Commentaryjournal NEHEMIAH 8

THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020

CommentaryJournal NEHEMIAH 8 ...... 8:1–8Having described in great detail the diversity and 8:2, was evidently far from accidental, with Rosh Hashanah, ...... distribution of the returnees in Neh 7, the narrative moves the first day of the New Year, being a traditional day of “holy quicklytoaffirmin8:1theunityof(“all”)thepeopleandthe gathering” (Lev 23:24). […] ...... singularity of their purpose…it is the people who prompt 8:13–18 That the community has been captivated by their Ezra to produce the Torah and the people who also feature ...... engagement with Torah is suggested by the narrator’s most prominently in Neh 8:1–12…the Torah is not merely insistence that the very next day, a now more restricted ...... the “law of Moses” commanded by the God of Israel (as at group of laymen—the unnamed heads of the ancestral Ezra 7:6), but also the law that “YHWH had commanded houses—together with the priests and Levites, take the ...... Israel.” The inclusiveness of the gathering is further further initiative of gathering around Ezra the scribe to emphasizedbythementionofboth“menandwomen”(Neh ...... “study” (8:13) the words of Torah. […] 8:3) and indeed “all who could understand,”a notion whose ...... inclusiveness of children in 10:28 would seem to imply the While Neh 8:18 (“they kept the festival seven days”; NRSV) presence of the latter here too. That this audience in its implies that the community proceeded to observe Sukkot ...... entirety (again, “all”) was especially attentive is explicitly more or less immediately, 8:16’s focus is on where it was emphasized by the narrator—and perhaps implicitly too by observed, namely, in both private homes and public spaces ...... the note of how long Ezra read (six hours). […] in Jerusalem, including within—and perhaps in proximity to—the temple. […] the final verse captures neatly the ...... That the Torah will be not merely venerated but taught dynamics of the chapter as a whole. On one hand, the “he” becomes clear as the narrative shifts its attention from (singular) who is noted as reading (Neh 8:18) can only be ...... liturgy to pedagogy in 8:7–8. In light of the involvement of Ezra, whose six-hour recitation of Torah was the starting Levites later in the passage (8:9, 11, 13) and the specific ...... point from which all else flowed. On the other hand, the identification of some here as Levites elsewhere (e.g., mention of the now solemn assembly (“they”) with which Jeshua, Bani, and others in 9:4–5), it seems likely that ...... the observance concludes reflects the fundamental part Levites were employed to assist the crowds in played by the people themselves in responding to the Torah ...... understanding what they heard, presumably by circulating readbyEzra,butgivenbyGod. among them in some fashion. The technique of the “tutors” ...... includes reading the text themselves, but extends also to some type of interpretation. […] The insistence that the ...... teaching of Torah too is being done now, as it was then, is ...... yet another confirmation of the importance of continuity with the past...... 8:9–12 As in Ezra 10, the emotional response of the ...... gathering expresses itself in “weeping,” a visible sign of mourning and emotional distress comparable (if not ...... identical) to that found in 2 Kgs 22:11, where Josiah is convictedbythehearingofthelaw,asseemstobethecase ...... here. While such a report reaffirms both the power of the law and the tenderheartedness of the people, the ...... admonitions first in Neh 8:9 and then twice in 8:10–11 (“do ...... not be grieved”) suggest a popular response quite out of keeping with the spirit that the leaders wished to cultivate ...... on a day that was “holy” (three times in 8:9–11). The choice of the first day of the seventh month, announced already in ...... -108- INTERHIGH DEVOTIONSDEVOTIONA THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020

BibleCommentary Text Nehemiah 8:1-12 (CSB) 1 all the people gathered together at the square in front of the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the 10 Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel. 2 what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing On the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 And the who could listen with understanding. 3 While he was facing Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, since today the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from is holy. Don’t grieve.” 12 Then all the people began to eat and daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those drink, send portions, and have a great celebration, because who could understand. All the people listened attentively to they had understood the words that were explained to them. the book of the law.4 The scribe Ezra stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside Go Deeper him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Questions to help us go deeper Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Nehemiah 8:1-6 Meshullam. 5 Ezra opened the book in full view of all the • Reflect on the significance and rightness of the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened scene of “all the people gathered together,” it, all the people stood up.6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the great standing for 6 hours “listen[ing] attentively to the God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, bookofthelaw”asthefirstorderofbusinessafter “Amen, Amen!” Then they knelt low and worshiped the completing the wall. Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Nehemiah 8:7-12 Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and • WhatcanIlearnfromthepeople’sresponsetothe Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the law to the people message of God’s word? as they stood in their places.8 They read out of the book of • Reflect on the words of Nehemiah to the people: the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that “ForthejoyoftheLord is your strength.” To what the people could understand what was read.9 Nehemiah the extent am I experiencing strength that comes governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who fromthejoyoftheLord? were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all

......

...... EZRA,NEHEMIAH,PSALMS-109- THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020

......

...... -110- INTERHIGH DEVOTIONS THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2020

......

...... Prayer ......

......

...... EZRA,NEHEMIAH,PSALMS-111-