Nehemiah 8:2 (GNV)

Passage

And Ezra the Priest brought the Lawe before the Congregation both of men and women, and of all that coulde heare and vnderstand it, in the first day of the seuenth moneth,

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 8:1 And all the people assembled themselues together, in the streete that was before the watergate, and they spake vnto Ezra the Scribe, that hee would bring the booke of ye Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

Nehemiah 8:2 And Ezra the Priest brought the Lawe before the Congregation both of men and women, and of all that coulde heare and vnderstand it, in the first day of the seuenth moneth,

Nehemiah 8:3 And he read therein in the streete that was before the watergate (from the morning vntill the midday) before men and women, and them that vnderstoode it, and the eares of all the people hearkened vnto the booke of the Lawe.

Nehemiah 8:4 And Ezra the Scribe stoode vpon a pulpit of wood which he had made for the preaching, and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Ananiah, and Vriiah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hande, and on his left hand Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ezra", "priest", "brought", "lawe", "before", "congregation", "both", and "women". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ezra" and "priest", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "And all the people assembled themselues together..." into verse 3's "And he read therein in the streete...", so "ezra" and "priest" 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 "ezra" and "priest" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.