The Meaning of Nehemiah 8:14 Explained

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:

YLT: And they find written in the law that Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses, that the sons of Israel dwell in booths in the feast, in the seventh month,

Darby: And they found written in the law which Jehovah had commanded through Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month,

ASV: And they found written in the law, how that Jehovah had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Nehemiah 8:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 8:1-18 - New Light From God's Law
Surely this was the first public Bible-reading! When will the people be again as hungry for the Word of God as these Jews who stood in the open space from early dawn till the scorching noon? What reverence for the Word! When Ezra opened the Book, all the people stood up. What holy worship! When he blessed the great God, all the people answered, Amen, amen! What a model to us all! They gave the sense, so that they understood. What searching of heart! The people wept when they heard the words of the law.
There is nothing which weakens us so much as does unrestrained remorse. Contriteness of heart is wholesome and helpful, but excessive grief incapacitates us for our duties. It is well therefore to cultivate holy joy; the joy of sin forgiven, of acceptance with God, of hope that anchors us to the unseen, and that cannot be ashamed. You may not be able to joy in yourself or your surroundings, but you may always rejoice in the Lord. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 8

1  The reverent manner of reading and hearing the law
9  They comfort the people
13  The eagerness of the people to hear and be instructed
16  They keep the feast of tabernacles

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 8:14 mean?

And they found written in the Law which had commanded Yahweh by Moses that should dwell the sons of Israel in booths during the feast of the month seventh
וַֽיִּמְצְא֖וּ כָּת֣וּב בַּתּוֹרָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּיַד־ מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֩ יֵשְׁב֨וּ בְנֵֽי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל בַּסֻּכּ֛וֹת בֶּחָ֖ג בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי

וַֽיִּמְצְא֖וּ  And  they  found 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
כָּת֣וּב  written 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
בַּתּוֹרָ֑ה  in  the  Law 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
צִוָּ֤ה  had  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מֹשֶׁ֔ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אֲשֶׁר֩  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵשְׁב֨וּ  should  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בַּסֻּכּ֛וֹת  in  booths 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: סֻכָּה  
Sense: thicket, covert, booth.
בֶּחָ֖ג  during  the  feast 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַג  
Sense: festival, feast, festival-gathering, pilgrim-feast.
בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ  of  the  month 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי  seventh 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִיעִי  
Sense: seventh.