Nehemiah 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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(17) The children of the captivity.—The pathos of this designation is evident here.

Done so.—Though the feast had been kept (1 Kings 8; Ezra 3), it had never thus been kept with universal dwelling in booths.

Benson Commentary

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 their return from Babylon; but the joy, since that time, had never been so great as it was now, “for which the Jews themselves,” says Dr. Dodd, “assign this reason; that in the days of Joshua they rejoiced, because they had gotten possession of the land of Canaan; and now they equally rejoiced, because they were restored and quietly settled in it, after they had been long cast out of it.” Or, we should rather say, they not only had the same causes for rejoicing which they formerly had, but special causes to increase their joy. To this Poole adds, They never, since Joshua’s time, kept this feast so solemnly and religiously: for whereas, at other times, only the first and last day of that feast were celebrated with a holy convocation, now there was a holy convocation, and the people assembled, and attended upon the reading of the law every day of this feast.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:13-18 They found written in the law about the feast of tabernacles. Those who diligently search the Scriptures, find things written there which they have forgotten. This feast of tabernacles was a representation of the believer's tabernacle state in this world, and a type of the holy joy of the gospel church. The conversion of the nations to the faith of Christ, is foretold under the figure of this feast, Zec 14:16. True religion will render us strangers and pilgrims upon earth. We read and hear the word acceptably and profitably, when we do according to what is written therein; when what appears to be our duty is revived, after it has been neglected. They minded the substance; else the ceremony had been of no use. They did it, rejoicing in God and his goodness. These are the means which the Spirit of God crowns with success, in bringing the hearts of sinners to tremble and to become humbled before God. But those are enemies to their own growth in holiness, who always indulge sorrow, even for sin, and put away from them the consolations tendered by the word and Spirit of God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is not the intention of the writer to state that the Feast of tabernacles had not been kept from the time of Joshua until this occasion (see 1 Kings 8:2, 1 Kings 8:65; Ezra 3:4); but that there had been no such celebration as this since Joshua's time. Compare 2 Kings 23:22; 2 Chronicles 35:18.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

17. since the days of Jeshua … had not the children of Israel done so—This national feast had not been neglected for so protracted a period. Besides that it is impossible that such a flagrant disregard of the law could have been tolerated by Samuel, David, and other pious rulers, its observance is sufficiently indicated (1Ki 8:2, 65; 2Ch 7:9) and expressly recorded (Ezr 3:4). But the meaning is, that the popular feelings had never been raised to such a height of enthusiastic joy since the time of their entrance into Canaan, as now on their return after a long and painful captivity.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For since the days of Jeshua, or, surely since the days, as the Hebrew chi is oft used, as hath been noted before. For the following words seem not so much to give a reason of what was last said or done concerning their dwelling in booths, as to contain the holy writer’s reflection upon the present celebration of this feast.

Had not the children of Israel done so; either,

1. So as to the matter or substance of the thing. So it implies that all this while the feast of tabernacles was not observed; which seems altogether improbable, considering how expressly this was commanded to be celebrated, Le 23, &c, and what excellent kings, and priests, and prophets there had been within that time, such as were persons of great understanding, and most expert and studious in God’s word, and therefore could not be ignorant of so plain a duty; and withal so thoroughly pious, and careful, and zealous for God, and the observation of his law and worship, and some of them commended for their universal obedience to all God’s commands; and therefore would not be guilty of so gross a neglect. Besides, that this feast was observed is sufficiently implied in 1 Kings 8:2,65 2 Chronicles 7:9, and is particularly expressed Ezra 3:4. Or rather,

