Nehemiah 8:13 (DBY)

Passage

And on the second day were gathered together the chief fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to gain wisdom as to the words of the law.

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 8:11 And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, Be still! for the day is holy; neither be grieved.

Nehemiah 8:12 And all the people went their way, to eat and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great rejoicing. For they had understood the words that were declared to them.

Nehemiah 8:13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to gain wisdom as to the words of the law.

Nehemiah 8:14 And they found written in the law which Jehovah had commanded through Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month,

Nehemiah 8:15 and that they should publish and proclaim through all their cities, and at Jerusalem, saying, Go forth to the mount, and fetch olive-branches, and wild olive-branches, and myrtle-branches, and palm-branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "second", "gathered", "together", "chief", "fathers", "people", "priests", and "levites". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "second" and "gathered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "And all the people went their way..." into verse 14's "And they found written in the law...", so "second" and "gathered" belong inside that flow. In Nehemiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "second" and "gathered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.