12 And all the people went away to take food and drink, and to send food to others, and to be glad, because the words which were said to them had been made clear.
And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah and Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites made the law clear to the people: and the people kept in their places. And they gave out the words of the book the law of God, clearly, and gave the sense of it, so that their minds were able to take it in.
The opening of your words gives light; it gives good sense to the simple.
And they said to one another, Were not our hearts burning in us while he was talking to us on the way, making clear to us the holy Writings?
But to me your word is a joy, making my heart glad; for I am named by your name, O Lord God of armies.
For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul; Wise purposes will be watching over you, and knowledge will keep you;
<A Song of the going up.> When the Lord made a change in Zion's fate, we were like men in a dream. Then our mouths were full of laughing, and our tongues gave a glad cry; they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us; because of which we are glad.
Let my lips be flowing with praise, because you have given me knowledge of your rules.
I have never gone against the orders of his lips; the words of his mouth have been stored up in my heart.
I have taken your unchanging word as an eternal heritage; for it is the joy of my heart.
How sweet are your sayings to my taste! truly, they are sweeter than honey in my mouth! Through your orders I get wisdom; for this reason I am a hater of every false way.
The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver.
I will have delight in your rules; I will not let your word go out of my mind.
The orders of the Lord are right, making glad the heart: the rule of the Lord is holy, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, and has no end; the decisions of the Lord are true and full of righteousness. More to be desired are they than gold, even than much shining gold; sweeter than the dropping honey. By them is your servant made conscious of danger, and in keeping them there is great reward.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Nehemiah 8
Commentary on Nehemiah 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
Ezra came up out of Babylon thirteen years before Nehemiah came, yet we have here a piece of good work which he did, that might have been done before, but was not done till Nehemiah came, who, though he was not such a scholar nor such a divine as Ezra, nor such a scribe in the law of his God, yet was a man of a more lively active spirit. His zeal set Ezra's learning on work, and then great things were done, as we find here, where we have,
Neh 8:1-8
We have here an account of a solemn religious assembly, and the good work that was done in that assembly, to the honour of God and the edification of the church.
Neh 8:9-12
We may here observe,
Neh 8:13-18
We have here,