1 AND all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside 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.
5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
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 to understand the words of the law.
14 And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:
15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

1And all the people gathered themselues together, as one man, into the street that was before the water gate, and they spake vnto Ezra the scribe, to bring the booke of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

2And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the Congregation, both of men and women, and all that could heare with vnderstanding, vpon the first day of the seuenth moneth.

3And hee read therein before the street that was before the water gate, from the morning vntill midday, before the men and the women, and those that could vnderstand: And the eares of all the people were attentiue vnto the booke of the law.

4And Ezra the scribe, stood vpon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose, and beside 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.

5And Ezra opened the booke in the sight of all the people (for hee was aboue al the people) and when he opened it, all the people stood vp:

6And Ezra blessed the Lord the great God: and al the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting vp their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord, with their faces to the ground.

7Also Ieshua and Bani, and Sherebiah, Iamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Iozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Leuites, caused the people to vnderstand the law: and the people stood in their place.

8So they read in the booke, in the Law of God distinctly, and gaue the sense, and caused them to vnderstand the reading.

9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the Priest the Scribe, and the Leuites that taught the people, said vnto all the people, This day is holy vnto the Lord your God, mourne not, nor weepe: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

10Then hee sayd vnto them, Goe your way, eat the fat, & drinke the sweet, and send portions vnto them, for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy vnto our Lord: neither be ye sory, for the ioy of the Lord is your strength.

11So the Leuites stilled all the people, saying, Holde your peace, for the day is holy, neither be ye grieued.

12And all the people went their way to eate, and to drinke, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had vnderstood the wordes that were declared vnto them.

13 And on the second day were gathered together the chiefe of the fathers of all the people, the Priestes and the Leuites, vnto Ezra the Scribe, euen to vnderstand the wordes of the Law.

14And they found written in the Law whith the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in boothes, in the feast of the seuenth moneth:

15And that they should publish and proclaime in all their cities, and in Ierusalem, saying, Goe foorth vnto the mount, and fetch Oliue branches, and Pine branches, and Myrtle branches, and Palme branches, and branches of thicke trees, to make boothes, as it is written.

16 So the people went foorth, and brought them, and made themselues boothes, euery one vpon the roofe of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the streete of the water-gate, and in the streete of the gate of Ephraim.

17And all the congregation of them that were come againe out of the captiuitie, made boothes, and sate vnder the boothes: for since the dayes of Ieshua the sonne of Nun, vnto that day, had not the children of Israel done so: and there was very great gladnesse.

18Also day by day from the first day vnto the last day, he read in the booke of the Law of God: and they kept the feast seuen dayes, and on the eight day was a solemne assembly according vnto the maner.

I == Ezra 3:1 ; 7:6 ; Neh 3:26

 

 

 

II == Lev 23:24 ; Deut 31:11-12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V == Judg 3:20

 

 

VI == Ex 4:31 ; 12:27 ; 2nd Chr 20:18 ; Lam 3:41 ; 1st Cor 14:16 ; 1st Tim 2:8

 

VII == Lev 10:11 ; Deut 33:10 ; 2nd Chr 17:7-9 ; Mal 2:7

 

 

 

 

 

IX == Lev 23:24 ; Num 29:1 ; Deut 16:14-15 ; 2nd Chr 35:3 ; Ezra 2:63 ; Neh 7:65 ; 8:8 ; 10:1 ; Eccl 3:4

 

X == Esth 9:19 , 22 ; Rev 11:10

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Neh 8:7-8 , 10

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIV == Lev 23:34 , 42 ; Deut 16:13

 

 

XV == Lev 23:4 , 40 ; Deut 16:16

 

 

 

 

XVI == Deut 22:8 ; 2nd Kings 14:13 ; Neh 12:37 , 39

 

 

 

XVII == 2nd Chr 30:21

 

 

 

 

 

XVIII == Lev 23:36 ; Num 29:35 ; Deut. 31:10-13

 

 

 

 

1 Now when the seventh month came, the whole people gathered as one man in the open space before the Water Gate, and they called upon Ezra the scribe to bring forth the book of the law of Moses which the LORD prescribed for Israel.

2 On the first day of the seventh month, therefore, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand.

3 Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.

4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion; at his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam.

