Nehemiah 8:1-18

The Law Of Moses Is Read And Explained At The Celebration Of The Feasts Of The Seventh Month (Nehemiah 8:1).

The final words that closed off the list of returnees formed a suitable preface to what Nehemiah now wanted to introduce, the proclamation of the Law by Ezra the priest at the Feast of Trumpets and Tabernacles, something which he had witnessed for the first time. It was thus used as such an introduction, although the transition is slightly abrupt even though perfectly understandable. The fact that the following narrative is in the third person confirms that it did not form part of Nehemiah's original report to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, although it does give the impression of being by an eyewitness. Note the vivid description of the platform, and how it caused the occupants to be viewed by the people (Nehemiah 8:5).

The first person narrative, written in Nehemiah's vivid style, was found in Nehemiah 1:2 to Nehemiah 7:5 and it commences again in Nehemiah 12:27 ff. with a description of the dedication of the wall. It then goes on in chapter 13 to describe how Nehemiah dealt with some inconsistencies, although it is quite clear that the content of Nehemiah 13:4 onwards was not a part of the original report (see Nehemiah 13:6). Nehemiah 12:27 ff. may or may not have been. The king of Persia would be concerned to know that the dedication of the walls to YHWH had been properly accomplished (they were very much concerned that local gods be placated and ‘kept happy' so that they would bless the kings of Persia. See Ezra 4:22; Ezra 6:10). But the main part of the original report is probably to be found in Nehemiah 1:1 to Nehemiah 7:73. On the other hand it may have included the dedication of the wall.

The enclosing of Nehemiah 8:1 to Nehemiah 12:26 within those two ‘first person' sections would seem to demonstrate that the book as a whole is intended to be seen as the work of Nehemiah. The movement to the third person in Nehemiah 8:1 ff. may have been intended, firstly to differentiate what follows from the previous report, and secondly it may have been intended to lay emphasis on the participation of the people in what is described. Nehemiah would not have wanted to intrude himself on what was a work of God. But the account itself does appear to be the record of an eyewitness (notice his vivid descriptions of where Ezra stood), which, if not written by Nehemiah, was then incorporated into his narrative by Nehemiah. It should be noted that it was the people, not Nehemiah, who called on Ezra to perform the reading of the Law, something which was expected every seven years at the Feast of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 31:10). There was a new enthusiasm for God.

This was the first reading of the Law since Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem which is why it was so important to him, and given in such detail. It does not, however, mean that Ezra had not previously read out the Law. He would surely have done so in 458 BC when he first arrived, Indeed, we can almost certainly assume that he did so, for it seems probable that it was the reading out of the Law that caused the princes in Ezra 9:1 to call on Ezra to deal with the question of idolatrous foreign wives in terms reminiscent of the Pentateuch. If Ezra was still then in Judah it may also have been read out by him in 451 BC. If he was absent it is very likely that it was read out by the priests. The material obtained from sources (e.g. the genealogies) which follows would necessarily be in the third person.