Nehemiah 8:14

And they found written The passages in the Pentateuch relating to the Feast of Tabernacles are Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:39-43; Numbers 29:12-38; Deuteronomy 16:13; Deuteronomy 16:15. The reference here is to Leviticus 23: and Deuteronomy 16. For -found," cf. Nehemiah 13:1; Luke 4:17.

which the Lord had commanded R.V. how that the LORD had commanded. The A.V. along with the LXX. (ᾧ ἐνετείλατο) understood this first relative clause to be descriptive of -the law," as in Nehemiah 9:14; Nehemiah 10:30; and to this there would be no objection, if it were not followed by a second relative clause. The R.V. is probably right in making the second of the two relative clauses dependent upon the first, and the first dependent upon the main verb -they found" (so also the Hebrew accents and the Vulgate).

that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month Of the four passages in the Pentateuch quoted above, which refer to the Feast of Tabernacles, Exodus 23:16 calls it -the feast of ingathering" and speaks indefinitely of its occurring -at the end of the year when thou gatherest in thy labours out of the field;" Deuteronomy 16:13 calls it -the feast of tabernacles" (Heb. booths) and enjoins its being kept -after that thou hast gathered in from thy threshing-floor and from thy winepress," but makes no mention of -dwelling in booths;" Leviticus 23. speaks of -the feast of tabernacles" (Heb. booths) being on the 15th day of the 7th month (Leviticus 23:34), -when ye have gathered in the fruits of the land" (Leviticus 23:39), calls it -the feast of the Lord" (Leviticus 23:39) and gives the command -ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are homeborn in Israel shall dwell in booths" (Leviticus 23:42); Numbers 29:12 enjoins the keeping of -a feast unto the Lord" on the 15th day of the 7th month, but does not refer to the dwelling in booths.

The reference therefore here is to Leviticus 23. The -feast of tabernacles" was emphatically thefeast of the 7th month: cf. Judges 21:19; Judges 21:21; (? 1 Samuel 1:7; 1 Samuel 1:21); 1 Kings 8:2; 1 Kings 8:65, (Nehemiah 12:32-33); Isaiah 30:29; Hosea 12:9; Zechariah 14:16; Ezra 3:4. In the present passage the literal rendering would be -on the feast in the seventh month."