God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 8:1
1⌞When the seventh month came,⌟ all the people gathered together in the courtyard in front of Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord had commanded Israel ⌞to follow⌟.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Nehemiah 8:1
⌞When the seventh month came,⌟ all the people gathered together in the courtyard in front of Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord had commanded Israel ⌞to follow⌟. 2Then Ezra the priest brought the Teachings in front of the assembly. This included men, women, and any ⌞children⌟ who could understand what they heard. This took place on the first day of the seventh month. 3From daybreak until noon, he read from it in the courtyard in front of Water Gate to the men, women, and ⌞children⌟ who could understand it. All the people listened to the Book of Moses’ Teachings.
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, the people gathered together in Jerusalem. (The Israelites had already settled in their cities.)
- Judges 20:1All the people of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and from Gilead came to Mizpah. The congregation stood united in the presence of the Lord.
- Nehemiah 8:16So the people went to get branches to make booths for themselves. Some made booths on their roofs, others in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God’s temple, in the open area by Water Gate, or in the open area at Ephraim Gate.
- Nehemiah 3:26and the temple servants who were living on the Ophel made repairs on the wall as far as a point across from Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.
- Nehemiah 12:37At Fountain Gate they went straight up the stairs of the City of David. There the wall rises past David’s palace and reaches Water Gate on the east.
- Nehemiah 8:4Ezra the scribe stood on a raised wooden platform made for this occasion. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right. Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam stood beside him on his left.
- Ezra 7:6As a scribe, Ezra was an expert in Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king gave Ezra everything he requested because the Lord his God was guiding him.
- Jeremiah 8:8“ ‘How can you say that you are wise and that you have the Lord’s teachings? The scribes have used their pens to turn these teachings into lies.
- Matthew 13:52So Jesus said to them, “That is why every student of the Scriptures who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure chest.”
- Matthew 23:2“The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees teach with Moses’ authority.
- 2 Chronicles 34:15Hilkiah told the scribe Shaphan, “I have found the Book of the Teachings in the Lord’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
- Isaiah 8:20They should go to the teachings and to the written instructions. If people don’t speak these words, it is because it doesn’t dawn on them.
- Malachi 4:4“Remember the teachings of my servant Moses, the rules and regulations that I gave to 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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