Nehemiah 8:9

_AND NEHEMIAH, WHICH IS THE TIRSHATHA, AND EZRA THE PRIEST THE SCRIBE, AND THE LEVITES THAT TAUGHT THE PEOPLE, SAID UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE, THIS DAY IS HOLY UNTO THE LORD YOUR GOD; MOURN NOT, NOR WEEP. FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WEPT, WHEN THEY HEARD THE WORDS OF THE LAW._ This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. A deep sense of their national sins, impressively brought to their remembrance by the reading of the law and its denunciations, affected the hearts of the people with penitential sorrow; but notwithstanding the painful remembrances of their national sins which the reading of the law awakened, the people were exhorted to cherish the feelings of joy and thankfulness associated with a sacred festival-namely, the feast of trumpets (see the notes at Leviticus 23:23), and by sending portions of it to their poorer brethren ...

9-12 It was a good sign that their hearts were tender, when they heard the words of the law. The people were to send portions to those for whom nothing was prepared. It is the duty of a religious feast, as well as of a religious fast, to draw out the soul to the hungry; God's bounty should make us bountiful. We must not only give to those that offer themselves, but send to those out of sight. Their strength consisted in joy in the Lord. The better we understand God's word, the more comfort we find in it; the darkness of trouble arises from the darkness of ignorance....

Verse Nehemiah 8:9. _NEHEMIAH, WHICH IS THE TIRSHATHA_] This puts it out of doubt that, when the _Tirshatha_ is mentioned, _Nehemiah_ himself is intended, _Tirshatha_ being the name of his _office_. _MOURN NOT, NOR WEEP._] This is a holy day to God: a day appointed for _general rejoicing_ in Him who has turned our captivity, restored to us his law, and again established among us his ordinances....

NEHEMIAH, WHICH IS THE TIRSHATHA - Hereto, Nehemiah has called himself פחה _pechâh_ Nehemiah 5:14, Nehemiah 5:18, which is the ordinary word for “governor.” Now for the first time he is called ‘the Tirshatha’” (see Ezra 2:63 note.) THE PEOPLE WEPT ... - Because the Law brought vividly before them their sins of omission and commission. In Nehemiah 8:10 the Jews were not forbidden to be sorry for their sins, but they were only prohibited from marring a festive occasion with the expression of their sorrow....

PART II. ACCOUNT OF THE STATE OF RELIGION AMONG THE JEWS UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF NEHEMIAH. EXPOSITION RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION OF THE PEOPLE BY EZRA, AND CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (Nehemiah 8:1.). It can scarcely be imagined that Ezra had been present in Jerusalem during the exciting scenes which have been enacted in the first part of this Book, an

II. THE SPIRITUAL REVIVAL CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The reading of the law before the water gate (Nehemiah 8:1)_ 2. A day of joy and not of mourning (Nehemiah 8:9) 3. The keeping of the feast of tabernacles (Nehemiah 8:13) Nehemiah 8:1. This interesting chapter gives the record of a gracious revival through the reading of the law. All the people gathered themselves together as one man in the street that was before the water gate, the place which suggests the cleansing and refreshing power of the Word. And as a united people they had but one desire, to hear the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded, to I

PART IV (Nehemiah 7:73_ b_ - Nehemiah 10:39). EZRA AND THE LAW. Nehemiah 7:73 b - Nehemiah 8:12. The Reading of the Law. Nehemiah 7:73 b. These words are repeated by mistake from Ezra 3:1. NEHEMIAH 8:1. _Cf._ Ezra 7:6. It is clear that we have here only part of the ori

NEHEMIAH, WHICH IS THE TIRSHATHA, AND EZRA THE PRIEST THE SCRIBE, AND THE LEVITES. The conductors of the festivities of the day, are all named here together. Nehemiah is called the Tirshatha, the Persian title for governor, here for the first time, though in chapter 7:65 the term is used. Ezra is named in both his offices as. priest and scribe. The Levitical assistants who repeated the words spoken so that all the people might hear are named in verse 7. THIS DAY IS HOLY. It was the day of. "Holy Convocation," the "feast of Trumpets." See verse 2. When the people heard the words of the law, and saw so vividly how they had sinned they wept, but they were restrained. It was not. day of mourning and weeping, but. joyous day. There are some who think that they can only worship God by tears, groans, and. long countenance. He is more delighted with our joys and thanksgivings than with our rep...

NEHEMIAH. He now uses the third person. This is not necessarily. sign of change of authorship. HOLY. See note on Exodus 3:5....

Nehemiah 7:73; Nehemiah 7:73. The Reading of the Law This verse begins a new section in the work. The style alters. The use of the first pers. sing. is resumed in Nehemiah 12:31. The Compiler has recourse to other material for this narrative. The thread of Nehemiah's Memoir, which was broken off at Nehemiah 7:5, is therefore not resumed. _and when the seventh month came_ R.V. AND WHEN THE SEVENTH MONTH WAS COME. The R.V. gives the right division of the verse. The second clause introduces a new section. Very similar words occur in Ezra 3:1 aft