1The religious manner in which the law was read by Ezra and expounded to the people. 9Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites, comfort them. 13They are instructed out of the law concerning the feast of tabernacles, 16which is kept in a solemn manner.
1AND all athe people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before bthe water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the cscribe to bring dthe book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
a Ezr. 3.1. Ju. 20.1. b ch. 3.26. v.16. c Ezr. 7.6. Mat. 23.2,34. d 2Ch. 34.15. Mal. 4.4. De. 31.9-13.
2And Ezra the priest ebrought the law before the congregation both of fmen and women, and all 1that could hear with understanding, upon the gfirst day of the seventh month.
1Heb. that understood in hearing.
e De. 31.11-13. Is. 8.20. f 1Pe. 3.7. Ga. 3.28. g Le. 23.24. Nu. 29.1-6. 1Ki. 8.2.
3And he hread therein before the street that was before the water gate 2from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the iears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
2Heb. from the light.
h Ac. 13.15,27; 15.21. i Ps. 81.13; 85.8. Lu. 19.48. Ac. 16.14. Is. 55.3.
4And Ezra the scribe stood upon a 3pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and jbeside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
3Heb. tower of wood.
j Ga. 2.9. Phi. 1.1.
5And Ezra kopened the book in the 4sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people lstood up:
4Heb. eyes.
k Lu. 4.17. l Ju. 3.20. 1Ki. 8.14.
6And Ezra mblessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, nAmen, Amen, with olifting up their hands: and they pbowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
m 1Ch. 29.20; 16.36. Ps. 41.13; 72.19. n ch. 5.13. o La. 3.41. Ge. 14.22. Ps. 28.2; 63.4; 134.2. 1Ti. 2.8. p Ge. 24.26. Ex. 4.31. 2Ch. 29.30; 20.18; 7.3.
7Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, qcaused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
q 2Ch. 35.3.
8So they read in the book in the law of God rdistinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
r v.7. Hab. 2.2. Mal. 2.7. Mat. 24.15; 28.20. Is. 30.8. Ac. 28.23.
9¶And Nehemiah, which is 5the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites sthat taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is tholy unto the LORD your God; umourn not, nor weep. For all the people vwept, when they heard the words of the law.
5Or, the governor, ch. 10.1; 7.65,70. Ezr. 2.63.
s v.7,8,12. t Le. 23.24. De. 16.10,11,14,15. Is. 12.1-6. u Ec. 3.4. Is. 22.12,13. v 2Ki. 22.11,19. Is. 66.2. Ac. 2.37. Hab. 3.16.
10Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and wsend portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for xthe joy of the LORD is your strength.
w Es. 9.22. De. 16.11,14. Ja. 2.15,16. 1Jn. 3.17. x Pr. 17.22. Ps. 119.32; 138.5. Lu. 1.74,75.
11So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, yHold your peace, for the day is holy; neither zbe ye grieved.
y Is. 22.4. Ex. 14.14. z De. 16.10,11,14,15. Ro. 5.2,11.
12And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had aunderstood the words that were declared unto them.
a v.7,8,9.
13¶And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even 6to understand the words of the law.
6Or, that they might instruct in the words of the law, Mat. 13.52. 1Pe. 4.11.
14And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded 7by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in bbooths in the feast of the seventh month:
7Heb. by the hand of.
b Le. 23.34,40,42. De. 16.13.
15And that they should cpublish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch dolive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
c Le. 23.4. Nu. 10.10. Ps. 81.3. De. 16.16. d Le. 23.40. Is. 41.19; 55.13. Re. 22.2.
16¶So the people went forth, and brought them , and made themselves booths, every one eupon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in fthe courts of the house of God, and in the gstreet of the water gate, and in the street of the hgate of Ephraim.
e De. 22.8. 2Sa. 11.2. f 2Ch. 20.5; 33.5. g ch. 3.26; 12.37. h 2Ki. 14.13. ch. 12.39.
17And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat iunder the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done jso. And there was very great gladness.
i Jn. 1.14. He. 11.13. j v.18. Ezr. 3.4.
18Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he kread in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was 8a solemn assembly, according unto the *manner.
8Heb. a restraint; Le. 23.36.
*manner-custom, habit.
k De. 31.10-13.