Nehemiah 8

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:1-12

Religious instruction. "And when the seventh month came," etc. To the well-being of a people the labours of the religious teacher are as necessary as those of the statesman. Nehemiah having provided for the safety of the Jews against their enemies, Ezra, the priest and scribe, steps forward to instruct them in the law of God. Of the manner in which he did this, and the reception his instructions met with, we have a specimen in this narrative. I. The TIME of the meeting. "The first... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:1-18

The word of God in a threefold relationship. I. THE WORD OF GOD AND POPULAR DESIRE . "And they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel." 1. The desire of the people for the word of God. 2. The attitude of the people toward the word of God. II. THE WORD OF GOD AND SPIRITUAL EMOTION . "This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:2

Ezra the priest brought the law . Ezra, God's true priest, at once responded to the call He did not say, "The law is difficult, hard to be understood, might mislead you, should be reserved for the learned;" but at once "brought it," and "read therein" before the congregation both of men and women, and of all that could hear with understanding , i.e. of all (youths and maidens) that were old enough to understand the words. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:3

From the morning until midday . Or, "from daylight." He began as soon as it was light enough, and read on (he and his assistants— Nehemiah 8:7 ) till noon, that is, for six hours or more. The reading appears to have been varied by occasional exposition ( Nehemiah 8:7 , Nehemiah 8:8 ). The ears of all the people were attentive . Though there is no word in the Hebrew for "attentive," yet the meaning is quite correctly given: "the ears of all the people were to the book" Ñ fixed on... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:3

Attentive hearers. "The ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law." Literally, and more expressive, "were unto the book of the law," as if their ears had been directed towards the book. A state of things very different from that which prevails in many congregations, especially during the reading of the Scriptures. It is worth considering how devout attention may be secured. Doubtless much depends on the reader or preacher. It is impossible to attend to some men. Those... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:4

Ezra … stood upon a pulpit of wood . Compare 2 Kings 11:14 ; 2 Kings 23:3 , where, however, the term used is עמוד , "stand," and not מגדל , "tower." In either case an elevated platform seems to be meant. Mattithiah, and Shema . These persons are commonly supposed to have been priests, but there is nothing to prove it. They need not even have been Levites, since they were there not to teach, but only to do honour to Ezra. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:5

All the people stood up . The Jews commonly sat to hear and stood up to pray; but in hearing they occasionally stood up, to do greater honour to the person or the occasion (see 3:20 ). It is not to be supposed that they stood during the whole of the six hours that Ezra's reading lasted. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:6

Ezra blessed the Lord . Ezra began by an ascription of praise to Jehovah, as the Levites, probably under his direction, begin in Nehemiah 9:5 , and as David began his last address to the congregation ( 1 Chronicles 29:10 ). The great God . The epithet belongs to the writer rather than to Ezra himself, who in his own book never uses it. It recurs in this section ( Nehemiah 9:32 ), and is also employed by Nehemiah ( Nehemiah 1:5 ). Amen, Amen . The repetition marks intensity of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:7

Joshua, Bani, Sherebiah , etc. Levitical families, not individual Levites (see Nehemiah 9:4 , Nehemiah 9:5 ; Nehemiah 10:10-13 ; Nehemiah 12:8 , etc.). And the Levites . i.e. "the rest of the Levites." Caused the people to understand the law . Expounding it, during pauses in the reading. The people stood in their place . Rather, " were in their place"—remained throughout the whole of the reading and exposition without quitting their places. It is not probable that they ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 8:8

They read in the book in the law of God distinctly . That is, so that every word could be distinctly heard. Compare Ezra 4:18 , where a cognate word is translated "plainly." And gave the sense . Translated the Hebrew words into the popular Aramaic or Chaldee . And caused them to understand the reading . Literal]y, "in the reading." In the course of the reading they caused the people to understand by explaining the meaning of each passage. read more

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