Back to Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah 8:14-18

They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, as it is written.”

So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters, and lived in the temporary shelters; for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Nehemiah 8:14-18 sits inside this longer paragraph.

On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law. They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, as it is written.”

So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters, and lived in the temporary shelters; for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;

    and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, as it is written.”

    So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate.

    All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters, and lived in the temporary shelters; for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness.

    Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

  • KJV King James Version

    And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

    And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

    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.

    And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

    Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And they found written in the Law, how that the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;

    and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: 'Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.'

    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 broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.

    And all the congregation of them that were come back out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

    Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the ordinance.

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Cross-references (42)

  • Leviticus 23:34 (v14) “Speak to the children of Israel, and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of booths for seven days to Yahweh.
  • Leviticus 23:40-43 (v14) You shall take on the first day the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook;…
  • Deuteronomy 16:13-15 (v14) You shall keep the feast of booths seven days, after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your wine press. You shall…
  • Leviticus 23:36 (v18) Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall offer an…
  • Leviticus 23:40 (v15) You shall take on the first day the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook;…
Show all 42 cross-references
  • Numbers 29:35 (v18) “ ‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall do no regular work;
  • 2 Kings 14:13 (v16) Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke…
  • 2 Chronicles 8:13 (v17) even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set…
  • Nehemiah 12:39 (v16) and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even to the…
  • Zechariah 14:16-19 (v14) It will happen that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King,…
  • Genesis 33:17 (v14) Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
  • Leviticus 23:4 (v15) “ ‘These are the set feasts of Yahweh, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season.
  • Deuteronomy 16:16 (v15) Three times in a year all of your males shall appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he chooses: in the feast of unleavened…
  • Nehemiah 3:26 (v16) (Now the temple servants lived in Ophel, to the place opposite the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.)
  • Nehemiah 12:37 (v16) By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of David’s city, at the ascent of the wall, above David’s house,…
  • John 7:2 (v14) Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was at hand.
  • Deuteronomy 31:10-13 (v18) Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of booths, when all…
  • 2 Chronicles 7:8-10 (v17) So Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the…
  • Ezra 3:4 (v17) They kept the feast of booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty…
  • Nehemiah 8:3 (v16) He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and…
  • Jeremiah 32:29 (v16) The Chaldeans, who fight against this city, will come and set this city on fire, and burn it with the houses on whose roofs they have…
  • Genesis 8:11 (v15) The dove came back to him at evening and, behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters were abated…
  • Deuteronomy 22:8 (v16) When you build a new house, then you shall make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring blood on your house if anyone falls…
  • Joshua 1:1 (v17) Now after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying,
  • Judges 9:48-49 (v15) Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from…
  • 2 Samuel 11:2 (v16) At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was…
  • 1 Chronicles 29:22 (v17) and ate and drank before Yahweh on that day with great gladness. They made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him…
  • 2 Chronicles 20:5 (v16) Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in Yahweh’s house, before the new court;
  • 2 Chronicles 30:21-23 (v17) The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the…
  • 2 Chronicles 30:26 (v17) So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.
  • 2 Chronicles 33:5 (v16) He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of Yahweh’s house.
  • 2 Chronicles 35:18 (v17) There was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover…
  • Jeremiah 19:13 (v16) The houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, will be as the place of Topheth, even all the houses on…
  • Matthew 21:1 (v15) When they came near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
  • John 1:14 (v17) The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
  • John 12:13 (v15) they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the…
  • Hebrews 4:8 (v17) For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.
  • Hebrews 11:9 (v17) By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him…
  • Hebrews 11:13 (v17) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they…
  • Revelation 7:9 (v15) After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and…
  • Nehemiah 8:1 (v16) All 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…
  • John 7:37 (v18) Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (18 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv15–17 Or, goodly branches, as Lev. 3:40.

Or, goodly branches, as Lev. 3:40.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv14–18 Neh 8:14 And they found written in the law…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv14–18 They found, upon Ezra’s information, and their discourse with…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv14–18 And they found written in the law which the…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv15, 17 Mount - The Mount of Olives, which was next…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv14–17 Verse 14. In the feast of the seventh month]…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv14, 16, 17, 18 Neh 8:14-15. And they found written in the law…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv14, 15, 17 The Feast of tabernacles had fallen into abeyance either…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv15–18 And that. This is not expressed in the law,…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv16–18 THEY KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. (Neh 8:16-18)
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv14–18 14. They found written — That is, in the…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv14–18 14. And they found written] The passages in the…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv15–18 (15) Saying.—There is no such command in Leviticus; the…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv14–18 And they found written. The practice of "dwelling in…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v15 So the people went forth, and brought them, and…
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v17 for since the days of Jeshua
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv16, 18 made themselves shelters
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv15–18 8:15 make shelters in which they would live during…
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