Nehemiah 8:15
in Nehemiah 8So they proclaimed this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
KJV
And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
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This verse in Nehemiah 8
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The mount - The “mount of Olives” is probably intended. Pine branches - Rather, “branches of the wild olive.” The actual trees named by the Law may have become scarce. It was probably considered that the spirit of the command was kept if branches of trees similar in general character to those named in Leviticus were employed.
This site's exposition
On the second day
on Nehemiah 8:13-15
The teachers put themselves under the book before they teach it. What they find written is the feast of booths, and the call goes out for branches. Obedience here is found by reading, the pattern of Josiah's recovered book repeated without a king.
This site's exposition
bring back branches of olive
Leviticus 23:40 names fruit of majestic trees, palm branches, leafy boughs and willows, while this list adds olive, wild olive and myrtle. Barnes suggests the named trees had grown scarce and similar branches kept the spirit of the command. He takes the hill country to be the Mount of Olives.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Go forth, he says, to the mountain, etc. And let us also go forth from a dwelling of general thoughts, to the height of the holy Scriptures to be frequently meditated upon; and let us bring from there, as if olive branches, the fruits of …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 6 And Ezra blessed the L ORD , the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the L ORD with their faces to the ground.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v5-6
This feast of tabernacles was a memorial of their dwelling in tents in the wilderness, a representation of our 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 ( Zech. xiv.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Mount - The Mount of Olives, which was next Jerusalem, and stored with olive-branches, and probably with the rest: for these trees seem to have been planted hereabouts principally, for the use of the city in this very feast, which, though, long neglected, should have been celebrated every year.
And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem,.... That is, as Jarchi interprets it, by supplying it thus: and they commanded that they should publish, &c.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Fetch olive branches - For every thing concerning this feast of tabernacles, see the notes on Leviticus 23 (note), and the other places there referred to.
How the passage was read
On Nehemiah 8:1-18On Nehemiah 8:1-18
The seventh month, rediscovered
Everything in this chapter happens on the calendar of Leviticus 23. Ezra reads the Law on “the first day of the seventh month”: that is the Day of Trumpets, kept today as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, announced by the ram's-horn trumpet (shofar). Then the people find the command about booths and keep Tabernacles (Sukkot) for the first time “since the days of Joshua”: seven days living in leafy shelters, remembering the wilderness. Jewish families still build these booths every autumn: a hut in the yard or on the balcony, roofed with branches you can see the stars through, where meals are eaten all week.
The chapter also gives the day its enduring tone: “the joy of the LORD is your strength” was said on Rosh Hashanah, to a congregation weeping under the words of the Law and told instead to feast.
What the Jewish commentators add
And that they should announce And they commanded that they announce that they celebrate the Festival of Sukkoth, and so it is customary for Scripture to speak in this manner, like (I Sam.: 27): “Tell the servant and he will go ahead of us.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Leviticus 23:23–43 (the seventh month's appointments) · Mishnah Sukkah 1:1 (the booth's rules)
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר | vaasher | and that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַשְׁמִ֗יעוּ | yashmiu | they will make proclamation | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וְיַעֲבִ֨ירוּ | veyaaviru | and they may cause to pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| ק֥וֹל | kol | a proclamation | H6963 → | 506 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עָרֵיהֶם֮ | ʾareihem | cities their | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֣ם | uvirushalim | and in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| צְא֣וּ | tzeu | go out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| הָהָ֗ר | hahar | the hill country | H2022 → | |
| וְהָבִ֙יאוּ֙ | vehaviu | and bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עֲלֵי־ | ʾalei- | leaves of | H5929 → | 18 times |
| זַ֙יִת֙ | zayit | olive | H2132 → | 38 times |
| וַעֲלֵי־ | vaalei- | and leaves of | H5929 → | 18 times |
| עֵ֣ץ | ʾetz | tree[s] of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| שֶׁ֔מֶן | shemen | oil | H8081 → | |
| וַעֲלֵ֤י | vaalei | and leaves of | H5929 → | 18 times |
| הֲדַס֙ | hadas | myrtle | H1918 → | |
| וַעֲלֵ֣י | vaalei | and leaves of | H5929 → | 18 times |
| תְמָרִ֔ים | temarim | palm trees | H8558 → | |
| וַעֲלֵ֖י | vaalei | and leaves of | H5929 → | 18 times |
| עֵ֣ץ | ʾetz | tree[s] | H6086 → | 328 times |
| עָבֹ֑ת | ʾavot | leafy | H5687 → | |
| לַעֲשֹׂ֥ת | laasot | to make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| סֻכֹּ֖ת | sukot | booths | H5521 → | 31 times |
| כַּכָּתֽוּב׃ פ | kakatuv | according to <the> [what] is written | H3789 → | 224 times |
וַאֲשֶׁ֣רand that
vaasherH834 →5497 times
יַשְׁמִ֗יעוּthey will make proclamation
yashmiuH8085 →1159 times
וְיַעֲבִ֨ירוּand they may cause to pass
veyaaviruH5674 →556 times
ק֥וֹלa proclamation
kolH6963 →506 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
עָרֵיהֶם֮cities their
ʾareihemH5892 →1090 times
וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֣םand in Jerusalem
uvirushalimH3389 →643 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
צְא֣וּgo out
tzeuH3318 →1067 times
הָהָ֗רthe hill country
haharH2022 →
וְהָבִ֙יאוּ֙and bring
vehaviuH935 →2568 times
עֲלֵי־leaves of
ʾalei-H5929 →18 times
זַ֙יִת֙olive
zayitH2132 →38 times
וַעֲלֵי־and leaves of
vaalei-H5929 →18 times
עֵ֣ץtree[s] of
ʾetzH6086 →328 times
שֶׁ֔מֶןoil
shemenH8081 →
וַעֲלֵ֤יand leaves of
vaaleiH5929 →18 times
הֲדַס֙myrtle
hadasH1918 →
וַעֲלֵ֣יand leaves of
vaaleiH5929 →18 times
תְמָרִ֔יםpalm trees
temarimH8558 →
וַעֲלֵ֖יand leaves of
vaaleiH5929 →18 times
עֵ֣ץtree[s]
ʾetzH6086 →328 times
עָבֹ֑תleafy
ʾavotH5687 →
לַעֲשֹׂ֥תto make
laasotH6213 →2628 times
סֻכֹּ֖תbooths
sukotH5521 →31 times
כַּכָּתֽוּב׃ פaccording to <the> [what] is written
kakatuvH3789 →224 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 16:16Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…
it leads to
- Psalms 96:8
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and enter His courts.
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
- Haggai 1:9
You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you…
- Exodus 23:14–17
Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.
- Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense…
- Psalms 96:8
Through
Matthew 21:1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,
it leads to
- Zechariah 14:4
On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with…
- Mark 11:1–10
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two of His disciples
- Zechariah 14:4
Through
Leviticus 23:4These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:14
Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.
- Exodus 23:14
Where this verse is studied
About Nehemiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.