Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Nehemiah 8:7
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.
7. Also Jeshua &c.] Of the 13 names here mentioned we find four, i.e. Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Hodiah, mentioned among the Levites in chap. Neh 9:5, and seven, i.e. Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Kelita, Hanan, Pelaiah, among the Levites in chap. Neh 10:9-14. Perhaps these seven were representative of Levitical houses, whose names they bore; if so, the remaining six mentioned here, whose names do not occur again, possibly represented branches of some other Levitical families mentioned under different collective names in chaps. 10 and 12. The LXX. here only gives the first three names.
Hodijah ] R.V. Hodiah.
and the Levites ] So the LXX. But 1 Esdr. , Vulg. ‘Levit,’ omitting the copula which gives the better rendering. The ‘copula’ if the text is correct, must define the list of names just given in the sense of ‘even.’ The writer adds that they were Levites. The rendering ‘And the Levites’ in the sense of ‘And all the rest of the Levites’ would give a scene of confusion. For the use of the copula = ‘even,’ cf. Neh 8:13. But very possibly the words have been interpolated.
caused the people the law ] i.e. they expounded what Ezra read. We must suppose that only short passages were read at a time.
stood in their place ] Literally, ‘And the people were upon their standing.’ LXX. . Cf. 2Ch 30:16, ‘And they stood in their place,’ 2Ch 35:10. It will be noticed that in this passage the Levites share with the priests the duty of instructing the people out of the Law; and we are led to infer that this was customary from the Chronicler’s statements in 2Ch 15:3; 2Ch 17:8-9; 2Ch 35:3. In the Levitical law we only find the priests entrusted with this duty (Lev 10:10-11).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The names here (and in Neh 9:4, Neh 9:5; Neh 10:9) seem not to be the personal appellations of individuals, but rather designations of Levitical families, the descendants respectively of Jeshua, etc., who lived not later than the time of Zerubbabel Neh 7:43; Neh 12:8.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Caused the people to understand the law; as well the words, which being Hebrew, now needed to be translated into the Chaldee or Syriac language, which was now and henceforth the common language of that people, who together with their religion had also in a great part lost their language; as also the sense and meaning of them; they expounded the mind and will of God in what they read, and applied it to the peoples present condition, as they saw fit, as the manner of the prophets generally was. And hence the people were so deeply affected with it.
The people stood in their place, i.e. in their several places and stations into which the company seems to have been distributed for conveniency of hearing; it not being likely that so vast a congregation could distinctly hear one mans voice. Or, by their stations, i.e. by the several stations of the Levites and persons last named; who seem to have had several scaffolds, by comparing this with Neh 9:4, upon which they stood, as Ezra did upon his pulpit, Neh 8:4.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7, 8. caused the people tounderstand the law . . . gave the senseCommentators aredivided in opinion as to the import of this statement. Some thinkthat Ezra read the law in pure Hebrew, while the Levites, whoassisted him, translated it sentence by sentence into Chaldee, thevernacular dialect which the exiles spoke in Babylon. Others maintainthat the duty of these Levites consisted in explaining to the people,many of whom had become very ignorant, what Ezra had read.
Ne8:9-15. THE PEOPLECOMFORTED.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites,…. That is, others of them besides those named; for they seem all to be Levites, unless they can be thought to be priests, and so the Levites are distinguished from them; but the former seems evident from Ne 9:4 these also
caused the people to understand the law; as well as Ezra; from whence it is plain that he did not only read the law, but gave the sense of it, especially where there was any seeming difficulty, and these men were assisting in the same work: and the people stood in their place; to hear the law read and explained; they did not move from their first station, but continued in it from morning to noon; they were both attentive and constant.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7. And the Levites Or, even the Levites. We understand that the persons named in this verse were all Levites, in distinction from the priests named in Neh 8:4.
Caused the people to understand the law This was a part of the regular work of the priests and Levites. See marginal references. On this occasion it was probably necessary for them to translate and explain the law in the vulgar tongue for the benefit of a large part of the people. See note on next verse.
The people in their place That is, around the platform, and in sight and hearing of the priests and Levites.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Neh 8:7 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.
Ver. 7. Also Jeshua, and Bani, &c., caused the people to understand the law ] As the audience was great, so, great was the company of preachers, Psa 68:11 . The people were too many to be taught by one; therefore they made sundry companies and congregations, and had several teachers; as had likewise those primitive Christians, Act 6:1 , when once they grew numerous.
And the people stood in their places
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jeshua: Neh 3:19, Neh 9:4, Neh 10:9, Neh 12:24
Bani: Neh 3:17, Neh 9:4, Neh 10:13
Sherebiah: Neh 9:4, Neh 10:12, Neh 12:24, Ezr 8:18
Akkub: Neh 11:16, Neh 11:19, Neh 12:25
Hodijah: Neh 10:10, Neh 10:18
Maaseiah: Neh 8:4, Neh 3:23, Neh 12:41, Neh 12:42, Ezr 10:22
Kelita: Neh 10:10, Ezr 10:23
Azariah: Neh 3:23, Neh 10:2, Neh 12:33
Jozabad: Ezr 10:22, Ezr 10:23
Hanan: Neh 10:10
Pelaiah: Neh 10:10
caused: Lev 10:11, Deu 33:10, 2Ch 17:7-9, 2Ch 30:22, Mal 2:7
Reciprocal: Deu 27:14 – General 1Ki 8:14 – all the congregation 1Ch 9:4 – Bani 2Ch 17:9 – they taught 2Ch 35:3 – the Levites Ezr 7:25 – teach ye Ezr 8:33 – Jozabad Ezr 10:18 – Maaseiah Neh 8:9 – the Levites Neh 8:12 – because Neh 8:13 – to understand the words of the law Neh 9:3 – they stood Neh 11:22 – Bani
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Neh 8:7. The Levites caused the people to understand the law As well the words, which, being Hebrew, needed to be translated into the Chaldee or Syriac language, now the common language of that people; who, together with their religion, had also, in a great part, lost their language; as also the meaning of them: they expounded the mind and will of God in what they read, and applied it to the peoples present condition. The people stood in their place That is, in their several places and stations, into which the company seems to have been distributed for convenience of hearing; it not being likely that so vast a congregation could distinctly hear one mans voice. Or, by their stations; that is, by the several stations of the Levites, and persons last named, who seem to have had several scaffolds, by comparing this with Neh 9:4, upon which they stood, as Ezra, and those mentioned Neh 8:4, did upon their pulpit.