Nehemiah 8:14 kjv
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:
Nehemiah 8:14 nkjv
And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,
Nehemiah 8:14 niv
They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month
Nehemiah 8:14 esv
And they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,
Nehemiah 8:14 nlt
As they studied the Law, they discovered that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in shelters during the festival to be held that month.
Nehemiah 8 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 23:33-43 | ...you shall dwell in booths for seven days... so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths... | Direct command and purpose for dwelling in booths. |
| Deut 16:13-15 | You shall keep the Feast of Booths for seven days... You shall rejoice in your feast... for the Lord your God will bless you... | Emphasizes joy and blessings associated with the Feast. |
| Exo 23:16 | ...also the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end, when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. | Connects Sukkot to the harvest and divine provision. |
| Exo 13:20-21 | They set out from Succoth... The LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud... and by night in a pillar of fire... | Remembrance of wilderness journey, divine guidance. |
| Num 14:33-34 | ...your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years... to know my opposition. | Connects wilderness wandering with consequences of disobedience. |
| Deut 8:2-5 | And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you... | Purpose of the wilderness experience for humility and dependence. |
| 2 Ki 22:8-13 | ...Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan... “I have found the Book of the Law...” And when the king heard the words... he tore his clothes. | Parallel account of "finding the Law" and its impact (Josiah's time). |
| Neh 8:1-3 | ...Ezra the scribe brought the Book of the Law of Moses... and he read from it... | Immediate context: Public reading of the Law initiating revival. |
| Neh 8:7-8 | ...They helped the people to understand the Law... And they read from the book... clearly, and they gave the sense... | The process of teaching and understanding the Law. |
| Neh 8:17 | And all the assembly of those who had returned from captivity made booths and lived in the booths; for from the days of Joshua... the people of Israel had not done so. | Highlights the rarity and significance of this full observance. |
| Ezra 7:10 | For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach his statutes... | Ezra's commitment to studying and obeying the Law. |
| Jos 1:8 | This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do... | Command to continually meditate on and obey the Law. |
| Ps 1:2-3 | ...but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree... | Blessings for those who delight in God's Law. |
| Ps 119:105 | Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. | God's word provides guidance and direction. |
| Ps 119:129-130 | Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them... The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. | The Law brings understanding and enlightenment. |
| Zech 14:16-19 | Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. | Eschatological prophecy, Sukkot as a universal festival in the future. |
| Jn 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory... | The Greek word 'dwelt' (εσκηνωσεν, eskēnōsen) relates to tabernacling, hinting at Christ as God's ultimate dwelling with humanity, fulfilling the Spirit of Sukkot. |
| Rev 21:3 | And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people... | Ultimate fulfillment of God's desire to dwell with His people. |
| Mt 15:3-9 | ...“Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?..." | Polemics against religious traditions that undermine God's explicit commands, echoing the neglect in Nehemiah's time. |
| Rom 10:17 | So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. | The importance of hearing and understanding God's word for spiritual life. |
Nehemiah 8 verses
Nehemiah 8 14 Meaning
Nehemiah 8:14 reveals that the leaders of the people of Israel, upon further study of the newly read Law of God, discovered a specific divine command that obligated all Israelites to dwell in temporary shelters called booths (sukkots) during the Feast of the Seventh Month (Sukkot). This commandment, originally given through Moses, served to commemorate God's provision and protection during their wilderness wanderings after the exodus from Egypt, emphasizing a period of humility, remembrance, and communal joy before the Lord.
Nehemiah 8 14 Context
Nehemiah 8 details a pivotal moment of spiritual revival for the returned exiles in Jerusalem. Following the completion of the city wall under Nehemiah's leadership, the people assembled, and Ezra the priest and scribe was requested to read from the Book of the Law of Moses. This public reading lasted for days, accompanied by Levites who helped the people understand its meaning, as many were unfamiliar with the sacred text after generations of exile and neglect. The immediate impact was conviction, repentance, and sorrow, but Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites exhorted them to transform their sorrow into joy, recognizing that "the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh 8:10). Following this initial instruction and understanding, on the second day, the heads of families, the Levites, and the priests gathered again with Ezra for deeper study of the Law, seeking further insight into its requirements. It was in this intensive study session that the specific command concerning the Feast of Booths (Sukkot) for the seventh month was clearly discovered and understood to be applicable. This discovery immediately prompted the people to widespread obedience and celebration of the feast, leading to a level of observance not seen since the time of Joshua, signaling a profound return to the covenant.
Nehemiah 8 14 Word analysis
- And they found: (וַיִּמְצְאוּ - vayyimtzu) This highlights an act of discovery, implying the information was present but perhaps forgotten or overlooked. It signifies a fresh encounter with previously existing truth. This wasn't a new revelation, but a rediscovery of God's established will, emphasizing the unchanging nature of His commands.
- written: (כָּתוּב - katuv) Emphasizes the textual, authoritative, and permanent nature of the command. It wasn't an oral tradition or a passing suggestion but a definitive, inscribed instruction. This underscores the Bible's inherent authority as God's inspired word.
