New King James Version
Nehemiah 8:1
1Now 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.
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 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
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. 2So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and 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 3:1And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.
- Judges 20:1So all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord at Mizpah.
- Nehemiah 8:16Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim.
- Nehemiah 3:26Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower.
- Nehemiah 12:37By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up the stairs of the City of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as the Water Gate eastward.
- Nehemiah 8:4So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
- Ezra 7:6this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.
- Jeremiah 8:8“How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
- Matthew 13:52Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
- Matthew 23:2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
- 2 Chronicles 34:15Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “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 law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
- Malachi 4:4“Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries