John Gill Commentary Nehemiah 8

And all the people gathered themselves together as one man
into the street that was before the watergate
A large and commodious street for such a company of people, which led to the water gate, of which see (Nehemiah 3:26). Hither the people gathered with great unanimity, zeal, and affection.

and they spoke to Ezra the scribe ;
the same who is called Ezra the priest, and scribe of the law of God, and said to be a ready one, (Ezra 7:6Ezra 7:11Ezra 7:12), who came to Jerusalem thirteen years before this time; but very probably returned to Babylon again, and was lately come from there.

to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel ;
to observe what was commanded in it, and which he had ordered to be read, particularly every seventh year, at the feast of tabernacles, (Deuteronomy 31:10Deuteronomy 31:11), which was now drawing near, though this was not the precise time of reading it; from this some have thought this year was the sabbatical year; see (Nehemiah 5:11).

And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation ,
&c.] Having a perfect copy of it, which the people knew, and therefore desired him to bring it; he brought it either out of his own case or chest, or out of the temple where it was laid up; some restrain this to the book of Deuteronomy; this he produced in sight of the whole assembly:

both of men and women ;
adult persons of each sex, who met promiscuously; though Grotius thinks the women had a separate place:

and all that could hear with understanding ;
all under age, who yet were capable of hearing the law read to some advantage to them:

upon the first day of the seventh month ;
the month Tisri, answering to part of September and October; this was a high day, for not only the first of every month was a festival, but the first of the seventh month was the feast of blowing of trumpets, (Leviticus 23:24) .

and besides, this was New Year's day, the first day of their civil year, as the first of Nisan was of their ecclesiastical year, and was of greater antiquity than that; and so Jarchi says, this was the first day of the year; to which may be added, that this was the day on which the altar was first set up, on the Jews' return from captivity, (Ezra 3:6) .

And he read therein
Some passages in it, here and there, which it was necessary the people should have knowledge of; for it can hardly be thought be began and read on just in the order in which it was: this he did

before the street ;
at the top of it, at one end of it:

that was before the water gate ;
which looked directly to that:

from the morning until midday ;
from the rising of the sun to noon, so that he must read six hours; but very probably was relieved at times by the men with him, mentioned after:

before the men and the women, and those that could understand ;
see (Nehemiah 8:2) ,

and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law ;
to the hearing of it read, and to the things contained in it; hence Maimonides ^F8 gathers, that as soon as the reader begins the reading of the law, it is not lawful to speak about anything, not even the constitutions of the law, but silently to attend to what is read.

FOOTNOTES:

• F8: Hilchot Tephillah, c. 12. sect. 9.

And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had
made for the purpose
Or to speak out of, as the Syriac and Arabic versions; this, in the Hebrew text, is called a "tower"^F9, partly because of its height, and partly because in the form of one; and also for itslargeness, considering the use it was for; for it was so large as to hold fourteen men, as appears by whatfollows: a pulpit of wood was made for the king in the court, to read the law from ^F11; though,according to Jacob Leo, it was a throne like an high tower, (See Gill on 2 Kings 11:14), thepulpits, in the Jewish synagogues, made after the same manner, as Aben Ezra observes, are called by the same^F12 name:

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;
in all thirteen; there were six on his right, and seven on his left, who stood here, not merely in honour tohim, and as approvers and supporters of the truth of what he read, but to relieve him when weary.

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: (Ue ldgm le) "super turrem ligni", Montanus; so Dionysius is said, "concionari ex turri alta", Ciceron. Tuscul. Quaest. l. 5.
• F11: Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 141. sect. 7.
• F12: Misn. Sotah, c. 7. sect. 8.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people
(for he was above all the people)
So plainly seen by them, and what he did, and the more easily heard, for which purpose the pulpit was made for him to stand in:

and, when he opened it, all the people stood up ;
that they might the better hear the law read, as well as in honour and reverence of it; the Jews say ^F13 , that from the times of Moses to Rabban Gamaliel, they learned the law only standing; but after his death a disease came into the world, and they learned it sitting; and now it is a canon with them, that it is not necessary to stand at the reading of the law ^F14 .

FOOTNOTES:

• F13: T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 21. 1.
• F14: Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. Orach Chayim, c. 146. sect. 4.