Nehemiah 8:18

Neh 8:18 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.

Ver. 18. Also day by day] Not only on the first and last day ("that great day of the feast," Joh 7:37), but every day, this good man was at it, being insatiabilis Dei cultor (as Chrysostom saith of St Paul), an insatiable worshipper of God; and accounting quod nimis augusta pietas est, ad legem bonum esse, to do nothing for God more than needs must was too little.

And they kept the feast seven days] The people were as willing to hear (and do other holy duties) as Ezra was to preach. So were Chrysostom’s hearers, who were wont to say that they could better be without the sunlight than Chrysostom’s daily sermons. So likewise were Calvin’s hearers at Geneva, where he preached every day in the week for the most part, and had a constant audience that even too admired (some of them at least) his most excellent pains and parts; as Zanchy shows and complains in the Epistle Dedicatory set before his Miscellanies; taxing them of ανθρωπολατρεια, man worship.

And on the eighth day was a solemn assembly] Heb. A restraint, viz. from servile works; or a retention, viz. a holding of the congregation together for holy uses. Tremellius rendereth it diem interdicti forbidden day, the Vulgate Latin of Lyra thus, They made a gathering, sc. for necessaries about the Temple. This eighth day thus kept might prefigure the Christian sabbath, that first day of the week.

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 8:18. Day by day he read in the book of the law of God — The law was commanded to be read at this feast, Deu 31:10-12. But the reading of it was not enjoined to be continued every day, as was now done through their singular and very laudable zeal.

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

8:18 Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God: The law was to be read every seven years at the Festival of Shelters (Deut 31:10-12). It reminded the people of the covenant stipulations and of God’s past acts of grace.

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

Also day by day . . . he read in the book of the law of God--This was more than was enjoined (Deu 31:10-12), and arose from the exuberant zeal of the time.

on the eighth day was a solemn assembly--This was the last and great day of the feast (see on Num 29:35). In later times, other ceremonies which increased the rejoicing were added (Joh 7:37).

Next: Nehemiah Chapter 9

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

(18) According unto the manner.—For the Azereth, or supplementary feast day, see Lev_23:36.

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

18. he read] i.e. Ezra. This is the usual explanation, so also LXX. ἀνέγνω. Vulg. ‘legit.’ According to another interpretation the 3rd pers. sing. is impersonal = ‘and one read,’ ‘there was reading.’

in the book of the law of God] The command to read at the Feast of Tabernacles only applied to the special usage of the Sabbatic year (Deu_31:10-11), and it is clear from the context in that passage that Moses in using the words ‘thou shalt read this law’ (Deu_31:11) is speaking especially of the Deuteronomic law which he is described as having written and committed to the priests in Deu_31:9 and Deu_31:26. It is a mistake therefore to connect this reading of ‘the law’ by Ezra with any special obedience to Deu_31:10-11, unless it be assumed that it was the Sabbatic year, and that the law read was the Deuteronomic law. For neither assumption is there any sufficient warrant. The fact that the reading went on for seven days makes it probable that the whole, or at any rate by far the greater portion, of the Torah was read.

the eighth day] This eighth day was not originally part of the feast, but an extra day commanded by the Priestly Law to be observed as ‘an holy convocation’ (Lev_23:36; Lev_23:39). Its celebration closed, as it were, the festival calendar of the Jewish sacred year. We do not hear of its observance in early times. As we might expect, it is not mentioned in the brief festival notice of Exo_23:16. In Deu_16:13-17 it is not spoken of, it is only said ‘Seven days shalt thou keep a feast.’ In 1Ki_8:65-66, we are told that after the Feast of Tabernacles Solomon sent the people away on the 8th day. In the Priestly Law, however, the observance of this 8th day is insisted upon as ‘a holy convocation,’ ‘a solemn assembly,’ on which ‘no servile work’ is to be done, ‘the eighth day shall be a solemn rest’ (Lev_23:36; Lev_23:39). It is interesting, therefore, to take notice that in 2Ch_7:8-9 the observance of this 8th day is recorded, although not mentioned in the parallel passage, 1Ki_8:65-66. The Chronicler recounts the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in accordance with his knowledge of the Priestly Law. Our passage agrees with the later observance and with the Priestly Law. The complete disappearance of the originally distinct character of ‘the eighth day’ is shown in 2Ma_10:6 ‘eight days … as in the feast of tabernacles.’

