So they proclaimed this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written." So they proclaimed this messageThe act of proclamation here is significant. The Hebrew root for "proclaimed" is "קָרָא" (qara), which means to call out or announce. This reflects the importance of public declaration in the Jewish tradition, emphasizing the communal aspect of faith and obedience. Historically, proclamations were a means to ensure that the entire community was aware of God's commands, fostering unity and collective action. in all their cities and in Jerusalem
The inclusion of "all their cities and in Jerusalem" underscores the widespread nature of this command. Jerusalem, being the spiritual and political center, held a special place, but the message was not confined to it alone. This highlights the inclusive nature of God's instructions, reaching every part of the community. It reflects the historical context of post-exilic Israel, where re-establishing religious practices was crucial for national identity. Go out into the hill country
The "hill country" refers to the regions surrounding Jerusalem, known for their varied flora. The Hebrew term "הַר" (har) for hill or mountain often symbolizes a place of encounter with God, as seen in other biblical narratives. This directive to go out signifies an active participation in God's command, a physical movement that mirrors spiritual obedience. and bring back branches
The act of bringing back branches is a tangible expression of obedience. The Hebrew word "בָּא" (bo) means to come or bring, indicating a return with purpose. This action is a physical manifestation of faith, reminiscent of the Israelites' journey and their reliance on God's provision. of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees
Each type of branch mentioned has symbolic significance. The olive tree, known for its oil, represents peace and anointing. The wild olive, or "עֵץ שָׂמֵן" (etz shemen), signifies the inclusion of the Gentiles, as seen in Paul's writings. Myrtle, or "הֲדַס" (hadas), symbolizes love and marriage, often associated with the Feast of Tabernacles. The palm, or "תָּמָר" (tamar), is a symbol of victory and triumph. These branches collectively represent the diversity and richness of God's creation and His provision. to make booths
The making of booths, or "סֻכּוֹת" (sukkot), is central to the Feast of Tabernacles, a time of remembrance for the Israelites' wilderness journey. This practice is a physical reminder of God's protection and provision. Historically, it served to reconnect the people with their past, fostering gratitude and dependence on God. as it is written
This phrase emphasizes adherence to Scripture, highlighting the authority of God's Word. The Hebrew "כַּכָּתוּב" (kakatuv) means "as written," underscoring the importance of scriptural fidelity. It reflects a conservative Christian perspective that values the Bible as the ultimate guide for faith and practice, encouraging believers to align their lives with biblical teachings. Persons / Places / Events 1. NehemiahA Jewish leader who played a crucial role in the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and the spiritual renewal of the people. 2. EzraA scribe and priest who led the public reading of the Law, which inspired the people to observe the Feast of Booths. 3. JerusalemThe central city of Jewish worship and the location where the people gathered to hear the Law and celebrate the feast. 4. Hill CountryThe surrounding region from which the people were instructed to gather branches for constructing booths. 5. Feast of Booths (Sukkot)A Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites' wilderness journey, during which they lived in temporary shelters. Teaching Points Obedience to God's WordThe people's response to Ezra's reading of the Law demonstrates the importance of aligning our actions with Scripture. We should seek to understand and apply God's commands in our lives. Community and WorshipThe gathering of the people in Jerusalem highlights the value of communal worship and shared spiritual experiences. We are encouraged to participate actively in our faith communities. Remembrance and ThanksgivingThe Feast of Booths serves as a reminder of God's provision and faithfulness. We should regularly reflect on and give thanks for God's blessings in our lives. Symbolism of the BoothsThe temporary shelters symbolize our transient life on earth and our dependence on God. This perspective encourages us to focus on eternal values rather than temporary comforts. Joyful CelebrationThe observance of the feast was marked by joy and celebration. Our faith should be characterized by joy, reflecting the goodness and faithfulness of God. