Nehemiah Chapters 7-8 Commentary

Nehemiah Chapters 7-8

7:1 After the wall was complete, Nehemiah made various appointments of gatekeepers, singers and Levites. With some of the Jewish nobles still courting friendship and favors of Tobiah (6:17-19), Nehemiah saw a need to stabilize the government of Jerusalem with some trusted leaders.

“Nehemiah did not let problems go and grow; he confronted the inequality and injustice even while building. He also continued strong leadership after the building project was finished. He realized that a great success can still be followed by a great failure. He had apparently also not allowed his focus to be on the project instead of on the Lord” (Breneman p. 215). Nehemiah used the trained temple guard, along with the singers and Levites to guard the city gates.

7:2 Hanani was the one whose sad news of Jerusalem had set in motion the whole course of Nehemiah’s actions, back in Susa (1:2). Note that professional competence, vital though it was, is never enough. One must also fear God and be a faithful man. The “fortress”, was located at the NW corner of Jerusalem.

7:3 Normally the gates were opened at dawn, but this was to be delayed until the sun was high in the heavens. “This was an extra precaution taken to make sure all the people were up and about so the penetration of their security would be less likely” (Winters p. 110). In addition, some responsibility for guard duty was assigned to the citizens of Jerusalem.

“The further precaution of enrolling civilian guards was realistic in its posting of them to defend what mattered to them most, even through their homes were little more than ruins waiting to be rebuilt” (Kidner p.

103). A wise leader gets as many people involved as he can (Ephesians 4:16).

7:4 “If there was a temptation to rely on walls and gates, Nehemiah was proof against it. The Jebusites had made that error (2 Samuel 5:6), forgetting that the final strength or weakness of a city is its people” (Kidner p. 102). Yet, Jerusalem was sparsely populated. “Nehemiah was sensitive

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to the long-term needs of the community. The wall was necessary, but Jerusalem was not safe if it was underpopulated….The population and housing problems referred to here are dealt with in chapter 11” (Breneman p. 219).

A wise leader looks ahead and anticipates future problems and ways to avoid them. It is one thing to start a congregation and see it grow to a certain size, it is quite another to keep that congregation growing and faithful in the years to come.

7:5 Nehemiah makes it clear that this census of the people was approved by God and not just his own idea (1 Chronicles 21:1).

Apparently the people preferred to live in the surrounding villages and not in Jerusalem, yet the defense of Jerusalem was important for all their security. So Nehemiah wanted the sacrifices involved by living in Jerusalem to be distributed justly among the Jewish families. The register of those who had returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel was found, and from these families one in ten was chosen by lot to live in Jerusalem (11:1).

7:6-65 These verses are almost an exact transcription of Ezra chapter 2.

7:66-73 Nehemiah’s enumeration even included the animals—a total of 8,136, most of them donkeys which were used for riding. There was about one donkey available for every seven people.

Chapter 8 8:1 Ezra now makes his first appearance in this book. “So Ezra now emerges from obscurity, and it is typical of him that he has quietly waited to be asked for: cf. his earlier withdrawals, so powerful in their influence, in Ezra 9:3ff; 10:1, 6” (Kidner p. 104). The seventh month was important in the Jewish calendar. The first day was the Feast of Trumpets, on the tenth day the Day of Atonement was celebrated, and on the fifteenth the Feast of Tabernacles began. According to Deut. 31:11-13, the proclamation of the cancellation of debts for each sabbatical year was made during the Feast of Tabernacles. During the same feast every seventh year, the law was to be read to men, women and children” (Breneman p. 223). The Water Gate, was the gate which led to the Gihon Spring. The book of the Law of Moses was the Law which God had given through Moses, that is, Genesis through Deuteronomy.

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1. How wonderful that the people asked for the reading of the Law. The spiritual growth that takes place among God’s people must be initiated by the people.

