Nehemiah 8:15

and that they should publish and proclaim … saying In Leviticus 23:1; Leviticus 23:4 the children of Israel are commanded to -proclaim the set feasts of the Lord." The actual words of this verse are nowhere to be found in the Pentateuch. But there is no reason on that account to suppose a corruption in the text, and to read as Houbigant, whom Rawlinson follows, -And when they heard it, they proclaimed &c.," a text for which only a slight emendation is necessary. The LXX. puts a full stop at -Jerusalem," and begins a new sentence, -And Ezra said, Go forth." The fact is that the writer only refers in a general way to the substance of the passage in Leviticus 23 relating to -the feast of tabernacles." The mention of -Jerusalem" is alone sufficient to show the spirit of free adaptation in which the reference to -the law" is made. Possibly Jerusalem is mentioned as embodying the Deuteronomic phrase -the place which the Lord shall choose" in Deuteronomy 16:15.

the mount i.e. the mountain region or hill country of Judah. Not to be restricted to the Mt of Olives.

pine branches R.V. branches of wild olive. Cf. Isaiah 41:19, -the oil tree" (Marg. Or, oleaster). Both the olive (ἐλαία) and the wild olive (ἀγριέλαιος) were conspicuous for their thick foliage; cf. Romans 11:17. For -palms" near Jerusalem cf. Mark 11:8, and Jericho -the city of palms" (Judges 1:16; Judges 3:13; 2 Chronicles 28:15).

as it is written The reference is evidently to Leviticus 23:40, -And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook." But the quotation only agrees in the general sense. The only words which are found in both passages are -palm" and -thick trees" (Ezekiel 20:28). The -goodly trees" (-ec̣ hadar) possibly include -the branches of myrtle" (-eley hédas). The myrtle (cf. Isaiah 55:13; Zechariah 1:8; Zechariah 1:10-11) is mentioned with -the wild olive" in Isaiah 41:19.