Nehemiah 8:4 - Exposition

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.