a solemn assembly (Heb. a restrain assembly)] R.V. Marg. ‘Or, closing festival’. LXX. ἐξόδιον. Vulg. ‘collectam.’ The Hebrew word e’ câreth is used technically here and in Lev_23:36; Num_29:35; 2Ch_7:9, for the day after the Feast of Tabernacles, and in Deu_16:8, for the 7th and last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. With an original sense of ‘shutting,’ ‘packing together,’ it is used of ‘public gatherings’ (Jer_9:2), and sacred festivals (2Ki_10:20; Isa_1:13; Joe_1:14; Amo_5:21), and, in post-Biblical Hebrew, especially of the Feast of Weeks.

the manner] R.V. the ordinance. According to the ordinance (mishpât. LXX. κρίμα. Vulg. ‘ritum’) of the Priestly Law (Lev_23:36). The emphasis of this appeal to authority is perhaps to be explained by the fact that in early times the 8th day had not been observed.

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.

Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God,.... That is, Ezra; this was done by him every day during the feast, whereas only the first and last days were the holy convocations on which it seems to have been read:

and they kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the manner; prescribed in Lev 23:39.

Next: Nehemiah Chapter 9

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

Assembly. Literally, "the collect." (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "the day of retention;" the people being kept at the temple. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "the dismission;" as they were afterwards permitted to depart. (Haydock) --- See Leviticus xxiii. 26. --- It was probably on this occasion, that the sacred fire was found again; (2 Machabees i. 18.; Calmet) and also the ark, the tabernacle, and the altar of incense, which had been hidden by Jeremias, 2 Machabees ii. 4. (Torniel, the year of the world 3610.) (Cano, &c.) --- But this is not so certain. (Haydock) (Calmet, Diss.)

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).

He read in the book of the law of God; which was commanded to be done at this feast, Deu 31:10-12, though not enjoined to be done every day, as now out of a singular zeal they did.

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

18. Day by day… he read — The people needed instruction, and the feast of tabernacles afforded a most suitable occasion for the public reading of the law. The law also enjoined such a public reading once in seven years at the feast of tabernacles. Deu_31:10-11.

He read — That is, Ezra read, or caused to be read. He was, doubtless, assisted during the seven days by the priests and the Levites, as he had been on the first day of the month. Neh_8:1-8.

A solemn assembly — The same as the holy convocation mentioned in Lev_23:36.

According unto the manner — Or, according to custom. Aside from the extensive reading of the law and the whole community dwelling in booths, which specially distinguished this particular feast, the other observances followed general usage.

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

Also day by day...he read in the book of the law. Ezra must be intended in the form "he read," though there has been no mention of him since verse 13. The continuous and systematic reading seems to imply that the year was a Sabbatical one, and that the rehearsal commanded in Deu_31:10-13 now took place. The observance was perhaps a new thing to the newly-formed community, and is therefore recorded with so much emphasis. They kept the feast seven days. See Lev_23:34 Num_29:12-34 Deu_16:13. On the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the manner. Such a mode of solemnising the octave was commanded in Lev_23:36 and Num_29:35. By "according to the manner" seems to be meant "according to the regularly established custom one proof out of many that the feast had been constantly observed, though not perhaps with all the proper ceremonies (see the comment on ver. 17).

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

day by day

This idiom means "each day." (See: Idiom)

from the first day to the last

The implied information is that it was during the entire week of the festival. AT: "from the first day to the last day of the week" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

They kept the festival

"They made a feast" or "They celebrated the festival"

on the eighth day

"on day 8" (See: Ordinal Numbers)

solemn assembly

This was a special religious gathering.

in obedience to the decree

The implied information is that "the decree" was the command of Yahweh about how the Festival of Shelters was to end. AT: "as God had commanded" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

Ezra

law

festival

assembly

obey

decree

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

day by day every day.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.