Sermon Tone Analysis

“This Day Is Holy”

Nehemiah 8:1 – 10

(beginning @ 7:66)

 

Total of People and Gifts

 66 The whole assembly together was 42,360,

 67 besides their male and their female servants, 1of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 male and female singers.

68 1aTheir horses were 736; their mules, 245;

 69 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

70 Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work.

The 1agovernor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priests’ garments.

71 Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas.

72 That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ garments.

73 Now athe priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Israel, lived in their cities.

bAnd when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.

Chapter 8 Ezra Reads the Law

 1 And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of athe Water Gate, and they 1asked bEzra the scribe to bring cthe book of the law of Moses which the Lord had 2given to Israel.

 2 Then aEzra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on bthe first day of the seventh month.

3 He read from it before the square which was in front of athe Water Gate from 1early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

 4 Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose.

And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.

5 Ezra opened athe book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people bstood up.

6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God.

And all the people answered, “aAmen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then bthey bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place.

8 They read from the book, from the law of God, 1translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

“This Day Is Holy”

 9 Then Nehemiah, who was the 1agovernor, and Ezra bthe priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “cThis day is holy to the Lord your God; ddo not mourn or weep.”

For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and asend portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord.

Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

King Artaxerxes' 20th year began on September 18, 446 BC and ended on September 5, 445 BC

(Hebrew Calendar Dates using the Julian Calendar)

 

Artaxerxes' Decree Issued to Rebuild Jerusalem occurred on Sunday, March 16, 445 BC

(Julian Calendar Date)

 

Artaxerxes                   Official                                 Official                                 Official

ascension              Papyrus Persian               Hebrew Year Begins      Egyptian Year Begins   Persian Dated Year

    dated    

  Year Begins         January 2, 464 BC      August 4-10, 465 BC         August 4-10, 465 BC     August 4-10, 465 BC