Bible Strands
Nehemiah 8:16
And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The verse records the Israelites executing the command given in Nehemiah 8:15 immediately after the public reading of the Law. The people disperse throughout Jerusalem to gather materials and construct temporary shelters.
The words — The sequential verbs וַיֵּצְאוּ (va-yets'eu, "they went out"), וַיָּבִאוּ (va-yavi'u, "they brought"), and וַיַּעֲשׂוּ (va-ya'asu, "they made") describe the physical gathering and building process. The nouns סֻכּוֹת (sukkōt, "booths") and עַל־גַּגּוֹ (al-gaggô, "on his roof") specify the structure type and the precise residential locations used.
The thread — The Water Gate and Gate of Ephraim function as geographic markers in Nehemiah 3:26 and 12:39, anchoring the ritual within Jerusalem's known boundaries. The act of making booths directly fulfills the written command in Nehemiah 8:15, while the unprecedented scale of the event is documented in Nehemiah 8:17.
Why it lands — The text requires a direct translation of heard instruction into physical labor and communal participation. It establishes that obedience is measured by the concrete execution of the prescribed ritual rather than by verbal agreement alone.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 14:13 There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.
- Nehemiah 12:39 over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.
- Nehemiah 3:26 and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the tower that juts out.
- Nehemiah 12:37 At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.
- Nehemiah 8:3 So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
- Jeremiah 32:29 And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come in, set it on fire, and burn it, along with the houses of those who provoked Me to anger by burning incense to Baal on their rooftops and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.
- Deuteronomy 22:8 If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.
- 2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
- 2 Chronicles 20:5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD in front of the new courtyard
- 2 Chronicles 33:5 In both courtyards of the house of the LORD, he built altars to all the host of heaven.