Nehemiah 8:17
And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This wasn't just a joyful celebration; it was a return to a lost practice. For the first time since the days of Joshua, the people meticulously recreated the ancient dwelling in booths, showing how far they had strayed and how powerfully God's Word could revive His people's obedience. This deep restoration, not just the party atmosphere, fueled their "very great rejoicing."
Following a powerful public reading of the Law, the people discover the forgotten command to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles by living in temporary shelters. This passage highlights their unique, joyous observance of this ancient festival, emphasizing that it had not been celebrated with such solemnity and gladness since the days of Joshua, the successor to Moses. The profound joy stems from their renewed understanding of God's word and their secure return to the promised land after exile.
Imagine a celebration so profound, it hadn't been fully experienced for centuries. What made this Feast of Tabernacles so special?
The people had just experienced a monumental restoration: walls rebuilt, Jerusalem secured, and God's Law read and understood after generations of neglect.
This wasn't just another religious observance. It was a response to God's incredible faithfulness after their exile.
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Generations had passed since the exile, and the people were struggling to understand God's Word. What does this teach us about spiritual renewal?
The return from Babylon wasn't just a physical relocation; it was a spiritual awakening, marked by a rediscovery of God's Law.
The commentary highlights that the people, after seventy years in exile, had lost not only their language but also their understanding of God's statutes. Ezra and the Levites didn't just read the Law; they 'gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading' (Nehemiah 8:8).
This verse, Nehemiah 8:17, follows this profound rediscovery. The intense joy isn't just about the feast itself, but about understanding what God commanded and being able to obey it with their whole hearts.
Understand the original words
qahal · Hebrew Noun
The collective body of God's people, often used to refer to the nation of Israel or the church as a gathered entity for religious or national purposes.
shebiy · Hebrew Noun
The state of being held against one's will, historically referring to the Babylonian exile, but used biblically to denote a condition of alienation or separation from God’s ideal blessing, requiring divine redemption.
simchah · Hebrew Noun
A profound expression of joy and gladness, often directed toward God in response to His Word, salvation, or covenantal faithfulness.
This verse highlights a profound rediscovery of an ancient commandment. The joyful, strict observance of the Feast of Tabernacles after the exile marks a spiritual awakening, a powerful return to God's Law after generations of neglect and ignorance.
c. 1400 BC
Israel enters the Promised Land
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites conquer and settle in Canaan, observing the Feast of Tabernacles as commanded by God.
c. 970 BC
Solomon's Temple Dedicated
King Solomon dedicates the First Temple, during which the Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated, as noted in Kings and Chronicles.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of many Israelites and a decline in religious observance.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Judah
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, exiling most of the population, which profoundly disrupts Israelite religious life and knowledge.
538 BC
Return from Babylonian Exile
King Cyrus of Persia allows the first wave of Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the Temple under Zerubbabel and Jeshua.
458 BC
Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem
Ezra the scribe returns to Jerusalem, finding that many Israelites have lost touch with the Law and its practices after the exile.
445 BC— this verse
Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem's Walls
Nehemiah leads the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, facing significant opposition. This period sees a renewal of religious fervor and obedience to the Law.
This passage lays out the original command for the Feast of Tabernacles, highlighting the instruction to rejoice and dwell in booths, which the people in Nehemiah's time were joyfully reviving after a long period of neglect.
Deuteronomy 16:13-15This reiterates the command to observe the Feast of Tabernacles with great joy and to celebrate for seven days, underscoring the profound gladness experienced by the people in Nehemiah's time as they brought this observance back to its intended spirit.
Ezra 3:4This earlier account shows the Feast of Tabernacles was indeed kept by those who returned from exile under Zerubbabel and Jeshua, providing context for Nehemiah 8:17's emphasis not on a complete absence of observance, but a lack of such a joyous and thorough celebration until this point.
2 Kings 23:21-22This describes Josiah's Passover as unprecedented since the days of the judges and kings, serving as a powerful parallel to how Nehemiah's celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles was also a remarkable revival of an ancient, vital practice.
Zechariah 14:16-19This prophetic passage points to a future, universal observance of the Feast of Tabernacles by all nations, suggesting that the joyful and complete celebration seen in Nehemiah's day was a foreshadowing of this ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.
clarkeNehemiah 8:17: "And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness."
Since the days of Joshua - No feast of tabernacles since Joshua's time had been so heartily and so piously celebrated. The story of the sacred fire now discovered, which had been hidden by the order of Jeremiah in a dry well, and now,…
bensonNehemiah 8:17: "And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness."
Nehemiah 8:17 . Since the days of Jeshua, had not the children of Israel done so — The meaning here cannot be that this festival had never been observed since Joshua’s time, because we are informed, ( Ezra 3:4 ,) that it was kept at th…
This wasn't just a joyful celebration; it was a return to a lost practice. For the first time since the days of Joshua, the people meticulously recreated the ancient dwelling in booths, showing how far they had strayed and how powerfully God's Word could revive His people's obedience. This deep restoration, not just the party atmosphere, fueled their "very great rejoicing."
Following a powerful public reading of the Law, the people discover the forgotten command to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles by living in temporary shelters. This passage highlights their unique, joyous observance of this ancient festival, emphasizing that it had not been celebrated with such solemnity and gladness since the days of Joshua, the successor to Moses. The profound joy stems from their renewed understanding of God's word and their secure return to the promised land after exile.
Following a powerful public reading of the Law, the people discover the forgotten command to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles by living in temporary shelters. This passage highlights their unique, joyous observance of this ancient festival, emphasizing that it had not been celebrated with such solemnity and gladness since the days of Joshua, the successor to Moses. The profound joy stems from their renewed understanding of God's word and their secure return to the promised land after exile.
"And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing." — This wasn't just a joyful celebration; it was a return to a lost practice. For the first time since the days of Joshua, the people meticulously recreated the ancient dwelling in booths, showing how…
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