Nehemiah 8:1-8--Ezra Reads the Law

Nehemiah 8:1-8
English Standard Version

Ezra Reads the Law
8 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

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After Nehemiah recorded the census (though that is not recorded here, only the previous census that he was comparing the new census to is recorded), all the people gathered together in the square that is in front of the Water Gate.  They (the people) told Ezra the priest to bring the Book of the Law of Moses (the book of Deuteronomy) to read to them, as the LORD had commanded.  Normally this would happen during the Feast of Tabernacles, but since we are told that this is the first day of the seventh month, this is the Feast of Trumpets.

Everyone who was able to understand--men and women, young and old--stood outside from morning until midday and listened intently to the Book of the Law of the LORD.  Ezra stood on a pulpit that had been made for him so that he was elevated above the people, and everyone could easily see and hear him.  Beside him stood the Levites (see verse 7) who would help him teach the Law to the people.

Clearly the full text is not given to us, but from previous passages, but we know that Ezra and the other Levites would read a passage and then asked the people if they understood it.  If they did not, then they would explain it "giving the clear sense" of the text to the people.  The goal of Ezra and the Levites was teaching and understanding, not just checking a box that they had read the required readings to the people for that year.  For what good is it to read the Law to the people if the people do not understand it?  They must understand it to obey it, and they must obey it to have the blessings that are promised in it.

After the reading of the Law, Ezra blessed the LORD and the people said, "Amen, Amen" (they were in complete agreement with everything that had been said).  Then they worshiped the LORD together as they bowed themselves low with their faces to the ground.  There is a team-teaching effort as we mentioned before.  The people would hear many things when the Law was read to them that cut them to the heart and it would make them weep when we start our next passage, for they are moved that they are transgressors of the Law.  However, this was a holy day of celebration to the LORD--it was to be a joyful day, not a day for weeping and mourning, so Nehemiah will remind the people that there is a time to mourn and a time to rejoice, and this day has been set aside by the LORD for His people to rejoice.  That's where we'll start off next time.