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EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Nehemiah 8:7-8

Some of the *Levites also helped Ezra. They moved among the people and they read the law to smaller groups. They explained the law. And they helped the people to understand its meaning. Some of the people probably did not understand the language of the book of the law. So the *Levites had to translate into the language of the people.

v9 All the people were crying when they heard the Law. So Nehemiah the ruler, Ezra the priest and teacher, and the *Levites, who were teaching the people, spoke. They said to everyone, ‘Today is a special day for the *Lord your God. Do not be sad or cry.’ v10 Then Nehemiah said to the people, ‘Go and enjoy special food and sweet drinks. Share some of the food and drink with those who do not have any. Today is a special day for our *Lord. Do not be sad. The joy that you have in the *Lord will make you strong.’

v11 The *Levites made all the people calm. They said, ‘Stop crying, because today is a special day. Do not be sad.’

v12 Then everyone went away to enjoy a meal. They shared food and drink with other people. They had a very happy time together, because they understood the Law. They understood what Ezra and the *Levites had read to them.

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See also Nehemiah 8:7-8 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The names here (and in Nehemiah 9:4, Nehemiah 9:5; Nehemiah 10:9) seem not to be the personal appellations of individuals, but rather designations of Levitical families, the descendants respectively o...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    II. THE SPIRITUAL REVIVAL CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The reading of the law before the water gate (Nehemiah 8:1)_ 2. A day of joy and not of mourning (Nehemiah 8:9) 3. The keeping of the feast of tabernacles...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PART IV (Nehemiah 7:73_ b_ - Nehemiah 10:39). EZRA AND THE LAW. Nehemiah 7:73 b - Nehemiah 8:12. The Reading of the Law.

  • B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary

    AND JESHUA, AND BANI, ETC.,.. CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND. These persons, Levites, and probably the heads of Levitical families, are named again in chapter 9:4, 5, as discharging very important du...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Also Jeshua_&c. Of the 13 names here mentioned we find _four_, i.e. Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Hodiah, mentioned among the Levites in chap. Nehemiah 9:5, and _seven_, i.e. Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Hodi...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Nehemiah 7:73; Nehemiah 7:73. The Reading of the Law This verse begins a new section in the work. The style alters. The use of the first pers. sing. is resumed in Nehemiah 12:31. The Compiler has rec...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT II. The Law is Read in Public, and its Ceremonies are Resumed: Chapter s 8-10 A. The Law is Read and the Feast of Booths is Kept. 1. Ezra instructs the people in the L...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _ALSO JESHUA, AND BANI, AND SHEREBIAH, JAMIN, AKKUB, SHABBETHAI, HODIJAH, MAASEIAH, KELITA, AZARIAH, JOZABAD, HANAN, PELAIAH, AND THE LEVITES, CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE LAW: AND THE PEOPLE S...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE READING OF THE LAW BY EZRA 1. The street] RV 'the broad place': and so in Nehemiah 8:3; Nehemiah 8:16. THE WATER GATE] This probably led to the spring of Gihon (the Virgin's spring)....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    AND THE LEVITES] omit AND....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ יֵשׁ֡וּעַ וּ בָנִ֡י וְ שֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֣ה ׀ יָמִ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE LAW Nehemiah 8:1 THE fragmentary nature of the chronicler's work is nowhere more apparent than in that portion of it which treats of the events immediately following on the completion of the fort...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    NEW LIGHT FROM GOD'S LAW Nehemiah 8:1 Surely this was the first public Bible-reading! When will the people be again as hungry for the Word of God as these Jews who stood in the open space from early...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    We now come to the second section of the Book, which gives an account of the special reading of the Law, and the reform which followed. Ezra now appears on the scene. There has been some speculation a...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (3) And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people we...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    The Joy of the Lord I. INTRODUCTION II. THE RESULT Nehemiah 8:1-12 (NKJV) Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that [was] in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    By means of Ezra and Nehemiah, the law resumes its authority, and that at the people's own request, for God had prepared their hearts. Accordingly, God had gathered them together on the first day of t...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people [s...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The Levites caused the people to understand the law_ As well the words, which, being Hebrew, needed to be translated into the Chaldee or Syriac language, now the common language of that people; who,...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    [THE LAW IS READ.] 1 The religious maner of reading and hearing the Law. 9 They comfort the people. 13 The forwardnesse of them to heare and be instructed. 16 They keepe the feast of Tabernacles....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, that is, other Levites, for the first thirteen were leader...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE LAW READ AND HEARD...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE READING OF THE LAW (vv. 1-12) We have seen at the end of chapter 6 the wall was completed, and in chapter 7 appointments were made for the proper order to be maintained in the city. Now another...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-8 Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, as acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of familie...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE LAW; as well the words, which being Hebrew, now needed to be translated into the Chaldee or Syriac language, which was now and henceforth the common language of tha...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Nehemiah 8:7 Jeshua H3442 Bani H1137 Sherebiah H8274 Jamin H3226 Akkub H6126 Shabbethai H7678 Hodijah H1941 Maaseiah H464

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE READING AND EXPLAINING TO THE PEOPLE OF THE LAW OF MOSES AND A REVIEW OF THEIR PAST HISTORY, LEADS TO THEM ESTABLISHING A RENEWAL OF THEIR COVENANT WITH GOD (NEHEMIAH 8:1 TO NEHEMIAH 10:39). Regar...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    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 Neh...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE READING AND EXPLAINING OF THE LAW (NEHEMIAH 8:1). The first stage of covenant renewal was the reading and explaining of the Law. Such reading and explaining of a section of the Law may well have t...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The law read and explained. Feast of tabernacles restored. CHARACTERS: God, Ezra, Nehemiah. CONCLUSION: Reading the Scripture in religious assemblies is an ordinance of God whereby He is h...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Nehemiah 8:2. _Upon the first day of the seventh month,_ the day when the civil year began, reckoned from the creation of the world. Ezra began the year, like Adam, with a holy convocation. He, and ot...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street._ THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE LAW God has evermore blessed His own Word as the chosen instrument of all revival and progress in H...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NEHEMIAH 8:1 The Reading of the Law, and Covenant Renewal. In this long section, the Book of the Law is solemnly read, the Feast of Booths is kept, and a great act of covenant renewal is performed. Fo...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON NEHEMIAH 8:7 The LEVITES presumably moved among the crowd, ensuring that all could UNDERSTAND. Such interpretation was one of their special tasks (see...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    EXPLANATORY NOTES.] NEHEMIAH 8:1. STREET] Rather “square.” An open place at the gate of Oriental cities where trials were held and wares set forth for sale.—_Gesenius_. THE WATER GATE] Sec addenda to...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    PART II. ACCOUNT OF THE STATE OF RELIGION AMONG THE JEWS UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF NEHEMIAH. EXPOSITION RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION OF...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn at this time in our Bibles to Nehemiah chapter 8. Nehemiah has returned to Jerusalem some ninety years after the first return. Some 160 years from the beginning of the Babylonian captivi...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Chronicles 17:7; 2 Chronicles 30:22; Deuteronomy 33:10; Ezra 10:22;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Understand — As well the words, which being Hebrew, now needed to be translated into the Chaldee or Syriack language, now, the common language of that people, who together with their religion, had als...

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