Nehemiah 8:16

THEY KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. (Neh 8:16-18)

the people went forth, and brought . . . and made themselves booths, &c.--(See on Lev 23:34; Deu 16:13).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Neh 8:16 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.

Ver. 16. So thepeople went forth, and brought them] They had kept the feast of trumpets on the first day of this month. And although no mention be here made of the feast of expiation, a day of humiliation to be kept for ever upon the tenth day, yet it is to be presumed that they kept it, having so good a guide as Ezra. Now also, as not weary of well-doing, they do most solemnly celebrate the feast of tabernacles, making themselves booths of boughs in every street throughout the whole city.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Neh 8:16. Every one upon the roof of his house — Which, according to the law, was made flat, Deu 22:8. And in their courts — Those belonging to their houses: for the booths might be made anywhere in the open air. And in the street of the gate of Ephraim — The gate of the city which led to the tribe of Ephraim.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8:16 The Ephraim Gate might have been located on the north side of Jerusalem, facing toward the territory of the tribe of Ephraim (see 12:39).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For their houses were made flat above, read Deut. 22:8.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 16. Upon the roof of his house] It need scarcely be repeated, that the houses in the East are generally built with flat roofs. On these they reposed; on these they took the air in the heats of summer; and on these they oftentimes slept.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(16) And in their courts.—Not only on the roofs, but in the internal courtyards.

Of the house of God.—The ministers of the Temple made these; and strangers to Jerusalem made them in the streets or open spaces near the gates.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. So the people went forth] There were 13 days before the feast, in which to make preparations.

upon the roof of his house] For the use put to the flat roofs of houses in the East cf. Jos_2:6; 1Sa_9:25 (Deu_22:8).

in their courts] Eastern houses were generally built in the form of a quadrangle.

in the courts of the house of God] This does not refer only to booths erected by priests and Levites; cf. 2Ch_23:5. See Psa_92:13; Psa_106:19; Psa_135:2. A possible allusion to the celebration of this feast ‘in the courts of the house of God’ is to be found in Isa_62:9.

the street] R.V. the broad place. In the ‘broad places’ Jews from the country could erect their booths.

the water gate] See note on Neh_8:3.

the gate of Ephraim] Cf. Neh_12:39; 2Ki_14:13; 2Ch_25:23. The gateway probably took its name from the road passing through it which led to Ephraimite territory. It is not mentioned in ch. 3., but see notes on Neh_3:6-8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

So the people went forth, and brought them,.... Went out of Jerusalem to the mountains adjacent, and fetched in branches of the said trees, one or another:

and made themselves booths, everyone upon the roof of his house; which were flat, Deu 22:8, and they might be made anywhere, so be it they were open to the air:

and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God; the common people in the courtyards belonging to their houses, and the priests and Levites in the courts of the temple, the yards or open places adjoining to them:

and in the street of the watergate; which led to that, and seems to have been a very large street, in which many booths might be built, Neh 3:26

and in the street of the gate of Ephraim; which led to the gate through which the road lay to the tribe of Ephraim, see Kg2 14:13, none were erected without the walls of the city, for fear of the enemy.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

House, which was flat. (Haydock) --- The tents might be erected in any place; in the open air. (Tirinus)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Booths upon the roof of his house; for the houses there were made flat; of which See Poole "Deu 22:8".

In their courts, belonging to their own houses; for these might be any where in the open air.

In the street of the gate of Ephraim; that gate of the city which led to the tribe of Ephraim.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. Upon the roof of his house — Nearly every available place would be used, and those who occupied houses in Jerusalem would find it most convenient to build their booths either on the flat roofs of their houses, or in their courts, the inclosed yards in the rear of their houses.

The courts of the house of God — Here the priests and Levites would naturally build their booths, while those persons who were not residents of Jerusalem would make theirs in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. The open space before the water gate was where all the people assembled to hear the public reading of the law. See on Neh_8:1 and Neh_3:26. The gate of Ephraim was doubtless in the northern wall, opening towards the territory of Ephraim. See on 2Ki_14:13.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The flat roofs of Oriental houses, and the court round which they were commonly built, furnished convenient sites for the booths, and would be preferred by the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The incomers from the country districts (ver. 15) would have to occupy the open places or "squares" of the city, and the temple courts, which would accommodate large numbers. On the street of the water gate see the comment on ver. 1. The street of the gate of Ephraim was probably a similar square, inside the great northern gateway.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

made themselves shelters

"each built their own shelters"

Water Gate ... Gate of Ephraim

These are names of large openings or doorways in the wall.

in the square at the Gate of Ephraim

"in the open place by the Gate of Ephraim"

For since the days of Joshua

"From the days of Joshua"

son of Nun

"Nun" here is a man's name. (See: How to Translate Names)

their joy was very great

The abstract noun "joy" can be expressed as an adjective. AT: "the people were very joyful" (See: Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

refuge

court

house

God

water

gate

Ephraim

assembly

captive

life

Joshua

Israel

festival

joy

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.