Nehemiah 8 · Verse 1

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.
Nehemiah 8:1, King James Version

Nehemiah 8:1 in other translations

BSBAt that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
WEBAll the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
ASVAnd all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Jehovah had commanded to Israel.
YLTAnd all the people are gathered as one man unto the broad place that is before the water-gate, and they say to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, that Jehovah commanded Israel.
DARBYall the people gathered together as one man to the open place that was before the water-gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Jehovah had commanded Israel.
BBEAnd when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their towns. And all the people came together like one man into the wide place in front of the water-doorway; and they made a request to Ezra the scribe that he would put before them the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel.
WebsterAnd all the people assembled as one man in the street that was before the water-gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

What does Nehemiah 8:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ne 8:1-8. Religious Manner of Reading and Hearing the Law.

1. all the people gathered themselves together as one man--The occasion was the celebration of the feast of the seventh month (Ne 7:73). The beginning of every month was ushered in as a sacred festival; but this, the commencement of the seventh month, was kept with distinguished honor as "the feast of trumpets," which extended over two days. It was the first day of the seventh ecclesiastical year, and the new year's day of the Jewish civil year, on which account it was held as "a great day." The place where the general concourse of people was held was "at the water gate," on the south rampart. Through that gate the Nethinims or Gibeonites brought water into the temple, and there was a spacious area in front of it. they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses--He had come to Jerusalem twelve or thirteen years previous to Nehemiah. He either remained there or had returned to Babylon in obedience to the royal order, and for the discharge of important duties. He had returned along with Nehemiah, but in a subordinate capacity. From the time of Nehemiah's appointment to the dignity of tirshatha, Ezra had retired into private life. Although cordially and zealously co-operating with the former patriot in his important measures of reform, the pious priest had devoted his time and attention principally toward producing a complete edition of the canonical Scriptures. The public reading of the Scriptures was required by the law to be made every seventh year; but during the long period of the captivity this excellent practice, with many others, had fallen into neglect, till revived, on this occasion. That there was a strong and general desire among the returned exiles in Jerusalem to hear the word of God read to them indicates a greatly improved tone of religious feeling.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites, read and interpret the laws to the people, Neh 8:1-7. The manner in which they do this important work, Neh 8:8. The effect produced on the people's minds by hearing it, Neh 8:9. The people are exhorted to be glad, and are told that the joy of the Lord is their strength, Neh 8:10-12. On the second day they assemble, and find that they should keep the feast of tabernacles; which they accordingly religiously solemnize for seven days; and Ezra reads to them from the book of the law, Neh 8:13-18. Verse 1 The street that was before the water gate - The gate which led from the temple to the brook Kidron.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Nehemiah 8:1-8
Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, as acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of families should bring their families with them to the public worship of God. Women and children have souls to save, and are therefore to acquaint themselves with the word of God, and to attend on the means of grace. Little ones, as they come to reason, must be trained up in religion. Ministers when they go to the pulpit, should take their Bibles with them; Ezra did so. Thence they must fetch their knowledge; according to that rule they must speak, and must show that they do so. Reading the Scriptures in religious assemblies is an ordinance of God, whereby he is honoured, and his church edified. Those who hear the word, should understand it, else it is to them but an empty sound of words. It is therefore required of teachers that they explain the word, and give the sense of it. Reading is good, and preaching is good, but expounding makes reading the better understood, and preaching the more convincing. It has pleased God in almost every age of the church to raise up, not only those who have preached the gospel, but also those who have given their views of Divine truth in writing; and though many who have attempted to explain Scripture, have darkened counsel by words without knowledge, yet the labours of others are of excellent use. All that we hear must, however, be brought to the test of Scripture. They heard readily, and minded every word. The word of God demands attention. If through carelessness we let much slip in hearing, there is danger that through forgetfulness we shall let all slip after hearing.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Nehemiah 8:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּאָסְפ֤וּvai.ye.'a.se.Fuand they gatheredH622
כָל\־khol-allH3605
הָעָם֙ha.'Amthe peopleH5971
כְּאִ֣ישׁke.'Ishlike a personH376
אֶחָ֔ד'e.ChadoneH259
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָ֣רְח֔וֹבha.re.Chovthe open spaceH7339
אֲשֶׁ֖ר'a.SherwhichH834
לִפְנֵ֣יlif.Nei[was] <to> beforeH6440
שַֽׁעַר\־sha.'ar-[the] gate ofH8179
הַמָּ֑יִםha.Ma.yimthe waterH4325
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙vai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
לְעֶזְרָ֣אle.'ez.Ra'to EzraH5830
הַסֹּפֵ֔רha.so.Ferthe scribeH5608
לְהָבִ֗יאle.ha.Vi'to bringH935
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
סֵ֙פֶר֙se.fer[the] scroll ofH5612
תּוֹרַ֣תto.Rat[the] law ofH8451
מֹשֶׁ֔הmo.ShehMosesH4872
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
צִוָּ֥הtzi.Vahhe had commandedH6680
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Nehemiah 8:1

  • 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 him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.

  • 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 book to Shaphan.

  • 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, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

  • 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 Jerusalem. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening. They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; …

  • 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 commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel.

  • Nehemiah 8:4-9

    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. 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: 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. 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. …

  • Isaiah 8:20

    To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

  • Malachi 4:4

    Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

  • Matthew 23:13

    But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

  • Jeremiah 8:8-9

    How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?

  • Nehemiah 8:16

    So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 The religious manner of reading and hearing the law.
9 They comfort the people.
13 The forwardness of them to hear and be instructed.
16 They keep the feast of tabernacles.

A.M. 3559. B.C. 445. all the people.
Ezr 3:1-13
as one man.
Jud 20:1,8
before.
16; 3:26; 12:37
Ezra.
4-9; Ezr 7:6,11; Jer 8:8,9; Mt 13:52; 23:2,13,34
bring.
2Ch 34:15; Isa 8:20; Mal 4:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 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.

  • Nehemiah 8:2

    And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

Read all of Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y JUNTÓSE todo el pueblo como un solo hombre en la plaza que está delante de la puerta de las Aguas, y dijeron á Esdras el escriba, que trajese el libro de la ley de Moisés, la cual mandó Jehová á Israel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		– Alors tout le peuple s’assembla comme un seul homme sur la place qui est devant la porte des eaux. Et ils dirent à Esdras, le scribe, d’apporter le livre de la loi de Moïse, que l’ Éternel avait commandée à Israël.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als der siebte Monat herankam und die Kinder Israel in ihren Städten waren, da versammelte sich das ganze Volk wie ein Mann auf dem Platze, der vor dem Wassertore liegt. Und sie sprachen zu Esra, dem Schriftgelehrten, daß er das Buch des Gesetzes Moses bringen sollte, welches Jehova Israel geboten hatte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et venerat mensis septimus: filii autem Israël erant in civitatibus suis. Congregatusque est omnis populus quasi vir unus ad plateam quæ est ante portam aquarum: et dixerunt Esdræ scribæ ut afferret librum legis Moysi, quam præceperat Dominus Israëli.