense’: this indicates the verse stops; ‘and caused them to understand the reading’: this indicates the accentuation, or, according to another version, the Masoretic notes.” However, this ancient rabbinic view that the origins of the Targum are found in Neh 8:8 is debatable. It is not clear that the practice of paraphrasing the Hebrew biblical text into Aramaic in order to accommodate the needs of those Jews who were not at home in the Hebrew language developed this early. The translation of מְפֹרָשׁ adopted above (i.e., “explaining it”) understands the word to have in mind an explanatory function (cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT) rather than one of translation.

²tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Neh 8:9 Heb “the people.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.

NET Notes: Neh 8:10 The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

NET Notes: Neh 8:12 Heb “to make great joy.”

NET Notes: Neh 8:13 Heb “were gathered to”; NAB, NIV “gathered around”; NRSV “came together to.”

NET Notes: Neh 8:14 Heb “by the hand of.”

NET Notes: Neh 8:15 For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

NET Notes: Neh 8:16 Heb “the house.”

NET Notes: Neh 8:17 Heb “And there was very great joy.”

NET Notes: Neh 8:18 Heb “according to the judgment.”

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