Nehemiah 8:1

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
people	הָעָם֙ ha.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
together	וַיֵּאָסְפ֤וּ vai.ye.'a.se.Fu	H622	to gather for any purpose · conjunction + verb, niphal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
one	אֶחָ֔ד 'e.Chad	H259	properly · cardinal number, feminine singular absolute
man	כְּאִ֣ישׁ ke.'Ish	H376	a man as an individual or a male person · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
street	הָ֣רְח֔וֹב ha.re.Chov	H7339	a width · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
before	לִפְנֵ֣י lif.Nei	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
water	הַמָּ֑יִם ha.Ma.yim	H4325	water · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
gate	שַֽׁעַר sha.'ar-	H8179	an opening · noun, common masculine singular construct
spake	וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ vai.yo.me.Ru	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
Ezra	לְעֶזְרָ֣א le.'ez.Ra'	H5830	Ezra · preposition + proper noun, a man's name
scribe	הַסֹּפֵ֔ר ha.so.Fer	H5608	properly · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
bring	לְהָבִ֗יא le.ha.Vi'	H935	to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
book	סֵ֙פֶר֙ se.fer	H5612	properly · noun, common masculine singular construct
law	תּוֹרַ֣ת to.Rat	H8451	a precept or statute · noun, common feminine singular construct
Moses	מֹשֶׁ֔ה mo.Sheh	H4872	Mosheh · proper noun, a man's name
LORD	יְהוָ֖ה Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
commanded	צִוָּ֥ה tzi.Vah	H6680	(intensively) to constitute · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵֽל Yis.ra.'El	H3478	Jisrael · proper noun, a place name

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Ezra 7:6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted…
2 Chronicles 34:15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the bo…
Nehemiah 3:26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.
Matthew 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, whi…
Ezra 3:1-13 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Je…
Ezra 7:11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the command…
Judges 20:1 Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land…
Judges 20:8 And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:1-8

We have here an account of a solemn religious assembly, and the good work that was done in that assembly, to the honour of God and the edification of the church. I. The time of it was the first day of the seventh month, Neh 8:2. That was the day of the feast of trumpets, which is called a sabbath, and on which they were to have a holy convocation, Lev 23:24; Num 29:1. But that was not all: it was one that day that the altar was set up, and they began to offer their burnt-offerings after their return out of captivity, a recent mercy in the memory of many then living; in a thankful remembrance of that, it is likely, they had kept this feast ever since with more than ordinary solemnity. Divine…

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Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:1

The street that was before the water gate - The gate which led from the temple to the brook Kidron.

John Gill on Nehemiah 8:1

And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the watergate,.... A large and commodious street for such a company of people, which led to the water gate, of which see Nehemiah 3:26 hither the people gathered with great unanimity, zeal, and affection: and they spoke unto Ezra the scribe; the same who is called Ezra the priest, and scribe of the law of God, and said to be a ready one, Ezra 7:6, who came to Jerusalem thirteen years before this time; but very probably returned to Babylon again, and was lately come from thence: to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel; to observe what was commanded in it, and whic…

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Keil & Delitzsch on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Neh 8:1-2. The public reading of the law. - Neh 8:1-3. The introduction to this narrative (Neh 7:73b-8:1a) is identical with Ezr 3:1. The same matter, the assembling of the people on the approach of the seventh month, is described in the same words. But the object of this assembling of the people was a different one from that mentioned in Ezr 3:1-13. Then they met to restore the altar of burnt-offering and the sacrificial worship; now, on the contrary, for the due solemnization of the seventh month, the festal month of the year. For this purpose the people came from the cities and villages of Judah to Jerusalem, and assembled "in the open space before the water-gate," i.e., to the south-east…

Dictionary and topics

Deuteronomy — In all the Hebrew manuscripts the Pentateuch (q.v.) forms one roll or volume divided into larger and smaller sections called parshioth_ and _sedarim. It is not easy to say when it was divided into…
Ezra — Help. (1.) A priest among those that returned to Jerusalem under Zerubabel (Neh. 12:1). (2.) The “scribe” who led the second body of exiles that returned from Babylon to Jerusalem B.C. 459, and…
Jerusalem — Called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the “city of God,” the “holy city;” by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning “the holy;” once “the city of Judah” (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the…
Pentateuch — The five-fold volume, consisting of the first five books of the Old Testament. This word does not occur in Scripture, nor is it certainly known when the roll was thus divided into five portions…
Pentateuch, The — is the Greek name given to the five books commonly called the “five books of Moses.” This title is derived from “pente”, five, and “teucos”) which, meaning originally “vessel” “instrument,” etc.,…
Scribes — Anciently held various important offices in the public affairs of the nation. The Hebrew word so rendered (sopher) is first used to designate the holder of some military office (Judg. 5:14; A.V.,…
Jerusalem · Water gate — Water gate
Scriptures, The · All should desire to hear — All should desire to hear
Synagogue · The Scriptures were read and expoun — The Scriptures were read and expoun
Synagogues · Revival of, after the captivity — Revival of, after the captivity
Word Of God · To be read publicly

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:1

John Gill on Nehemiah 8:1

Keil & Delitzsch on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Dictionary and topics

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Adam Clarke on Nehemiah 8:1

John Gill on Nehemiah 8:1

Keil & Delitzsch on Nehemiah 8:1-8

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Nehemiah 8:1