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Open the full commentary stream for Nehemiah.
Old Testament
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Nehemiah 8:11all the people gathered together in the plaza which was in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded Israel.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Ezra 7:62 Chr 34:15Neh 3:26Matt 13:52Ezra 3:1-13Ezra 7:11Isa 8:20Jer 8:8-9Judg 20:1Judg 20:8
Nehemiah 8:22So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly which included men and women and all those able to understand what they heard. (This happened on the first day of the seventh month.)Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Lev 23:24Mal 2:7Num 29:1Acts 15:21Deut 17:18Deut 31:9-13Isa 28:92 Chr 17:7-9
Nehemiah 8:33So he read it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from dawn till noon before the men and women and those children who could understand. All the people were eager to hear the book of the law.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Rev 3:22Heb 2:1-3Luke 4:16-20Rev 2:291 Thess 2:13Acts 13:15Acts 13:27Acts 15:21Acts 16:14Acts 17:11
Nehemiah 8:44Ezra the scribe stood on a towering wooden platform constructed for this purpose. Standing near him on his right were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Masseiah. On his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Ezra 10:29Ezra 10:33Neh 10:18Neh 10:20Neh 10:25Neh 10:3Neh 10:7Neh 11:5Neh 11:7Neh 12:13
Nehemiah 8:55Ezra opened the book in plain view of all the people, for he was elevated above all the people. When he opened the book, all the people stood up.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Judg 3:201 Kgs 8:14Luke 4:16-17
Nehemiah 8:66Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:1 Tim 2:8Lam 3:41Exod 4:312 Chr 20:18Rev 7:11Gen 24:26Neh 5:13Ps 134:21 Chr 29:20Exod 12:27
Nehemiah 8:77Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—all of whom were Levites —were teaching the people the law, as the people remained standing.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Neh 9:4Lev 10:11Ezra 10:22-23Neh 3:23Mal 2:72 Chr 17:7-92 Chr 30:22Deut 33:10Ezra 8:18Neh 10:12-13
Nehemiah 8:88They read from the book of God’s law, explaining it and imparting insight. Thus the people gained understanding from what was read.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Luke 24:45Acts 28:23Acts 17:2-3Acts 8:30-35Hab 2:2Luke 24:27Luke 24:32Matt 5:21-22Matt 5:27-28
Nehemiah 8:99Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priestly scribe, and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Deut 12:12Neh 7:65Neh 7:70Deut 16:11Neh 8:2Deut 12:7Deut 16:14-15Eccl 3:4Ezra 2:63Isa 61:3
Nehemiah 8:1010He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Ps 28:7-8Prov 17:222 Cor 12:8-9Eccl 9:7Isa 12:1-3Isa 61:10Ps 149:2Esth 9:192 Cor 8:2Esth 9:22
Nehemiah 8:1111Then the Levites quieted all the people saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy. Do not grieve.”Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Num 13:30
Nehemiah 8:1212So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food with others and to enjoy tremendous joy, for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Ps 119:174Luke 24:32Neh 8:7-8Ps 119:103-104Ps 119:111Ps 119:127Ps 119:130Ps 119:171Ps 119:72Ps 119:97
Nehemiah 8:1313On the second day of the month the family leaders met with Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Prov 12:1Prov 2:1-6Prov 8:33-342 Chr 30:232 Tim 2:24-25Acts 13:42Acts 4:1Luke 19:47-48Luke 24:32Mark 6:33-34
Nehemiah 8:1414They discovered written in the law that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month,Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Lev 23:34Deut 16:13-15Lev 23:40-43Zech 14:16-19Gen 33:17John 7:2
Nehemiah 8:1515and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written.”Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Lev 23:40Deut 16:16Lev 23:4Gen 8:11Judg 9:48-49Matt 21:1John 12:13Rev 7:9
Nehemiah 8:1616So the people went out and brought these things back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:2 Kgs 14:13Neh 12:39Neh 12:37Neh 3:26Jer 32:29Neh 8:32 Chr 20:52 Chr 33:52 Sam 11:2Deut 22:8
Nehemiah 8:1717So all the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great joy.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:2 Chr 8:132 Chr 7:8-10Ezra 3:41 Chr 29:222 Chr 30:21-232 Chr 30:262 Chr 35:18Heb 11:13Heb 11:9Heb 4:8
Nehemiah 8:1818Ezra read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last. They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly as was required.Copy LinkKJV+Strong’sMany Bible VersionsAsk AICross Refs:Lev 23:36Num 29:35Deut 31:10-13John 7:37
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