Commentary on Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

The book of Nehemiah continues to tell the story of the Judeans, including the support they receive from King Artaxerxes for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2), and the opposition from Sanballat the Horonite from the north, Tobiah the Ammonite from the east, and Geshem the Arab from south of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4–5). It concludes with a “covenant renewal” ceremony in Nehemiah 8–10 and “reforms” in Nehemiah 13. 

Similar to the book of Ezra, Nehemiah also is fraught with challenges from “outsiders.” However, while “outsiders” in the book of Ezra include those who remained in the land and did not go into exile, often labeled as “peoples of the land(s),” in Nehemiah “outsiders” are “foreigners”: the Horonites, Ammonites, and Arabs in the earlier parts of the book, and the Ashdodites and Moabites in the later parts of the book. In a book predominantly discussing the efforts of rebuilding the wall and safeguarding Jerusalem’s boundaries, the reading of the Torah in Nehemiah 8 seems a misfit. It doesn’t seem to belong to Nehemiah 1–13 for several reasons. 

For example, it does not thematically align with the material in Nehemiah 1:1–7:4, there are no references to the rebuilding of the wall, and moreover, Nehemiah is a marginal character in chapter 8. There is scholarly consensus that Nehemiah 8 appears to fit the context of Ezra 9–10 as Ezra is introduced as a scribe and skilled in the Torah (Ezra 7:6) but doesn’t teach the Torah in the book of Ezra. The reading of the Torah in Nehemiah 8, then, is a moveable piece edited into the Nehemiah memoir and relevant to multiple contexts, including ours, given the centrality of Torah and people’s responses to it. 

Ezra’s reading of the Torah in Nehemiah 8 influences later Judaism, especially as a model for synagogal worship. With elements of reading of the Torah, lifting hands, responding with “Amen,” and bowing in worship (Nehemiah 8:6), Nehemiah 8 offers a glimpse into one of the worship practices in the Second Temple period. 

Nehemiah 8:1 begins by narrating the unanimity of the people who gather as one. Read in its canonical position, this unanimity of people contrasts with the opposition and disagreements of people regarding rebuilding the walls in the previous chapters. The emphasis on oneness is crucial because the books of Ezra-Nehemiah engage in forging a new identity for the people returned from exile. By highlighting that all people—a term that includes men, women, and children—have gathered, the author underscores that there is one voice and one interest among the returned exiles: listening to the Torah. 

Interestingly, the reading of the Torah happens outside the walls of Jerusalem in the square before the Water Gate (8:1). While rebuilding of the wall is central in the book of Nehemiah, in chapter 8 it plays a marginal role; however, reading the Torah in the public square implies that all interested in listening to it are welcome, whether they are defined as “insiders” or “outsiders.”

These people gather together and “say” to Ezra, the teacher of the Law, to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel (Nehemiah 8:1). The initiative to read the Torah comes from the people themselves, an initiative that disrupts the top-down model of religious authority and supports the communal desire to listen to the Torah. 

Scholars wonder about the content of the Book of the Law of Moses, and there is no consensus on what collections it entailed. However, one should bear in mind that translating “Torah” as “law” can limit the broad functionality of the Torah. “Torah” includes myths, narratives, laws, songs, prayers, et cetera, useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness (1 Timothy 3:16), and should be appropriately translated as “instruction” or “teaching.” 

The reading of the Torah in Nehemiah 8 does not discriminate based on gender, age, ability, ritual status, or role. Any person for whom the reading generates understanding, offers wisdom to discern, or brings back the memories of the good old days of living in community, as well as anyone who is listening to it for the first time and is excited about it, is welcome to listen. The reading goes on for six long hours, and everyone pays attention. Whether “Torah” here refers to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy or a version of it, or just to Deuteronomy or a version of it, men, women, children, and all people gathered are excited to listen to it. 

For Christians in the contemporary context for whom Torah is often a burden and sometimes considered obsolete, this reading is an invitation to embrace the edifying and unifying power embodied in listening to or reading Torah. This reading is not a monologue; people respond to it in various ways: people stand up, lift their hands, respond with “Amen,” bow down, and worship (8:6). And it has multiple effects: 

• The reading of the scripture generates in the people a sense of belonging. 
• Listening to the stories of their ancestors bridges generational gaps.
• The stories of their liberation offer hope for a restart in Yehud. 
• God’s act of care in the past connects with their experience of return. 
• God’s empathy is made recognizable.
• They celebrate their communal journey by singing songs of worship. 
• Sitting in the pit with the ones ritually unclean brings back memories and creates new memories. 

For those who do not understand the Torah, the meaning is made plain and explained. For those to whom the Torah is new and those who had heard Torah in the form of stories from their mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, or leaders, it evokes a sense of commitment and recommitment. The pericope assigned for today ends with Ezra, Nehemiah, Levites, and leaders encouraging the people not to weep. In listening to and receiving the Torah, the people are invited to dwell in the feeling of trust and the expression of hope. 

While the passage presents beautiful imagery of the edifying and unifying power of the Torah and the centrality of people in listening, receiving, and responding to it, the preceding and succeeding passages are not as empowering as we would like them to be. The book of Nehemiah ends with violent acts against people engaged in mixed marriages. This presents an unpleasant picture of the treatment of those who do not have one voice and one interest. Preaching this text should pay attention to those unpleasant presentations as well and not avoid them.