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1–2. Meeting of the people on the day of reading the book of the law. 3–8. Reading the Law on the first day of the seventh month. 9–12 The impression made on the people. 13–18. Celebration of Tabernacles. Nehemiah 8:1. When the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were living in their cities, then all the people gathered as one man to the square that was before the Water Gate, and they told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. "When the seventh month came". The time of the important events described in Chap. VIII-X, the writer does not indicate exactly. In the very contents of ch. VIII-X also there is no clear indication of the year to which these chapters refer. As a result, there is disagreement among researchers on this point. In (2 Ezra 9:37–55), the story of the reading of the law in the seventh month follows the news of the expulsion, at the insistence of Ezra, of foreign wives, which is discussed in 1 Book of Ezra IX-X. Taking this into account, some researchers consider the section in question (Nehemiah VIII-X) to be a direct continuation of 1 Book of Ezra IX-X. The course of events in this case seems like this: at 5 months. 7 year of Artaxerxes I Longiman (458 BC) Ezra arrived in Jerusalem (1 Ezra 7:8); on the 20th day of the ninth month of the same year, a popular decree was made regarding the removal of foreign wives (1 Ezra 10:9); the implementation of the decree took until the end of the year (1 Ezra 10:17); in the seventh month of the next year, i.e. the second after Ezra's arrival, there was a meeting and events described in Nehemiah VIII-X (Fritsche, Winkler). Against the stated view of the chronological date of Nehemiah VII-X, however, they rightly point out the following: a) according to the stated view, the events described in Nehemiah VIII-X occurred before the arrival of Nehemiah. Meanwhile, in (Nehemiah 8:9, 10:1) we have a message about Nehemiah’s participation in the events, and there is no basis for these messages: “then Nehemiah, also known as Tirshapha” (Nehemiah 8:9); “Nehemiah-Tirshatha” (Nehemiah 10:1) should be considered later glosses; b) with the stated view of the book. In Nehemiah VIII-X, the placement of the chapters in the book after the description of Nehemiah's activities is unclear. In view of this, other authors (Rissel, Köhler) believe that there is no reason to break the connection of Chapters VIII-X. book Nehemiah and those immediately preceding them. Lack of year designation at the beginning of Chapter VIII. (“when the seventh month came”) gives reason to conclude that the writer is talking about the same year discussed above, i.e. about the year of the end of the wall (Neh. 6:15). “The seventh month” (v. 1) is the next (tisri) after the sixth (ul). With this understanding of the chronological date of Art. 1 bewilderment may be aroused by the fact that Ezra preached the law, which, according to (1 Ezra 7:10), was the purpose of his arrival in Jerusalem, only after 12 years. But this bewilderment is satisfactorily explained if we take into account the unfavorable conditions under which Ezra had to act upon his arrival in Jerusalem - his struggle with the enemies of the people, concerns about organizing the external life of the community, etc. Only the arrival of Nehemiah and the construction of the walls of the city, having secured the position of the people, made it possible for Ezra to set out to establish the spirit of legality among the people. What was important in this case, no doubt, was Ezra’s desire for the people to gradually prepare the ground for the assimilation of the law, which, of course, required time. Place of meeting of the people, according to Art. 1, served as the square in front of the Water Gate (cf. Neh. 3:26). In (2 Ezra 9:38) the place of meeting of the people is represented as the space in front of the eastern gate of the church. If the Water Gate is identified with the current Golden Gate, then it means that the meeting place was the area between the Golden Gate and the eastern gate of the church, which led to the outer courtyard. “And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Law of Moses.” Thus the initiative to study the law came from the people themselves, and Ezra could now proceed to carry out the purpose of his coming to Jerusalem with the hope of success. Nehemiah 8:2. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation of men and women, and all that could understand, on the first day of the seventh month; From Art. 2 shows that not only men and women, but also children were present in the meeting. The latter are understood in the remark: “everyone who could understand.” “On the first day of the seventh month” - the first day of the seventh month has been a great holiday since ancient times (Lev. 23:23–25; Num. 29:1–2); This is probably why the meeting was scheduled for that day. Nehemiah 8:3. and read from it in the square that was before the Water Gate, from dawn until noon, before men and women and all who could understand; and the ears of all the people were inclined to the book of the law. Ezra's reading of the book of the law continued “from dawn until noon,” i.e. 6–7 hours. From the further narrative it is clear (vv. 4–8) that the reading was not continuous: it was interrupted by those interpretations that the Levites added to the sections read. Nehemiah 8:4. Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for this purpose, and next to him, on his right hand, stood Mattitiah and Shema, and Anaiah and Uriah, and Hilkiah and Maaseiah, and on his left hand Pedaiah and Mishael, and Malchiah and Hashum, and Hashbaddana, and Zechariah and Meshullam. As can be seen from Art. 4, Ezra read the law, standing on a wooden platform made for this occasion (Heb. Laddabar - “for this matter”, Russian “for this”). On this elevation next to Ezra there were also 7 men on the left side and 6 on the right. They were probably priests present as witnesses. At least according to (Neh. 3:4, 6, 11, 14, 21–25) those named in 4 v. persons appear as belonging to priestly families. It is puzzling that the high priest was absent during the solemn reading of the law. Bertholet explains this by the state of the high priestly house, namely by its strong worldliness. Nehemiah 8:5. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, because he stood above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up. When Ezra opened the book of the law, “all the people stood up.” According to rabbinical tradition, the custom of standing up while reading the law was observed from the time of Moses to Gamaliel. But there is no indication in the Bible of the existence of this custom in pre-war times (cf. Judges 3:20). Neh.8:6. And Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered: Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands, and they worshiped and prostrated themselves before the Lord with their faces to the ground. Art. 6 gives important instructions regarding liturgical practice in the post-exilic period. “And Ezra blessed the Lord,” either like David (1 Chronicles 29:10), or in the words of some psalm (cf. 1 Chronicles 16:8, 9). Neh.8:7. Joshua, Vanaiah, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabtai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Clitha, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Phelaiah, and the Levites explained the law to the people, while the people stood in their place. “Jesus... and the Levites explained the law to the people.” From the expression “and the Levites” (Vehaleviim) one could conclude that Jesus and the others named in v. The 7 persons were not Levites. But these persons were undoubtedly Levites; therefore, instead of haleviim it is better, in view of 2 Esdras. 9:48, read leviim (“Levites”). In the text of the book. Naemi named 13 names of Levites who interpreted the law; the same number of names is given in (2 Ezra 9:48), although different names are called. In the LXX, only the first 3 names are named (Jesus, Vanaiah, Sherebiah), while the rest are omitted. How exactly are they named in Art. 7 persons participated in the reading of the law, it is not clear from the text. Schultz presents the case in such a way that the people were divided into 13 groups and each group was offered an interpretation of the law. According to Rissel, the Levites took turns interpreting the law to the entire assembly. Neh.8:8. And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly, and added an interpretation, and the people understood what they read. “And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly” (meporasch). According to the Talmud, Heb. meporash in this place has a separate meaning, clearly indicating that the law was translated into Aramaic. But in view (Lev. 24:12; Num. 15:34) it is hardly a Jew. parasch can be understood in the meaning of translate. In addition, for the society of Nehemiah’s time there was no need to translate the law, since it, without a doubt, still spoke Hebrew, as can be seen from the fact of the appearance of the book. Malachi, Ezra and Nehemiah, and also from the remark (Neh. 13:24). Siegfried and Bertolet accept the Heb. meporasch in the meaning: “by departments”, “separately”. But, apparently, it is more true in Heb. meporasch to see, together with some exegetes (Keil, Schultz), an indication that the Levites made paraphrastic explanations of what Ezra read. Neh.8:9. Then Nehemiah, who is Tirshatha, and Ezra the scribe the priest, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; Do not be sad or weep, for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. "Then Nehemiah, aka Tirshapha". In Art. 9 we have evidence of Nehemiah also participating in the assembly of the people. However, in a parallel place (2 Ezra 9:49) there is no mention of Nehemiah, and instead of the above words it reads: “and Atpharath said to Ezra.” Apparently Greek. Ἀτθαράτης represents the alteration of Heb. Tirshapha. The omission in (2 Ezra 9:49) the name of Nehemiah prompts some scholars of the words of v. 9. “then Nehemiah” (Nechernjahu) is considered a later insertion. In this case, the mention of Nehemiah in Nehemiah VIII-X disappears, and the timing of the events described in the section must be determined independently of Nehemiah's arrival in Jerusalem. Other zkeegets consider the words “aka Tirshafa” (Stade, Smend, Wellg.), and Bertolet - the entire remark of Art. 9. about Nehemiah. The possibility of the appearance of such a gloss in the veterinary economy. There is no basis for denial in the biblical text. But at the same time, there is no data to confirm the presence of glossa in the place in question. – Tirshafa, as noted above, is the Persian title of governor (pechah). Nehemiah 8:10. And he said to them: Go, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, because this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. “And he said to them,” Nehemiah said as he spoke, which, of course, does not exclude the possibility that Ezra and the Levites also addressed the people with an admonition. Send portions to those who have nothing prepared, i.e. acquaintances and especially the poor (cf. Deut. 16:14; 1 Sam. 6:13; 2 Sam. 6:19; Esther 9:19). - “The joy of the Lord is your strength” - in LXX ἐσ`τὶ κύριος ἰσχυς ὐμῶν, “The Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:11. And the Levites calmed all the people, saying: stop, for this day is holy, do not be sad. The awareness of the crimes of the law caused a feeling of grief among the people, expressed in crying. But in this sorrow there was also hope for a bright future, for the fact that the law would finally receive for the people the meaning that belonged to it according to the intention of the legislator. That is why Ezra and the Levites take measures to calm the people and make sure that the day of reading the law receives the meaning of a day of joy. Nehemiah 8:12. And all the people went away to eat and drink, and send portions, and celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words that were spoken to them. “For they understood the words that were spoken to them”: not words of the law, but an invitation to joyful celebration. Nehemiah 8:13. The next day, the heads of the generations from all the people, the priests and Levites, gathered to the scribe Ezra, so that he would explain to them the words of the law. As can be seen from Art. 13, after reading the law, the people went home, but the heads of the generations came to Ezra the next day so that he would explain to them the words of the law. Probably, in view of the arrival of the seventh month, there was a desire to properly celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, and representatives of the people came to Ezra to find out exactly the commandment of the law regarding the holiday. – “Heads of generations from all the people, priests and Levites” – from Heb. i.e. the last two words should be translated into gender. case. Thus, Ezra had only representatives from the priests and Levites in the private meeting. Nehemiah 8:14. And they found it written in the law, which the Lord gave by Moses, that the children of Israel in the seventh month, at the feast, should dwell in booths. “And they found what was written in the law”: of course, the decree (Lev. 23:39–43; Deut. 16:13–15) about the Feast of Tabernacles. Nehemiah 8:15. And therefore they declared and proclaimed in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying: Go to the mountain and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, and myrtle branches and palm branches, and branches of other broad-leaved trees, to make tabernacles according to what is written. Given in Art. 15th invitation, with which - in Hebrew. the text of the heads of generations, and according to LXX - Ezra - addressed the people, is not a literal quotation from the law. “Go to the mountain”: in these words there is no need to see an indication of the Mount of Olives. Attention is drawn to mountains in general, as to places that are covered with trees. “And branches of other broad-leaved trees”: glorified “branches of oak trees.” “To make tabernacles according to what is written.” The Law of Moses does not name those trees that are listed in Article 15 as material for tabernacles. Therefore, the remark “according to what is written” must be attributed to the general meaning of the injunction to celebrate the holiday in tabernacles, and not to the construction of tabernacles. Nehemiah 8:16. And the people went and brought and made themselves tabernacles, every one on his own roof, and in his courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate, and in the square at Ephraim's Gate. According to Art. 16, tabernacles were set up not only in private courts, but also in the courts of the house of God. The priests probably settled down here to celebrate. About the Water Gate, see note. j (Neh. 3:26). – The Gate of Ephraim, according to the newest researchers (Gute), did not belong to the second wall (Nehemiah), but to the first (cf. 2 Kings 14.13) and was located where the main streets now intersect from west to east and from south to north. Nehemiah 8:17. The whole community of those who returned from captivity made tabernacles and lived in tabernacles. From the days of Joshua the son of Nun until this day the children of Israel did not do so. The joy was very great. “From the days of Joshua the son of Nun until this day the children of Israel did not do so.” According to Michaelis, the words of the son of Nun represent the guesswork of a later copyist, but the writer had in mind in the above remark not Joshua, but Jesus the high priest, a contemporary of Zerubbabel. But there is no basis for this opinion. – The writer’s remark that from the days of Jesus “the children of Israel did not do so” cannot be understood in a strictly literal sense, since the Bible repeatedly mentions the celebration of Tabernacles after Joshua (Cf. 1 Kings 8:65; 2 Chronicles 7:8-9; 1 Ezra 3:4). The above remark is obviously intended to highlight the special character of the celebration of Tabernacles under Nehemiah. According to Köhler, the peculiarity of the celebration was that for the first time since the days of antiquity, the commandment was fulfilled (Lev. 23:42) and truly tabernacles were built from green trees, and not simple tents. Nehemiah 8:18. And they read from the book of God’s law every day, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the holiday for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an after-feast according to the rules. “And they read,” from Hebrew. “and read,” obviously Ezra. You might be interested in: