Focused Passage

Nehemiah 8:13-18

The People Hear the Law, Understand It, Rejoice, and Keep the Festival of Booths

The gathered people ask for the Law, receive its reading and explanation with reverence and weeping, are directed into holy joy, and obey the written Word by celebrating the Festival of Booths with great rejoicing.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law.

14 And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,

15 and that they should proclaim this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

16 And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim.

17 The whole assembly that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this. And there was great rejoicing.

18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Original words

On the second הַשֵּׁנִ֡י H8145 Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular day [of the month] וּבַיּ֣וֹם H3117 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular the heads רָאשֵׁ֨י H7218 Noun - masculine plural construct of all לְכָל־ H3605 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct the families הָאָב֜וֹת H1 Article | Noun - masculine plural . . . הָעָ֗ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular along with the priests הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ H3548 Article | Noun - masculine plural and Levites וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם H3881 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural gathered נֶאֶסְפוּ֩ H622 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural around אֶל־ H413 Preposition Ezra עֶזְרָ֖א H5830 Noun - proper - masculine singular the scribe הַסֹּפֵ֑ר H5608 Article | Noun - masculine singular to study וּלְהַשְׂכִּ֖יל H7919 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition the words דִּבְרֵ֥י H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct of the Law הַתּוֹרָֽה׃ H8451 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 14

Original words

And they found וַֽיִּמְצְא֖וּ H4672 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural written כָּת֣וּב H3789 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular in the Law בַּתּוֹרָ֑ה H8451 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular which אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָה֙ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular had commanded צִוָּ֤ה H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular through בְּיַד־ H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Moses מֹשֶׁ֔ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular that אֲשֶׁר֩ H834 Pronoun - relative the Israelites בְנֵֽי־ H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular were to dwell יֵשְׁב֨וּ H3427 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural in booths בַּסֻּכּ֛וֹת H5521 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural during the feast בֶּחָ֖ג H2282 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular of the seventh הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי׃ H7637 Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular month בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ H2320 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or tabernacles or shelters; also in verses 15, 16, and 17
Verse 15

Original words

and that וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative they should proclaim יַשְׁמִ֗יעוּ H8085 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural this message ק֥וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular and spread [it] וְיַעֲבִ֨ירוּ H5674 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural throughout בְּכָל־ H3605 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct their towns עָרֵיהֶם֮ H5892 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural and in Jerusalem וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֣ם H3389 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular saying לֵאמֹר֒ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Go out צְא֣וּ H3318 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural to the hill country הָהָ֗ר H2022 Article | Noun - masculine singular and bring back וְהָבִ֙יאוּ֙ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural branches עֲלֵי־ H5929 Noun - masculine plural construct of olive זַ֙יִת֙ H2132 Noun - masculine singular . . . וַעֲלֵי־ H5929 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct עֵ֣ץ עֵ֣ץ H6086 Noun - masculine singular construct wild olive שֶׁ֔מֶן H8081 Noun - masculine singular . . . וַעֲלֵ֤י H5929 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct myrtle הֲדַס֙ H1918 Noun - masculine singular . . . וַעֲלֵ֣י H5929 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct palm תְמָרִ֔ים H8558 Noun - masculine plural . . . וַעֲלֵ֖י H5929 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct and [other] leafy עָבֹ֑ת H5687 Adjective - masculine singular trees עֵ֣ץ H6086 Noun - masculine singular construct to make לַעֲשֹׂ֥ת H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct booths סֻכֹּ֖ת H5521 Noun - feminine plural as it is written כַּכָּתֽוּב׃פ H3789 Preposition-k, Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or pine; literally oil tree
  • See Leviticus 23:37–40.
Verse 16

Original words

And the people הָעָם֮ H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular went out וַיֵּצְא֣וּ H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural brought back [branches] וַיָּבִיאוּ֒ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural and made וַיַּעֲשׂוּ֩ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . לָהֶ֨ם Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural booths סֻכּ֜וֹת H5521 Noun - feminine plural on עַל־ H5921 Preposition their own אִ֤ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular rooftops גַּגּוֹ֙ H1406 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular in their courtyards וּבְחַצְרֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם H2691 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine plural in the courts וּבְחַצְר֖וֹת H2691 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - common plural construct of the house בֵּ֣ית H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of God הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים H430 Article | Noun - masculine plural and in the squares וּבִרְחוֹב֙ H7339 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct by the Water הַמַּ֔יִם H4325 Article | Noun - masculine plural Gate שַׁ֣עַר H8179 Noun - masculine singular construct [and] וּבִרְח֖וֹב H7339 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct by the Gate שַׁ֥עַר H8179 Noun - masculine singular construct of Ephraim אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ H669 Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

The whole כָֽל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct assembly הַ֠קָּהָל H6951 Article | Noun - masculine singular that had returned הַשָּׁבִ֨ים H7725 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural from מִן־ H4480 Preposition exile הַשְּׁבִ֥י׀ H7628 Article | Noun - masculine singular made וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֣וּ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural booths סֻכּוֹת֮ H5521 Noun - feminine plural and lived וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural in them בַסֻּכּוֹת֒ H5521 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural . . . כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction From the days מִימֵי֩ H3117 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct of Joshua יֵשׁ֨וּעַ H3442 Noun - proper - masculine singular son בִּן־ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct of Nun נ֥וּן H5126 Noun - proper - masculine singular until עַ֖ד H5704 Preposition that הַה֑וּא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular day הַיּ֣וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular the Israelites בְּנֵ֣י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct . . . יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular had not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle celebrated עָשׂ֡וּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural like this כֵּן֙ H3651 Adverb And there was וַתְּהִ֥י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular great גְּדוֹלָ֥ה H1419 Adjective - feminine singular מְאֹֽד׃ מְאֹֽד׃ H3966 Adverb rejoicing שִׂמְחָ֖ה H8057 Noun - feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew Jeshua, a variant of Joshua
Verse 18

Original words

Day י֣וֹם׀ H3117 Noun - masculine singular after day בְּי֔וֹם H3117 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular from מִן־ H4480 Preposition the first הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן H7223 Article | Adjective - masculine singular day הַיּוֹם֙ H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular to עַ֖ד H5704 Preposition the last הָאַחֲר֑וֹן H314 Article | Adjective - masculine singular Ezra read וַ֠יִּקְרָא H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular from the Book בְּסֵ֨פֶר H5612 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the Law תּוֹרַ֤ת H8451 Noun - feminine singular construct of God הָאֱלֹהִים֙ H430 Article | Noun - masculine plural The Israelites kept וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural the feast חָג֙ H2282 Noun - masculine singular for seven שִׁבְעַ֣ת H7651 Number - masculine singular construct days הַיּ֣וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular and on the eighth הַשְּׁמִינִ֛י H8066 Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular day יָמִ֔ים H3117 Noun - masculine plural . . . וּבַיּ֧וֹם H3117 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular they held an assembly עֲצֶ֖רֶת H6116 Noun - feminine singular construct according to the ordinance כַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃פ H4941 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.