17 Andall the congregation of them that were come again our of the captivity, made booths, and fate under the booths: for f lince the days of Jothua the ſon of Nun, unto that day, had nor the children of Iſrael} done ſo z : and there was very greatgladnelſs.
f Or, ſurely, as the Hebrew Ch: is oft uſed, as hath been noted be. fore. For the following words ſeem nor fo much to give a reaſon of what was laſt ſaid or done conccrning their dwelling in booths ; as to contain the holy Writers RefleQtion upon the pre:enr Celebra- tion of this Feaſt. g Either, 1. So as to the matter or ſubſtance of the thing. So it implies that all the while this Feaſt of Taberna- cles was not obſerved. Which ſeems alrogether improbable, con- 1dering how expreſly this was commanded to be celebrated, Lew. 3 &Cc. and what excellent Kings and Prieſts, and Prophers there had been within thatrime. ſuch as were perſons of greatunderſtandins and moſt expert and ſtudious in God's Word, and therefore could not be ignorant of ſo plain a duty. And withal fo througly pious and caretul, and zcalous for God, and the obſervation of his Law and Worſhip, and tome of them commended for their univerſal O- bedience to all God's Commands ; and therefore would nor be guil- ry of ſo grols a negle&, Beſides that this Feaſt was obſerved. is ſufficiently implied mn 1Kgs 8.2465. and 2C/r.7.9.and is particular= ly exprefled Ezra 3.4. Or rather, 2. $0, as to the manner and circum- ſtances. They never kept this Feaſt ſo joyfully, as the next words declare, having not only the ſame a of rejoicing which rhe formerly had,but ſome ſpecial cauſes to increaſe their joy, ro wit _ remembrance of their ſtupendious deliverance both our, of the Land of their Captivity, and out of the hands of their wicked and mal: cious Neighbours ever fince their return, and eſpecially now when they were new building the Wals of Jeruſalem ; they never kept it ſolemnly and religioully : for whereas at other times, only the firſt and Jaſt day of that Feaſt were celebrated with an holy convocation Levit. 23. 35, 36. John 7.37. now there was an holy convocation. and the pcople aſſembled, and attended upon the readins of the Law every day of this Feaſt, as is noted in the nexr verſe.
grieved.
7 Whoſe paſſions being once raiſed, could not ſuddenly be com- poſed. 5 Ceate from weeping and mournful cries, and , turn your , lamentations into thankſgivings- |
12 And all the people went their way to eat, and
t a ſolemn affembly, * according unto the manner.
10 Alfo day by day from the ticlt day unco the laſt
' day, he readinthebook of the law of God 5 : and they
kept the feaſt ſeven days, and on the eighth day was
to drink, and co ſend portions, andto make great mirth, becauſe they had underſtood the words that were de-
clared unto them #. t Becauſe they now knew God's mind, and their own duty,which
they werereſolved to praftiſe ; which gave them ground of hope and truſt in God's mercy, and conſequently of great and juſt joy-
12 And on the ſecond day were gathered cogether
the chief of the fathers of all the people, the prielts and the Levites #,unto Ezra the ſcribe, even || to underſtand
the words of the Law x. y « Chuſing rather to confeſs their Ignorance for their cdification,
Le in the than vainly to pretend to more knowledge than they had : where-
PWrd: 0 f Law,
f Heb. by the hand of. Lev. 23. 34. Deur, 6. 13,
-;, in they ſhew both true humility, and ferious godlinels, that they
h Which was commanded to be done at this Feaſt, Deiit.5 x. ro T Heb. q 11, 12. though not enjoined to be done every diy, asnow out of refirannt. | a {ingulac zeal they did. SIN 23s
36.
EH APD
y n h 4 <'s Ea Tae Jolemn fas and repentance Hl te peopie, 1, 2. and the monner of it, q, 2:7; 21 F als G5 f iF rol e */1. >» . The Levites conf:ſs and bleſs God for his goodneſs ty chem, and their
fathers, 4 -——8. iu Ezyp7. 9, IO. mm ther journcy ous of it, xx, 15 " y . . 21 f. . , *47 : =_ -. Y » out
1:0 wn Sat, 13, 14. 7! T2err journe) toward Canaan, 15---18. in
Ybe Wilderneſs, 19 -—— 21. ariving ons the Nations before them, 22.
5
. Ls o . 2 — 26. in hearing their prayer when in trouble,and ſaving them, 27 -— ct - 3 .
They confeſs their jins, 52 a=——_—_—z, and ſeal a Covmant, 38. Ow 1n the twenty and fourth day of this month a, the children of Urael were aff:mbled with faſting,
Chap.
were more carcful to learn and praCtice their duty than to preſerve the.r r-putation with the people. x Thar they might more ex- a&t'y underand the meaning of ſome things which they had heard before, and ſo inſtruc the pcople in them.
14 And they found y written in the law which the LORD had commanded + by Moſes, that the children of Iſrael ſhould dwell in * booths in the feaſt of che
ſeventh month. 3 Upon 'Ezra's information, and their diſcourſe with him.
15 And that they ſbould publiſh z, and proclaim TY
all their cities, and in Jeruſalem, {-ying, Go forth un- to the mount 4, and tetch olive branches, and pine- branches, and myrtle-branches, and palm-branches, and branches of thick trees b, to make booths,as z# is written.
Z 7. e, And they found this alſo written, which is to be ſupply- ed out of the former verſe, that they ſhould, &c. which, though it be not particularly required, ſo as isexpreſſed in the words here tol- lowing, yet in the general is required by virtue of that Precepr, L-v. 23, 4. Numb. 19. 10. And according to this Tranſlation, irmuſt be underſtood in the cloſe of this verſe, that they did accordingly pub- liſh and proclaim, ©c. Bur theſe words may be rendred, which ( as this Hebrew word is rendred here, v. 14. and moſt commonly ) alſo ( fo the Particle Yau is uted,s Ja 6. 1. Jer. 1. 3.) they did publiyb, &c, For io they did, as is evident and acknowledged ; and 1t ſeems fir that ſo much ſhould be expreſſed ; and thetic v ords being 1o par- ticular and properto this ſpecial occaſion,ſeem to intimate, that this is rather an hitiorical relation of what they now did, than a decla- ration of that which theLaw require4them to do, which was but in very general terms, and ſo exadt and not particularas this following Precept is {aid to be. « The Mount of Olives, which was next Jeru« ſalem, and forced with Olive-Branches, and probably with the reſt here me::tioned : for theſe Trees may ſeera to have been planted F.ccaveurs principaily, for the ule of this Capital City in this very
and with fackcloths, and with earth upon them.