2. People in the Old Testament period did have the Scriptures which governed them. Each king who ruled over Israel was commanded to make for himself a copy of the law (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). Some critics have tried to deny any systematic or codified preservation of God’s law before the time of Ezra, but the forgoing proves such not to be the case. However it comes as no surprise to the Bible believer to find Ezra bringing this book before the people to read, reinforcing it as the only authoritative guide for the restoration of their lives and religion.

8:2 Note that the women and children are also present. This once again proves that the Old Testament didn’t view such people as second class citizens or mere property. “It is a travesty to speak of the Bible as a book not subject to human comprehension---a revelation that reveals nothing!”

(Winters p. 116). Today we face many people who claim that the Bible cannot be understood, yet God says differently (Mark 13:14; Ephesians 3:4; 5:17).

8:3 The people evidently stood for about five hours attentively listening to the Scriptures. “It would be a mistake to try to reckon how much of the Law Ezra could have read in this long morning, since his prime concern was to give to the people a grasp of the message” (Kidner p. 105). The people listened attentively because they firmly believed the message to be God’s revelation. Do we listen attentively? Do we listen as if our souls depended upon grasping, understanding, and applying what we are hearing—which they do, don’t they! “Mindless superstition is the mark of paganism. Biblical faith requires intelligent interpretation and application of propositional truth” (Smith p. 741).

8:4 An elevated platform had been made for this occasion. Ezra was flanked by men of honor, these thirteen may have been priests, and there is a further company of thirteen named in verse 7.

8:5 “and when he opened it, all the people stood up”: The Jewish rabbis deduced from this verse that the congregation should stand at the reading of the Law. In Eastern Orthodox churches the congregation stands throughout the service. “What is strikingly apparent is the royal reception given to the Word of God” (Kidner p. 105). “We who have allowed the Bible to become common place in our lives because we have been so marvelously blessed with copies of it in abundance, and with the ability to read it for ourselves, could learn a valuable lesson from

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this ancient people. Whatever other faults they may have had, they had not lost their reverence and respect for the holy word of God” (Winters p.

116).

8:6 “This verse makes clear that the respect that the people had for ‘the book’ came not because they considered it an object of veneration, but because it was their word from God who deserved their praise and worship” (Breneman p. 225). They responded by lifting up their hands in worship and showing a sense of need, by saying, “Amen! Amen!” and thus affirming their submission to the authority of Scripture, and by bowing down to the ground with a sense of humility and submission before God. Is this our attitude before God? Do we come fully prepared to submit to biblical authority, or do we come prepared to argue with the biblical text?

8:7 “Explained the Law to the people”: The Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language and since many of these Jews had lived in a foreign country all their lives, they had lost some of their ability to understand Hebrew. The men named in this verse went through the crowd making sure that people understood what was being read. First, as Ezra read, they translated the word into the various languages of the people. Secondly, explanations and applications were added as needed to be sure that all clearly understood their own personal responsibilities.

8:8 “Translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading”: The word “translating” means “to separate”, and can also be rendered, “to make clear”. The Law was carefully and distinctly read, it was translated in the common language of the people, and verses were also clarified or expounded to the people. “The whole occasion emphasizes the clarity and candor of God’s dealings with His people, and, not least, the contrast drawn elsewhere between His ministers and the mediums and the wizards who chirp and mutter (Isaiah 8:19)” (Kidner pp. 106-107).

Here is the task of every teacher and preacher. It is their job to help the student understand what is being read, to read the Scriptures distinctly and clearly, to explain terms, to bring out the meaning of the verse, and to make personal applications.

8:9 Here we learn that Nehemiah himself as been present during the reading of the Law. The most gratifying thing that happened is that the hearts of the people were pricked when they heard the word of God (Acts 2:37). Apparently they were remorseful over their past disobedience to the Law and contrite over their sins. Do we allow the word of God to convict us and examine our lives? (Hebrews 4:12-13). “The powerful

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exposition of the Word of God can bring deep conviction of sin. But repentance must not degenerate into a self-centered remorse but must issue into joy in God’s forgiving goodness” (2 Corinthians 2:5-11) (Gaebelein p. 725). There are two reasons for the exhortation to rejoice, first, the people had repented, and secondly, this was the first day of the seventh month, the Feast of Trumpets, which was to be a day of rejoicing (Leviticus 23:23-25; Deut. 16:15). Josiah was also cut to the heart when he heard the Word of God (2 Kings 22:11-13,19). Note, the only people who have a right to rejoice, are people who have repented.