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the observance of the Feast of Booths in Nehemiah 8:15 reflect the people's commitment to God's Word, and how can we apply this commitment in our daily lives? 2. In what ways does the construction of booths serve as a reminder of God's provision, and how can we incorporate similar practices of remembrance in our spiritual journey? 3. How does the communal aspect of the Feast of Booths enhance the worship experience, and what steps can we take to foster a sense of community in our own faith practices? 4. What are some modern-day "booths" or temporary structures in our lives that might distract us from focusing on eternal values, and how can we shift our perspective? 5. How can we cultivate a spirit of joy and thanksgiving in our worship and daily life, similar to the celebration of the Feast of Booths? Connections to Other Scriptures Leviticus 23:39-43This passage provides the original instructions for the Feast of Booths, emphasizing the use of branches to construct temporary shelters. Deuteronomy 16:13-15Describes the joy and celebration associated with the Feast of Booths, highlighting its significance as a time of thanksgiving. John 7:2References the Feast of Booths during Jesus' time, showing its continued observance and importance in Jewish culture. People Akkub, Anaiah, Azariah, Bani, Ezra, Hanan, Hashbadana, Hashum, Hilkiah, Hodiah, Hodijah, Israelites, Jamin, Jeshua, Joshua, Jozabad, Kelita, Levites, Maaseiah, Malchiah, Malchijah, Mattithiah, Meshullam, Mishael, Nehemiah, Nun, Pedaiah, Pelaiah, Shabbethai, Shema, Sherebiah, Uriah, UrijahPlaces Gate of Ephraim, Jerusalem, Water GateTopics Book, Booths, Branches, Bring, Cause, Circulated, Cities, Fetch, Field, Forth, Hill, Hills, Jerusalem, Leafy, Leaves, Mount, Mountain, Myrtle, Myrtle-branches, Myrtles, Oil, Olive, Olive-branches, Olives, Order, Palm, Palm-branches, Palms, Pass, Pine, Proclaim, Proclaimed, Proclamation, Public, Publish, Saying, Says, Shade, Spread, Tents, Thick, Throughout, Towns, Tree, Trees, Wild, WrittenDictionary of Bible Themes Nehemiah 8:15 4492 olive Nehemiah 8:1-18 1640 Book of the Law
7464 teachers of the law Nehemiah 8:14-15 5463 proclamations Nehemiah 8:14-16 4416 branch Library January 29. "Send Portions unto them for whom Nothing is Prepared" (Neh. viii. 10).
"Send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared" (Neh. viii. 10). That was a fine picture in the days of Nehemiah, when they were celebrating their glorious Feast of Tabernacles. "Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared." How many there are on every side for whom nothing is prepared! Let us find out some sad and needy heart for whom there is no one else to think or care. …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Joy of the Lord
'The joy of the Lord is your strength.'--Neh. viii. 10. Judaism, in its formal and ceremonial aspect, was a religion of gladness. The feast was the great act of worship. It is not to be wondered at, that Christianity, the perfecting of that ancient system, has been less markedly felt to be a religion of joy; for it brings with it far deeper and more solemn views about man in his nature, condition, responsibilities, destinies, than ever prevailed before, under any system of worship. And yet all deep …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Reading the Law with Tears and Joy
'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. 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. 3. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Joy of the Lord, the Strength of his People
LAST Sabbath day in the morning I spoke of the birth of our Saviour as being full of joy to the people of God, and, indeed, to all nations. We then looked at the joy from a distance; we will now in contemplation draw nearer to it, and perhaps as we consider it, and remark the multiplied reasons for its existence, some of those reasons may operate upon our own hearts, and we may go out of this house of prayer ourselves partakers of the exceeding great joy. We shall count it to have been a successful …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871 The Original Text and Its History.
1. The original language of the Old Testament is Hebrew, with the exception of certain portions of Ezra and Daniel and a single verse of Jeremiah, (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Dan. 2:4, from the middle of the verse to end of chap. 7; Jer. 10:11,) which are written in the cognate Chaldee language. The Hebrew belongs to a stock of related languages commonly called Shemitic, because spoken mainly by the descendants of Shem. Its main divisions are: (1,) the Arabic, having its original seat in the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Twenty-First Day. Holiness and Happiness.
