Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 8:3

And he read therein before the street that [was] before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people [were attentive] unto the book of the law.

3. before the street ] R.V. before the broad place. The ‘broad place’ was before the water-gate; Ezra read before the broad place. In each case the preposition seems to mean on the W. side, i.e. in front of looking eastward. The Vulgate ‘in plate.’ The LXX. omits the reference to the locality in this verse.

from the morning ] R.V. from early morning. Marg. Heb. from the light. The process of reading ‘from morn till midday’ is explained in the following verses (4 8). It was not consecutive reading for seven hours. Ezra had others standing by to relieve him: the reading was also interrupted by exposition.

before ] R.V. in the presence of. A different preposition from that used earlier in the verse.

attentive unto the book of the law ] Vulgate ‘erect ad librum.’

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And he read therein,…. Some passages in it, here and there, which it was necessary the people should have knowledge of; for it can hardly be thought be began and read on just in the order in which it was: this he did

before the street; at the top of it, at one end of it:

that was before the water gate; which looked directly to that:

from the morning until midday; from the rising of the sun to noon, so that he must read six hours; but very probably was relieved at times by the men with him, after mentioned:

before the men and the women, and those that could understand; see Ne 8:2,

and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law; to the hearing of it read, and to the things contained in it; hence Maimonides h gathers, that as soon as the reader begins the reading of the law, it is not lawful to speak about anything, not even the constitutions of the law, but silently to attend to what is read.

h Hilchot Tephillah, c. 12. sect. 9.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(3) From the morning.From daylight. The Book of the Law must have been a comprehensive one. Out of it Ezra and his companions read hour after hour, selecting appropriate passages.

And the ears of all the people . . . unto the book.A general statement; the detail now follows.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

3. He read from the morning until midday Relieved and assisted at times by the priests and Levites beside him.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

(3) And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. (4) And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. (5) And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: (6) And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (7) Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. (8) So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

The length of the service in reading the law implies, that this was a more than ordinary occasion. And it is remarkable that though Ezra had been in Jerusalem, at the time that this service was so solemnly observed, for many years, yet we never hear of it before. Probably the building of the wall inspired the people with greater confidence. The bringing out of the book before the people, and opening it in their view; their standing up at the reading of it, by way of testifying their great reverence for it; and Ezra’s blessing the Lord, with the people’s answering Amen, amen, with lifted up hands, and bowing faces; all these were delightful signs of the real devotion of the heart on this memorable occasion. Blessed be God! amidst all the decays of vital godliness in the mass of the people, still there is a reverence observed, at least in our churches, on the reading of the scriptures. And the sweet savor the people of God feel at those seasons, becomes no small testimony that a relish for divine truths still is among us. Oh! that the Lord would increase it. I beg the Reader to remark what is said, in this account, of the expounding the word, reading, and causing the people to understand the reading. This not only becomes an authority for ministers to expound the word of life, as they read it to the people, but also a lovely example. And surely God doth own, and will bless, the labors of scribes well instructed in the mysteries of the gospel, when under the Spirit’s teaching they bring forth out of the treasury things new and old.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Neh 8:3 And he read therein before the street that [was] before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people [were attentive] unto the book of the law.

Ver. 3. And he read therein ] As a scribe, he wrote the law; and as a priest, he read and expounded it. This was Christ’s own custom, Luk 4:16 , and the Jews’, Act 13:15 ; Act 13:27 ; Act 15:21 , and is still to this day; one lesson is ever read out of the law in their public meetings; and another out of the prophets correspondent to the former in argument. The Holy Scripture is called Mikre, the reading of Neh 8:9 , because it ought to be read to all; and the word, as if all the use of our ears were to hear this word.

From the morning until midday ] This was a great while; five or six hours together they spent in holy duties, whereas the most amongst us think long of an hour; they sit as it were in the stocks whiles they are hearing the word read or preached, and come out of the church when the tedious sermon runneth somewhat beyond the glass, like prisoners out of a jail.

And the ears of the people were attentive to the book ] Heb. Were to the book of the law; which phrase importeth both their attention and affection to what they heard delivered. They drew up the ears of their souls to the ears of their bodies; and so one sound pierced both. See the like Luk 19:48 , they hung upon Christ’s holy lips, as loth to lose any part of that precious language. The Jews at this day, though they give very great outward respect to their Torah, or book of the law (carrying it about their synagogue at the end of service in procession, and the like), yet for any show of attention or elevation of spirit I could never discern (saith one that had been much amongst them), but they are as reverend in their synagogues as grammar boys are at school when their master is absent.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

morning = daylight.

men. Hebrew, plural ‘enosh. App-14.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

he read: Luk 4:16-20, Act 13:15, Act 13:27, Act 15:21

morning: Heb. light, Act 20:7, Act 20:11, Act 28:23

ears: Mat 7:28, Mat 7:29, Mar 12:37, Luk 8:18, Luk 19:48, Act 16:14, Act 17:11, 1Th 2:13, Heb 2:1-3, Rev 2:29, Rev 3:22

Reciprocal: Jos 8:34 – he read Neh 3:26 – the water Neh 8:16 – the street of the water gate Neh 9:3 – one fourth Neh 12:37 – water gate Neh 13:1 – they read Jer 36:8 – in the Jam 1:19 – let

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Neh 8:3. He read therein, from the morning until mid-day In the Hebrew, the words are, from the light, that is, from the break of day, or the sun-rising, until noon: Then, it is likely, they went to take some refreshment, it being a festival, and a day of great rejoicing.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

8:3 And he read therein before the street that [was] before the water gate from the morning until {c} midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people [were attentive] unto the book of the law.

(c) This declares the great zeal that the people had to hear the word of God.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes