Nehemiah 8: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Nehemiah 8 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

All the people gather at the water gate, asking Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law (vv. 1-3). Ezra reads from the law for hours, and the people listen attentively.

Key verse

“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.”
Nehemiah 8:5 (WEB)

Outline

Nehemiah 8:1–3 Gathering and Reading the Law
Nehemiah 8:4–6 Ezra's Readiness and Blessing
Nehemiah 8:7–9 Understanding the Law
Nehemiah 8:10–12 Joy in God's Strength
Nehemiah 8:13–17 Celebrating the Feast of Booths
Nehemiah 8:18 Ongoing Reading and Assembly

Discussion questions

In v3, what is the people's reaction when Ezra reads from the 'book of the law'?
What do Ezra and the Levites say to the people in vv. 9-10 when they begin to weep?
Nehemiah's instruction in v10 about 'the joy of Yahweh': how does it shape the people's understanding of their situation?
In v17, what does the phrase 'since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun' imply about the history of the Feast of Booths?
When have you felt the need to share with others, as instructed in v10 to send portions to those without?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Nehemiah 8: Psalm 28, Leviticus 23, Proverbs 17.

Before next time: read Nehemiah 9.