2. So, as to the manner and circumstances. They never kept this feast so joyfully, as the next words declare, having not only the same causes of rejoicing which they formerly had, but some special causes to increase their joy, to wit, the remembrance of their stupendous deliverance, both out of the land of their captivity, and out of the hands of their wicked and malicious neighbours ever since their return, and especially now when they were new building the walls of Jerusalem: they never kept it so solemnly and religiously; for whereas at other times only the first and last day of that feast were celebrated with a holy convocation, Leviticus 23:35,36 Joh 7:37, now there was a holy convocation, and the people assembled, and attended upon the reading of the law, every day of this feast, as is noted in the next verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And all the congregation of them that were come again out of captivity made booths,.... These came to Jerusalem, and made them booths there; for there only was this feast kept, see John 7:2,

and sat under the booths; there they dwelt during the seven days of it, in commemoration of their ancestors dwelling in booths in the wilderness, see Leviticus 23:42

for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so; Joshua observed it, when be had brought and settled the people of Israel in the land of Canaan; and it had been observed since, before this time, as appears from 1 Kings 8:2 Ezra 3:4; but not so, with such exactness, with such zeal and affection, with such a regard to the law of God, as to read it every day of the feast, as in the next verse, and with such joy and gladness; wherefore there is no reason to suspect a corruption in the text, as a learned man (w) does, who supposes that Joshua is put for Josiah:

and there was very great gladness; that they were restored unto and settled in their land, had the book of the law, and the knowledge of it, and were directed and enabled to observe it.

(w) Delancy's Life of King David, vol. 1. p. 395. marg.

Geneva Study Bible

And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the {i} days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

(i) Which was almost a thousand years.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

17. that were come again out of the captivity] Compare for this expression Ezra 6:21, ‘the children of Israel, which were come again out of the captivity’ (haggôlah). Here the word for ‘captivity’ is sh’bhi with a possible play on the word for ‘that were come again’ (hasshâbim). The fullest description is given in the wording of Ezra 8:35.

since the days of Jeshua … done so] It is quite clear that the writer does not mean that the Feast of Tabernacles had never been celebrated ‘since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun’; but that the strict observance had not been carried out during all that long period. The emphasis therefore rests on ‘done so.’ See notes on Ezra 3:4, &c., where the celebration of this feast by Zerubbabel and Jeshua is described. We gather from Hosea 12:9, ‘I will yet again make thee to dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn feast,’ that tents had been commonly substituted for booths. The character of this sentence may be illustrated by the very similar description of Josiah’s Passover, 2 Kings 23:22, ‘Surely there was not kept such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah,’ 2 Chronicles 35:18.

‘Jeshua.’ The only passage in the O.T. where Joshua’s name is so spelt; except in the Pentateuch and the book of Joshua, his name is only mentioned in the O.T. in Jdg 1:1; Jdg 2:6-8; Jdg 2:21; Jdg 2:23; 1 Kings 16:34.

great gladness] This corresponds to the commands in Leviticus 23:40, ‘And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.’ Deuteronomy 16:14, ‘Thou shalt rejoice in thy feast;’ Deuteronomy 16:15, ‘And thou shalt be altogether joyful.’

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - Jeshua the son of Nun. "Jeshua" and "Joshua" are two modes of contracting the full name of Jehoshua, the latter prevalent in early, the former in later times. The Grecised form of Jeshua was "Jesus" (see Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8). When it is said that since the days of Jeshua had not the children of Israel done so, we must understand, not that there had been no celebration of the feast of tabernacles since that time - not even that there had been no celebration accompanied by "dwelling in booths," but only that there had been no such joyous and general celebration of the festival (comp. what is said in 2 Kings 23:22 and 2 Chronicles 35:18 of the passover kept in Josiah's eighteenth year). It is the very great gladness that is especially insisted upon. Nehemiah 8:17

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And the whole community that had returned from captivity (comp. Ezra 6:21) made themselves booths and dwelt in booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day, had not the children of Israel done so. כּן, so, refers to the dwelling in booths; and the words do not tell us that the Israelites had not celebrated this festival since the days of Joshua, that is, since they had taken possession of Canaan: for, according to Ezra 3:4, those who returned from captivity kept this feast in the first year of their return; and a celebration is also mentioned after the dedication of Solomon's temple, 2 Chronicles 7:9; 1 Kings 8:65. The text only states that since the days of Joshua the whole community had not so celebrated it, i.e., had not dwelt in booths. Neither do the words imply that since the days of Joshua to that time no booths at all had been made at the celebration of the feast of tabernacles, but only that this had not been done by the whole congregation. On former occasions, those who came up to Jerusalem may have regarded this precept as non-essential, and contented themselves by keeping the feast with solemn assemblies, sacrifices, and sacrificial feasts, without making booths and dwelling in them for seven days.