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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 8
Ezra reads and interprets the law of Moses to the people—They keep the feast
of tabernacles.
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The book of the law of Moses, that is the Laws and Statutes of God is read, taught,
preached, explained, interpreted and understood in a spirit of joy and rejoicing in
the mercies of God and what he has done and will do for those who keep his commandments
and live his laws—This is the keeping of the feast of tabernacles.
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'SUKKOT' ~ Feast of Tabernacles
About a week's time - 15th of Tishrei
Range: late September-mid October
Gathering about the temple location
Read, Study, Learn God's law
It equates with 'Fall Conference' today
Via modern communications our 'home
tabernacles' range around the world.
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1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the
street that was before the awater gate; and they spake unto
bEzra the cscribe to bring the book of the law of
Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
2 And Ezra the priest brought the alaw before the
congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon
the first day of the seventh montha.
3 And he read therein before the street that was before the
water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that
could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the
abook of the law.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a apulpit 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.
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2a upon the first day of the seventh month [Tishrei]
The true purpose of the 'feast of tabernacles' is found here in the occurances of the
pages of the book of Nehemiah. Saddly much is lost in the traditions stacked upon it. It
was not so much as to an exact time or day, the 1st day ~ the 15th day, but more to the
season and purpose. It was a time of harvest and plenty, but more to that of having time
to read and hear, to learn and to understand the law of God. And it was to covenant and to
commit to the keeping of the laws, statutes, and commandments of God, which brings God's
blessings, salvation and eternal life. It was a time of joy and rejoicing in the word of
God, recalling all that God had done and would still do for the righteous livers of His
laws and commandments, which held the keys to happiness and man's attaining unto God's
blessings for mankind, even unto the obtaining immortality and eternal life. It was not
merely a time of temporal feast, but that of feasting upon the word of God, His Spirit
and coming to know the secrets of happiness, life and eternity. It was feeding the spirit,
mind and intelligence of man. A feast of the soul, the whole man.
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1a
Neh. 3:26
b
Ezra 7:6
c
TG
Scribes
2a
Deut. 31:11
3a
Ezra 7:10
4a
Mosiah 2:7(7-8)
King Benjamin's Gathering
In the Book of Mormon there was one such day and time as this recorded here in
Nehemiah. And that was when King Benjamin called his people to gather to the
temple and set up their booths round about facing the temple that he might so
speak to them as recorded in the first few chapters of the book of Mosiah.
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5 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:
6 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.
7 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.
8 So they read in the book in the alaw of God
bdistinctly, and cgave the sense, and caused
them to understand the reading.
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8a
TG
Scriptures, Study of
b
Jacob 4:13(13-14)
c
OR expanded the meaning. It is held
by some that the explanation was in
Aramaic; thus the first translating
(Targum) of the scriptures occurred
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9 ¶ And Nehemiah, which is the aTirshatha,
and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that btaught the people,
said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God;
cmourn not, nor weep. For all the people dwept, when
they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the
sweet, and send aportions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for
this bday is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye
csorry; for the joy of the LORD is your dstrength.
11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to
send portions, and to make great amirth, because they had
bunderstood the words that were declared unto them.
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9a
Neh. 7:65
b
TG
Preaching
c
TG
Mourning
d
Mosiah 4:1(1-2)
10a
Esth. 9:19
b
D&C 59:12(12-16)
c
2 Ne. 4:15(15-16)
d
TG
Strength
12a
OR rejoicing;
D&C 50:22(17-22)
b
Mosiah 4:3
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13 ¶ And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the
fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to
aunderstand the words of the law.
14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded
by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in abooths in the
bfeast of the seventh month:
15 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.
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13a
TG
Study
14a
This is the characteristic tradition
of the feast of tabernacles;
Lev. 23:43;
Neh. 8:17(16-17)
b
Zech. 14:16
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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 aEphraim.
17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the
captivity made abooths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of
bJeshua the son of cNun unto that day had not the
children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he
aread in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days;
and on the eighth day was a bsolemn assembly, according unto the
manner.
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16a
Neh. 12:39
17a
Neh. 8:14
b
OR Joshua
c
Ex. 33:11;
Num. 11:28;
1 Kgs. 16:34
18a
D&C 84:43-44
b
TG
Solemn Assembly
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