The kingdom of God is joy in the Holy Ghost.'--Rom. xiv. 17. 'The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Ghost.'--Acts xiii. 52. 'Then Nehemiah said, This day is holy unto the Lord: neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites stilled the people, saying, Hold your peace; for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to make great mirth, because they had understood the words.'--Neh. viii. 10-12. The deep significance of …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ John's First Testimony to Jesus.
(Bethany Beyond Jordan, February, a.d. 27.) ^D John I. 19-34. ^d 19 And this is the witness of John [John had been sent to testify, "and" this is the matter of his testimony], when the Jews [The term "Jews" is used seventy times by John to describe the ruling classes of Judæa] sent unto him [In thus sending an embassy they honored John more than they ever honored Christ. They looked upon John as a priest and Judæan, but upon Jesus as a carpenter and Galilæan. It is probable that …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Healing a Demoniac in a Synagogue.
(at Capernaum.) ^B Mark I. 21-28; ^C Luke . IV. 31-37. ^b 21 And they [Jesus and the four fishermen whom he called] go into { ^c he came down to} Capernaum, a city of Galilee. [Luke has just spoken of Nazareth, and he uses the expression "down to Capernaum" because the latter was on the lake shore while Nazareth was up in the mountains.] And ^b straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. { ^c was teaching them} ^b 22 And they were astonished at his teaching: for he taught …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Scattering of the People
[Illustration: (drop cap A) The Fish-god of Assyria and Babylonia] At last the full punishment for their many sins fell upon God's chosen people. The words of warning written in the fifth book of Moses had told them plainly that if they turned aside and worshipped the wicked idol-gods of Canaan, the Lord would take their country from them and drive them out into strange lands. Yet again and again they had yielded to temptation. And now the day of reckoning had come. Nebuchadnezzar, the great king …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
The Median wars--The last native dynasties of Egypt--The Eastern world on the eve of the Macedonian conquest. [Drawn by Boudier, from one of the sarcophagi of Sidon, now in the Museum of St. Irene. The vignette, which is by Faucher-Gudin, represents the sitting cyno-cephalus of Nectanebo I., now in the Egyptian Museum at the Vatican.] Darius appears to have formed this project of conquest immediately after his first victories, when his initial attempts to institute satrapies had taught him not …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 Its Effects.
Among the effects and benefits which in this life accompany and flow from being filled with the Holy Ghost, may be mentioned the following:-- 1. Courage. "Oh, I could not do so and so--I have not the courage," is a reply frequently made by Christian people when asked to undertake some piece of service or other for the Master. The first point to be settled is, "Is that the Master's will for me?" If so, lack of courage is a confession to the lack of the "Fullness of the Holy Ghost." The Spirit-filled …
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible Of the Public Fast.
A public fast is when, by the authority of the magistrate (Jonah iii. 7; 2 Chron. xx. 3; Ezra viii. 21), either the whole church within his dominion, or some special congregation, whom it concerneth, assemble themselves together, to perform the fore-mentioned duties of humiliation; either for the removing of some public calamity threatened or already inflicted upon them, as the sword, invasion, famine, pestilence, or other fearful sickness (1 Sam. vii. 5, 6; Joel ii. 15; 2 Chron. xx.; Jonah iii. …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Joy
'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Gal 5:52. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. I. It is a delightful passion. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Assurance
Q-xxxvi: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS WHICH FLOW FROM SANCTIFICATION? A: Assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. The first benefit flowing from sanctification is assurance of God's love. 'Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.' 2 Pet 1:10. Sanctification is the seed, assurance is the flower which grows out of it: assurance is a consequent of sanctification. The saints of old had it. We know that we know …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Man's Chief End
Q-I: WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. Here are two ends of life specified. 1: The glorifying of God. 2: The enjoying of God. I. The glorifying of God, I Pet 4:4: That God in all things may be glorified.' The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. I Cor 10:01. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Everything works to some end in things natural and artificial; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Nehemiah 8:15 NIVNehemiah 8:15 NLTNehemiah 8:15 ESVNehemiah 8:15 NASBNehemiah 8:15 KJV
Nehemiah 8:15 Commentaries
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