Nehemiah 8


Nehemiah 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, or the 18th chapter of the book of Ezra–Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible, which treats the book of Ezra and the book of Nehemiah as one book. Jewish tradition states that Ezra is the author of Ezra-Nehemiah as well as the Book of Chronicles, but modern scholars generally accept that a compiler from the 5th century BCE is the final author of these books. This chapter and the next recount the reading of the law by Ezra, "the scribe" and "the priest", and the popular response. Nehemiah the governor is also briefly mentioned. The community then went on to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with great joy.

Text

The original text of this chapter is in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 18 verses. Daniel Smith-Christopher argues that "the presence of Ezra and the virtual absence of Nehemiah support the argument that chapter 8 is among displaced chapters from the Ezra material", and suggests that "the original place for would logically have been between Ezra 8 and 9".

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis.
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Alexandrinus.
An ancient Greek book called 1 Esdras, containing some parts of 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah is included in most editions of the Septuagint and is placed before the single book of Ezra–Nehemiah. 1 Esdras 9:37-55 is an equivalent of Nehemiah 7:73-8:12.

Ezra reads the law (8:1–12)

The commission given to Ezra was to 'restructure the Jewish community' under God's laws, so he read and instructed the people who gathered around in 'the commands and intentions of God's revelation'.

Verse 1

  • "They spake unto Ezra": the initiative to hear the book of the law of God came from the people.
Ezra is described as "the scribe" in this verse and as "the priest" in verse 2. Repairs to "the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east" were referred to in. Whereas the King James Version refers to the "street" before the gate, other translations refer to the "square" or the "courtyard". In the Vulgate the closing words of Nehemiah 7:73, When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities form the opening words of Nehemiah 8:1: see also in the Douay–Rheims Bible.

Verse 3

Ezra's actions recall those of King Josiah in :

The Feast of Tabernacles (8:13–18)

The requirements of God's laws were founded on God's grace and the intention behind the Feast of Tabernacles was to commemorate God's miraculous deliverance of Israel. The celebration closely followed the regulation in.

Verse 17

  • "Booths": or "temporary shelters".
  • "Until that day the children of Israel has not done so": Although the Israelites had regularly celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, the festival had gradually become a 'harvest celebration', but in Ezra's time the festival was 'to commemorate God's grace' just as intended in.