- in the Law: (בַּתּוֹרָה - battorah) Refers to the Torah, the Pentateuch (first five books of Moses), the foundational legal and spiritual framework given by God to Israel. It highlights the divine origin and binding nature of the instruction. The specific commands for the Feast of Booths are found primarily in Lev 23:33-43 and Deut 16:13-15.
- which the Lord: (אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה - asher tzivah Yahweh) Attributes the command directly to YHWH, the covenant God of Israel, affirming its supreme divine authority. This is not merely human advice but a direct word from the Sovereign God.
- had commanded: (צִוָּה - tzivvah) A strong verb meaning to command, order, or ordain. It denotes a definite and authoritative instruction, not an option. It stresses the mandatory nature of God's precepts for His people.
- by Moses: (בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה - b'yad Mosheh) Literally, "by the hand of Moses." This specifies the agent through whom God delivered the command, firmly placing it within the Mosaic covenant. It reaffirms the authenticity and divine inspiration of Moses' writings as God's direct communication.
- that the people of Israel: (כִּי יֵשְׁבוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - ki yeshvu b'nei Yisrael) Designates the specific recipients and subjects of the command – the entire nation of Israel. This wasn't a command for a select few but for all.
- should dwell: (יֵשְׁבוּ - yeshvu) Meaning to sit, reside, or inhabit. It implies an actual physical occupation and living within these temporary structures. It suggests a complete immersion in the act of remembrance.
- in booths: (בַּסֻּכּוֹת - bassukkot) Refers to temporary dwellings or tabernacles. These structures symbolized the Israelites' forty years of wandering in the wilderness, living in temporary shelters, dependent solely on God. It signifies humility, dependence on God, and remembrance of His provision during the wilderness journey.
- during the feast: (בֶּחָג - bachag) Refers to the specific festival, the pilgrimage feast of Sukkot. This was one of the three annual feasts when all males were required to come to Jerusalem (Passover, Weeks, Booths). It contextualizes the command within Israel's annual sacred calendar.
- of the seventh month: (בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי - bachodesh hashvi'i) Specifies the time of year: Tishrei (around September/October), which also marked the agricultural ingathering of harvest, making Sukkot a harvest festival and a celebration of God's blessing and provision.
- "found written in the Law": This phrase emphasizes that their obedience was not based on human tradition or fleeting sentiment, but on what God Himself had commanded and recorded. It highlights the importance of the scriptural principle (sola scriptura) – basing faith and practice solely on the written Word of God. This also contrasts with how easily divine commands can be forgotten or neglected when not regularly studied.
- "the Lord had commanded by Moses": This strongly asserts the divine origin and authoritative transmission of the command. It's not a mere suggestion but an imperative from the Almighty, delivered through His chosen prophet. This underscores the timeless binding nature of the Mosaic covenant laws relevant to worship and moral living.
- "dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month": This specific instruction connects an ancient command (to live in temporary shelters) with a particular celebration (the Feast of Booths/Sukkot). It shows that the act was not merely for convenience, but carried profound symbolic meaning, commemorating God's faithfulness and provision during the Israelites' vulnerable time in the wilderness. The immediate implication for the exiles was a renewed sense of their historical identity as God's chosen people, reliant on Him, just as their ancestors were.
Nehemiah 8 14 Bonus section
The renewed emphasis on "the Law written by Moses" (Neh 8:14) provides a foundational principle that all aspects of faith and practice must be rooted in God's revealed Word, rather than human tradition or convenience. The dramatic extent of the forgotten observance, with Nehemiah 8:17 noting "for from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so," underscores the depth of spiritual amnesia that had set in over centuries. This event served as a powerful reminder of God's unwavering character despite human unfaithfulness, highlighting His consistent desire for His people to remember His past redemptive acts and to live in joyful obedience to His commands. The Feast of Booths, in its communal participation and celebration, foreshadows future gatherings and ultimate dwelling with God (Zech 14:16-19, Rev 21:3).
Nehemiah 8 14 Commentary
Nehemiah 8:14 marks a significant point in the post-exilic revival, where a deep, dedicated study of God's Law by the leaders unearthed a forgotten yet crucial divine command: the observance of the Feast of Booths (Sukkot) through actual dwelling in temporary shelters. This "discovery" was not a new revelation but a recovery of foundational truth long neglected by Israel, illustrating the vital necessity of regularly immersing oneself in Scripture to discern God's will. The command, rooted in the Law given by Moses, underscored the unchanging authority of God's Word and Israel's call to remember their transient nature and God's faithfulness during their wilderness journey (Lev 23:43). This act of dwelling in booths symbolized their utter dependence on God, acknowledging Him as their ultimate provider and protector, a timeless truth applicable to all who walk with Him. The subsequent, joyous observance (Neh 8:17) highlighted a Spirit-led transformation where mere sorrow over sin (Neh 8:9) was superseded by joyful obedience to rediscovered truth, embodying the strength derived from the joy of the Lord.