Neh 8:9-10 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Neh 8:9-10: 8:9-10 Ezra the priest and scribe: See study note on Ezra 7:6. • Don’t mourn or weep ... today is a sacred day: God touched the people’s hearts, prompting them to regret their failures to keep God’s laws. While weeping is an appropriate response to sin (see Ezek 9:4 ; Luke 6:21 ), Ezra and Nehemiah encouraged the people to rejoice at what God had done. Because this New Year’s festival was to be a time of joy (Num 29:1-6 ), weeping would have destroyed the spirit of the day.

a8:9-10►

bEzek 9:4►

cLuke 6:21►

dNum 29:1-6►

e8:10►

fRuth 2:14►

gDeut 15:11►

hJob 29:16►

iProv 31:20►

jMatt 6:2-3►

kActs 4:34-35►

‏ Nehemiah 8:9-10

Summary for Neh 8:9-10: 8:9-10 ^a Ezra the priest and scribe: See study note on Ezra 7:6.

• Don’t mourn or weep ... today is a sacred day: God touched the people’s hearts, prompting them to regret their failures to keep God’s laws. While weeping is an appropriate response to sin (see Ezek 9:4 ^b; Luke 6:21 ^c), Ezra and Nehemiah encouraged the people to rejoice at what God had done. Because this New Year’s festival was to be a time of joy (Num 29:1-6 ^d), weeping would have destroyed the spirit of the day.
8:10 ^e Rich foods such as meat were eaten only on a special occasion.

• Sweet drinks referred to unfermented juice, in contrast to the vinegar of the common laborer (see Ruth 2:14 ^f).

• It is right to share with those who have need (see Deut 15:11 ^g; Job 29:16 ^h; Prov 31:20 ⁱ; Matt 6:2-3 ^j; Acts 4:34-35 ^k).