Nothing fancy happened during the reading of the Law. The Word of God, when read, has the power to transform lives today just as it had in the time of both Josiah and Ezra. Honest hearts are convicted when they hear the simple exposition of Scripture.

8:10-12 What a difference it makes when people “understand” God’s word and apply it! “Allowing the use of the Bible to become routine and ritualistic is a violation of its nature and message” (Breneman p. 228). Do we still stand in awe of God’s word? Nehemiah instructs the people to bring out the choice food, the little things which make a meal into a feast, and to remember the less fortunate, to share what they have with the poor in the community. On joyous occasions God wanted His people to remember the less fortunate (Exodus 23:11; Lev. 19:10; 23:22; Deut. 14:2829; 26:12-13).

The Feast of Booths 8:13-14 This verse makes it clear that the Scriptures can be accurately interpreted (Ephesians 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:15). It seems that this feast so clearly commanded in the Law, had been forgotten, and this reading in the Scriptures came as a fresh surprise to these students.

8:15-16 A proclamation was circulated instructing the people to go to the nearby hills and cut tree branches to make their booths according to the law. Since the feast did not begin until the fifteenth day of the month, the people had nearly two weeks in which to make their preparations.

1. This feast had been restored in the book of Ezra (3:4), but had once again fallen into disuse. Be impressed how quickly biblical truth can be forgotten, even by God’s professed people!

2. There is only one way that real restoration can be accomplished.

When people find their faith out of harmony with the pattern given in God’s word, they must change and conform themselves to the divine

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rule. “Years of living in apostasy neither sanctify human tradition, nor nullify God’s original plan. Having determined God’s will from a study of His word, the people immediately erected their booths and moved in” (Winters p. 119).

8:17 This feast had been observed in Ezra 3:4, but the point being made is that at no time since the days of Joshua (almost 1000 years distant from this time) had the people entered into their booths with such an overflow of emotions as they recalled their recent captivity. Such a feast was to remind them of the temporary nature of Israel’s dwelling in the wilderness following their departure from bondage. Notice that obedience to the will of God brings great joy. When we conform our lives to the teaching of Scripture we will find happiness. Hence, Christians who are unhappy are people who are still resisting the teaching of Scripture.

8:18 Deuteronomy 31:12-13 commanded the reading the Law every seventh year at the Feast of Tabernacles. This chapter emphasizes that all the people of God must know His word (2 Timothy 4:2; James 1:22). Sadly, various modern surveys have shown an appalling lack of biblical knowledge among professed Christians today. Notice that God didn’t expect anything less of this generation than any other generation. The Law applied equally to every generation of His people. Do we think that God expects less of us than He did of the first century Christians?

Carefully note that when God’s people strictly followed God’s instructions concerning a particular festival, there was great joy (2 Chron. 30:26; 2 Kings 23:22; 2 Chron. 35:18). And yet in our time, we are faced with so many people who try to argue that precisely following the Bible takes all the joy out of serving God. “The scattered regulations for the festival were all searched out and followed with a will. Verse 15 has taken up the instruction given in Leviticus 23:40ff, to gather leafy branches; the last sentence of verse 17 chimes in with the note of rejoicing called for in Deuteronomy 16:13-15; and now we learn of the reading of the law prescribed in Deuteronomy 31:10-13 for every seventh year, and of the solemn assembly of Numbers 29:35” (Kidner p. 109).

Let us never forget that following the will of God, searching the Scriptures, and precisely applying His will is the very definition of a great success!

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