13 And on the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers' `houses' of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law.
And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days; and they kept `other' seven days with gladness.
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people `stood' in their place. And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee; So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thy heart to understanding; Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding; If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures: Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God. For Jehovah giveth wisdom; Out of his mouth `cometh' knowledge and understanding:
Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.
Whoso loveth correction loveth knowledge; But he that hateth reproof is brutish.
And `the people' saw them going, and many knew `them', and they ran together there on foot from all the cities, and outwent them. And he came forth and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
And he was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him: and they could not find what they might do; for the people all hung upon him, listening.
And they said one to another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures?
And as they went out, they besought that these words might be spoken to them the next sabbath.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Nehemiah 8
Commentary on Nehemiah 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
Ezra came up out of Babylon thirteen years before Nehemiah came, yet we have here a piece of good work which he did, that might have been done before, but was not done till Nehemiah came, who, though he was not such a scholar nor such a divine as Ezra, nor such a scribe in the law of his God, yet was a man of a more lively active spirit. His zeal set Ezra's learning on work, and then great things were done, as we find here, where we have,
Neh 8:1-8
We have here an account of a solemn religious assembly, and the good work that was done in that assembly, to the honour of God and the edification of the church.
Neh 8:9-12
We may here observe,
Neh 8:13-18
We have here,