New English Translation
Nehemiah 8:1
1all 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.
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
all 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. 2So 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.) 3So 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.
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 arrived and the Israelites were living in their towns, the people assembled in Jerusalem.
- Judges 20:1All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba and from the land of Gilead left their homes and assembled together before the Lord at Mizpah.
- Nehemiah 8:16So 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.
- Nehemiah 3:26and the temple servants who were living on Ophel worked up to the area opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the protruding tower.
- Nehemiah 12:37They went over the Fountain Gate and continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall. They passed the house of David and continued on to the Water Gate toward the east.
- Nehemiah 8:4Ezra 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.
- Ezra 7:6This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
- Jeremiah 8:8How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, those who teach it have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean.
- Matthew 13:52Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
- Matthew 23:2“The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
- 2 Chronicles 34:15Hilkiah informed Shaphan the scribe, “I found the law scroll in the Lord’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.
- Isaiah 8:20Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.
- Malachi 4:4“Remember the law of my servant Moses, to whom at Horeb I gave rules and regulations for all Israel to obey.
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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