5 Ezra opened the scroll so that all the people might see it (for he was standing higher up than any of the people); and, as he opened it, all the people rose.

6 Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, "Amen, amen!" Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground.

7 (The Levites Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah explained the law to the people, who remained in their places.)

8 Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.

9 Then (Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and) Ezra the priest-scribe (and the Levites who were instructing the people) said to all the people: "Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep"-for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

10 He said further: "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!"

11 (And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Hush, for today is holy, and you must not be saddened.")

12 Then all the people went to eat and drink, to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.

13 On the second day, the family heads of the whole people and also the priests and the Levites gathered around Ezra the scribe and examined the words of the law more closely.

14 They found it written in the law prescribed by the LORD through Moses that the Israelites must dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month;

15 and that they should have this proclamation made throughout their cities and in Jerusalem: "Go out into the hill country and bring in branches of olive trees, oleasters, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as the law prescribes."

16 The people went out and brought in branches with which they made booths for themselves, on the roof of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and in the open spaces of the Water Gate and the Gate of Ephraim.

17 Thus the entire assembly of the returned exiles made booths and dwelt in them. Now the Israelites had done nothing of this sort from the days of Jeshua, son of Nun, until this occasion; therefore there was very great joy.

18 Ezra read from the book of the law of God day after day, from the first day to the last. They kept the feast for seven days, and the solemn assembly on the eighth day, as was required.

v 1. Ezra had been sent back to Jerusalem to teach God’s law about 14 years before Nehemiah came. He is not mentioned as working on the wall, but perhaps he was too old for such physical labor. His teaching was interrupted during the building of the wall, but now, having been spiritually motivated by Nehemiah’s faith, they ask Ezra to again begin teaching from the books of Moses. It was a unanimous gathering in the street before the water gate in the lower part of the east wall.

v 2,3. Being the first day of the seventh month, this was the day which was to begin the Feast of Trumpets. Lev. 23:24, Num. 29:1. These verses with verses 7 and 8 show the point at which children should go to regular church instead of children’s church; men, women and all who could understand what was read and explained. He stood facing west and they stood listening attentively from morning till noon.

v 4. They had made a wooden platform, and those standing with him on it were 13 men who were probably priests, 6 at his right hand and 7 at his left.

v 5,6. As customary, the people were seated on the ground until he opened the scroll, then they stood in reverence for the Word. He read and praised God, and they responded  Amen, Amen, with uplifted hands, then bowed their heads in worship.

v 7, 8. Ezra probably read in Hebrew, but many of the people had learned Arabic during the captivity. There may have been as many as 30,000 to 50,000 gathered, so thirteen more men, probably priests, as well as Levites circulated among them to make sure they understood. They read distinctly (which we should always be careful to do), then explained it and caused them to understand it.

v 9-12. The reading may have been from Deut. 1-15, and the people would have heard a review of their national history, the blessings for obedience and warnings for disobedience, and the command not to marry unbelievers. They were convicted and began to weep, but the feast of trumpets was to be a day of rejoicing, not mourning. So Nehemiah and all his helpers urged the people to honor the Lord by rejoicing, not weeping. They were to eat the “fat”, not the fat of the offerings, but eat and drink that which was good, as well as give gifts. After the Levites had circulated among them explaining this, they left to have a good time feasting and giving gifts, especially to those who lacked. They were able to rejoice, because they now understood God’s law.

 

 

v 13-15. The second day of the month, only the leaders of the people, the priests and Levites gathered before Ezra for special instruction in the law.  They realized and gave instruction to the people how they should gather branches and dwell in booths.

 

 

 

 

 

v 16-18. It isn’t stated, but they probably observed the Day of Atonement on the 10th day. At least they had two weeks to prepare for the Feast of Tabernacles in which they would dwell in booths seven days. They gathered branches and set up simple shelters in the streets, courts, temple court and on the roof tops. There had been some observance of the Feast of Tabernacles, but it had not been properly observed for a thousand years, not since Joshua’s time. There was great joy as they heard the law read daily, then on the eighth day held a solemn assembly, all according to Lev. 23: 33 to 44 and Deut. 16.
Some one has said v 1-8 is intellectual response to the Word; v 9-12 is emotional response; and v 13-18 is a willing response.