1 The religious manner of reading and hearing the law
9 They comfort the people
13 The forwardness of them to hear and be instructed
16 They keep the feast of tabernacles

A.M. 3559. B.C. 445. all the people Ezr 3:1,

as one man Jud 20:1,8

before 16 3:26 12:37

Ezra 4-9 Ezr 7:6,11 Jer 8:8,9 Mt 13:52 23:2,13,34

bring 2Ch 34:15 Isa 8:20 Mal 4:4

2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

priest De 17:18 31:9,10 Mal 2:7

congregation De 31:11-13 2Ch 17:7-9 Ac 15:21

could hear with understanding. Heb. understood in hearing Isa 28:9

the first Le 23:24 Nu 29:1

3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

he read Lu 4:16-20 Ac 13:15,27 15:21

morning. Heb. light Ac 20:7,11 28:23

ears Mt 7:28,29 Mr 12:37 Lu 8:18 19:48 Ac 16:14 17:11 1Th 2:13 Heb 2:1-3 Re 2:29 3:22

4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

pulpit. Heb. tower. Maaseiah 10:25 11:5

Malchiah 10:3

Hashum 10:18 Ezr 10:33

Meshullam 10:7,20 11:7 12:13 Ezr 10:29

5 And Ezra 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:

opened Lu 4:16,17

sight. Heb. eyes. stood up Jud 3:20 1Ki 8:14

6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

blessed 1Ch 29:20 2Ch 6:4 Ps 41:13 72:18,19 Eph 1:3 1Pe 1:3

Amen 5:13 Jer 28:6 Mt 6:13 1Co 14:16

with lifting Ge 14:22 Ps 28:2 63:4 134:2 141:2 La 3:41 1Ti 2:8

bowed Ge 24:26 Ex 4:31 12:27 2Ch 20:18 29:30

with their faces Le 9:24 Mt 26:39 Re 7:11

7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

Jeshua 3:19 9:4 10:9 12:24

Bani 3:17 9:4 10:13

Sherebiah 9:4 10:12 12:24 Ezr 8:18

Akkub 11:16,19 12:25

Hodijah 10:10,18

Maaseiah 4 3:23 12:41,42 Ezr 10:22

Kelita 10:10 Ezr 10:23

Azariah 3:23 10:2 12:33

Jozabad Ezr 10:22,23

Hanan 10:10

Pelaiah 10:10

caused Le 10:11 De 33:10 2Ch 17:7-9 30:22 Mal 2:7

8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

and gave the sense Hab 2:2 Mt 5:21,22,27,28 Lu 24:27,32,45 Ac 8:30-35 17:2,3 28:23

9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Nehemiah 7:65,70 10:1 Ezr 2:63

Tirshatha. or, governor. Ezra Ezr 7:11

the Levites 7,8 2Ch 15:3 30:22 35:3 Ho 4:6

This day 2 Le 23:24 Nu 29:1-6

mourn not De 12:7,12 16:11,14,15 26:14 Ec 3:4 Isa 61:3 Mal 2:13

all the people 2Ki 22:11,19 2Ch 34:19,21 Ro 3:20 7:9 2Co 7:9-11

10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Go your way Ec 2:24 3:13 5:18 9:7 1Ti 6:17,18

eat So 5:1

send De 26:11-13 Es 9:19,22 Job 31:16-18 Ec 11:2 Lu 11:41 Re 11:10

the joy Ps 28:7,8 149:2 Pr 17:22 Isa 6:7,8 12:1-3 35:1-4 61:10 Joe 2:23 2Co 8:2 12:8,9 Php 3:4

11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

stilled Nu 13:30

12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

to send 10

to make Ps 126:1-3

because 7,8 Job 23:12 Ps 19:8-11 119:14,16,72,97,103,104,111,127, Ps 119:130,171,174 Pr 2:10,11 24:13,14 Jer 15:16 Lu 24:32 Ro 7:18

13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.

the second 2Ch 30:23 Pr 2:1-6 8:33,34 12:1 Mr 6:33,34 Lu 19:47,48 Ac 4:1 Ac 13:42

to understand the words of the law. or, that they might instruct in the words of the law 7,8 Lu 24:32 2Ti 2:24,25

14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

by. Heb. by the hand of. dwell Le 23:34,40-43 De 16:13-15 Zec 14:16-19 Joh 7:2

booths Ge 33:17

the feast (That is, the feast of tabernacles, which was held in the month Tisri, the seventh of the ecclesiastical year, in commemoration of the sojourning of the Israelites in the wilderness after they had been delivered from Egyptian bondage. For other particulars see the parallel passages.)

15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

And that Le 23:4

in Jerusalem De 16:16

the mount Jud 9:48,49 Mt 21:1

fetch Le 23:40

olive Ge 8:11

palm Joh 12:13 Re 7:9

16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

the roof De 22:8 2Sa 11:2 Jer 19:13 32:29

the courts 2Ch 20:5 33:5

the street of the water gate 3 3:26 12:37

gate of Ephraim 12:37,39 2Ki 14:13

17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

sat under Joh 1:14 Heb 11:9,13

Jeshua Jos 1:1
Joshua Heb 4:8

Jesus. had not 2Ch 7:8-10 8:13 Ezr 3:4

done so 2Ch 30:26 35:18

there was 1Ch 29:22 2Ch 7:10 30:21-23

18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

day by day De 31:10-13

a solemn assembly. Heb. a restraint. according Le 23:36 Nu 29:35 Joh 7:37