Nehemiah · WEB-C
Nehemiah
8
Bible textSynthetic voice (AI)
All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. See also: Ezra 7:62 Chronicles 34:15Nehemiah 3:26Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. See also: Leviticus 23:24Malachi 2:7Numbers 29:1He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. See also: Revelation 3:22Luke 4:16-20Hebrews 2:1-3Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. See also: Nehemiah 11:5Nehemiah 12:13Nehemiah 10:20Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people), and when he opened it, all the people stood up. See also: Judges 3:201 Kings 8:14Luke 4:16-17Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. All the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. See also: 1 Timothy 2:8Lamentations 3:41Exodus 4:31Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place. See also: Nehemiah 9:4Leviticus 10:11Ezra 10:22-23They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading. See also: Luke 24:45Acts 28:23Acts 17:2-3Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. See also: Nehemiah 7:70Deuteronomy 12:12Nehemiah 7:65Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” See also: Psalms 28:7-8Proverbs 17:222 Corinthians 12:8-9So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved.” See also: Numbers 13:30All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. See also: Psalms 119:174Luke 24:32Psalms 119:130On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law. See also: Proverbs 2:1-6Proverbs 12:1Proverbs 8:33-34They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; See also: Leviticus 23:34Leviticus 23:40-43Deuteronomy 16:13-15and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, as it is written.” See also: Leviticus 23:40Leviticus 23:4Deuteronomy 16:16So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. See also: 2 Kings 14:13Nehemiah 12:39Nehemiah 12:37All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness. See also: 2 Chronicles 8:13Ezra 3:42 Chronicles 7:8-10Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance. See also: Leviticus 23:36Numbers 29:35Deuteronomy 31:10-13
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)13 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
Nehemiah 8:1
Ver. 1. Were in, or had been at home, (H.) after the dedication of the walls, (C.) till they assembled (H.) at the beginning of the civil year, on the feast of trumpets, which was a day of rejoicing, (v. 9. Num. xxix. 1.) the festival of the new moon. Riberia. M. --- Gate, near the temple. C. iii. 26. C. --- Moses; the pentateuch. M. --- He is not desired to restore what was lost.
T. --- As many copies had been preserved by the prophets, which Esdras revised. W.
↑ 1Nehemiah 8:2
Ver. 2. Women, who were in a separate place. --- Understand, being come to the use of reason.
C.
↑ 2Nehemiah 8:3
Ver. 3. In plainly. Prot. "therein, before the street." H. --- Esdras probably read select pieces from Leviticus, &c. but principally from Deuteronomy. M.
↑ 3Nehemiah 8:4
Ver. 4. Step. Heb. "wooden tower." C. --- Prot. "pulpit," (H.) made in the form of a cup," (C.) like the cior, or tribune of Solomon. 2 Par. vi. 13. --- Mosollam. We should imagine that this was not the person who had given his daughter in marriage to the son of Tobias. C. vi. 18. H.
↑ 4Nehemiah 8:5
Ver. 5. Stood, out of respect, as we do while the gospel is read. See Num. xxiii.
18. C.
↑ 5Nehemiah 8:8
Ver. 8. Understood, by those who were near enough, and were skilled in Heb.
(H.) though many began to forget that language; (C. xiii. 24.) and for their benefit, an explanation was given in Chaldee, (v. 9.; Calmet) or Syriac, the vulgar tongue after the captivity. Pure Hebrew was still retained in the public liturgy. T. --- Thus the Catholic Church retains the use of the language first use in the conversion of the respective people, whether Greek, Latin, &c. while she takes care to explain to the people what is necessary, in their own language.
Any change might be attended with more serious inconveniences than benefit.
Our Saviour never blamed this practice, which subsisted among the Jews in his time, no more than that which obliged the people to keep without, while the priest offered incense, &c. Luke i. 10. 21. --- And plainly. Prot. "and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading," as much as they were able, though many would, no doubt, still find difficulties, as we at present. H.
↑ 8Nehemiah 8:9
Ver. 9. Interpreted. S. Jerom renders the same term, made silence, (v. 7.) as it was the office of the Levites to keep the people in awe, v. 11. C. --- Prot.
"taught." They had also (H.) to instruct.
1 Esd. viii. 16. M. --- Weep. The Jews had only one feast for mourning, the day of expiation. On all the rest, a holy joy was commended. For the same reason, the Church does not fast on such days. C. --- Law, reflecting on the threats denounced against transgressors, which they had so lately witnessed. T.
↑ 9Nehemiah 8:10
Ver. 10. Wine. Heb. and Sept. "things." Syr. and Arab. have simply, "drink." ---
Portions. The Greeks styled them, merides; and the Latins, sportulæ. The custom prevailed not only among the Jews, (Est. ix. 19.) but also among Christians and pagans. Moses frequently exhorts the people to invite the poor; (Deut. xvi. 14.) and S. Paul blames the rich Corinthians, for giving no part of their feast to them. 1 Cor. xi. 21. --- Strength. By this holy joy, we shall be encouraged to perform all our duties. C. --- Sept. "Be not downcast, because he (the Lord) is our strength." H.
↑ 10Nehemiah 8:13
Ver. 13. Law, concerning some difficulties, particularly the manner of keeping the ensuing festival. T. --- Thus Christ explained to his disciples what he had spoken to the people. H.
↑ 13Nehemiah 8:15
Ver. 15. And that. This is not expressed in the law, though it was probably practised. C. ---
Some translate, "And they proclaimed," &c. Vatable. --- Beautiful. Lit. "very or most beautiful."
H. --- Heb. "of oily wood." Sept. "cypress." Syr. "nut-tree." Others understand the pine, (Pagnin) balm, (Mariana) citron, (H.) or any other species of branches, which might then be used.
C. T.
↑ 15Nehemiah 8:16
Ver. 16. House, which was flat. H. --- The tents might be erected in any place; in the open air. T.
↑ 16Nehemiah 8:17
Ver. 17. Done so, with such alacrity, though they had displayed more magnificence. See the meaning of similar expressions, 4 K. xxiii. 22. C.
↑ 17Nehemiah 8:18
Ver. 18. Assembly. Lit. "the collect." H. --- Heb. "the day of retention;" the people being kept at the temple. C. --- Sept. "the dismission;" as they were afterwards permitted to depart. H. --- See Lev. xxiii. 26. --- It was probably on this occasion, that the sacred fire was found again; (2 Mac. i.
18. C.) and also the ark, the tabernacle, and the altar of incense, which had been hidden by Jeremias. 2 Mac. ii. 4. Torniel, A. 3610. Cano, &c. --- But this is not so certain. H. C. Diss.
↑ 18License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses