Nehemiah 8:15
What does Nehemiah 8:15 mean?
A plain-English look at Nehemiah 8:15 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Nehemiah 8:15 means
Obedience moves quickly from text to town: a proclamation goes out in all cities and Jerusalem to gather specific branches—olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees—to make booths “as it is written.” The variety of branches reflects the richness of the land God gave them. The command is practical and public, ensuring widespread participation. Revival is not confined to Jerusalem; it spreads through Judah. The precision—naming both locations and materials—shows that biblical worship follows God’s pattern, not human invention. What God prescribes, His people can do together, visibly bearing witness in their streets and squares that they live by His Word.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And that they were to give out an order, and make it public in all their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, Go out to the mountain and get olive branches and branches of field olives and of myrtle, and palm branches and branches of thick trees, to make tents, as it says in the book.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and that they proclaim and cause to pass over all their cities, (and in Jerusalem,) saying, `Go ye out to the mount, and bring leaves of the olive, and leaves of the oil tree, and leaves of the myrtle, and leaves of the palms, and leaves of thick trees, to make booths as it is written.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And that they should proclaim and publish the word in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: Go forth to the mount, and fetch branches of olive, and branches of beautiful wood, branches of myrtle, and branches of palm, and branches of thick trees, to make tabernacles, as it is written.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and 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.
Context
Having read the requirement, the leaders implement it. Verse 15 shows proclamation and detailed instruction, preparing for the people’s eager obedience in the next verse. The narrative is moving from rediscovery to reenactment; soon the city will be filled with booths as families and congregations apply the Law in homes, temple courts, and public spaces.
v.14And they found written in the law, how that Jehovah had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;
v.15This passage
v.16So 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 broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Judges 9:48
And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
- John 12:13
took the branches of the palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried out, Hosanna: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.
- Leviticus 23:4
These are the set feasts of Jehovah, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season.
- Genesis 8:11
and the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
- Leviticus 23:40
And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God seven days.
- Deuteronomy 16:16
Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose: in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before Jehovah empty:
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