English Standard Version
Nehemiah 8:1
1And 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.
Nehemiah 8:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
- New International Version (NIV)all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.
- New Living Translation (NLT)all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.
Context of Nehemiah 8:1
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. 2So 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. 3And 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.
Read all of Nehemiah 8Nehemiah 8:1 word by word
וַיֵּאָסְפ֤וּ כָל־הָעָם֙ כְּאִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֔ד אֶל־הָ֣רְח֔וֹב אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י שַֽׁעַר־הַמָּ֑יִם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ לְעֶזְרָ֣א הַסֹּפֵ֔ר לְהָבִ֗יא אֶת־סֵ֙פֶר֙ תּוֹרַ֣ת מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- gathered themselves togetherאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
- as oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- into the streetרְחוֹבrechôb rechôb · street/plazaH7339
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the waterמַיmayim · Water (Gate)H4325
- gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- and they spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Ezraעֶזְרָא‛ezrâ' · EzraH5830
- the scribeסֹפֵרsâphar · secretaryH5608
- to bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- the bookסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: bookH5612
- of the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- of Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- had commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- to Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Nehemiah 8:1
- Ezra 3:1When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem.
- Judges 20:1Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah.
- Nehemiah 8:16So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.
- Nehemiah 3:26and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower.
- Nehemiah 12:37At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.
- Nehemiah 8:4And 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.
- Ezra 7:6this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
- Jeremiah 8:8"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
- Matthew 13:52And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
- Matthew 23:2"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,
- 2 Chronicles 34:15Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
- Isaiah 8:20To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
- Malachi 4:4"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 8:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The street that was before the water gate - The gate which led from the temple to the brook Kidron.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The street - Rather, “the square” or “court.” So in Nehemiah 8:16 (compare Ezra 10:9). The court seems to have been one between the eastern gate of the temple and the watergate in the city-wall. It would thus lie within the modern Haram area. Ezra the scribe - This is the first mention of Ezra in the present book, and the first proof we have had that he was contemporary with Nehemiah. Probably he returned to the court of Artaxerxes soon after effecting…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The reading and expounding the law. (1-8) The people called upon to be joyful. (9-12) The feast of tabernacles, The joy of the people. (13-18) Verses 1-8 Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, as acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of families should bring their families with them to the public worship of God. Women and children have souls to save…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The Water Gate was in the middle of Jerusalem's eastern wall, south of the temple and east of the palace ruins (Nehemiah 3:26; 12:37). There was a lot of open space, ensuring everyone could gather there.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-81. all the people gathered themselves together as one man--The occasion was the celebration of the feast of the seventh month (Ne 7:73). The beginning of every month was ushered in as a sacred festival; but this, the commencement of the seventh month, was kept with distinguished honor as "the feast of trumpets," which extended over two days. It was the first day of the seventh ecclesiastical year, and the new year's day of the Jewish civil year, on which…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 8:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nehemiah 8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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