The Meaning of Nehemiah 8:15 Explained

Nehemiah 8:15

KJV: And 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.

YLT: and 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.'

Darby: 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.

ASV: and 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 Reverse Interlinear

And 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. 

What does Nehemiah 8:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 8:1-18 - New Light From God's Law
Surely this was the first public Bible-reading! When will the people be again as hungry for the Word of God as these Jews who stood in the open space from early dawn till the scorching noon? What reverence for the Word! When Ezra opened the Book, all the people stood up. What holy worship! When he blessed the great God, all the people answered, Amen, amen! What a model to us all! They gave the sense, so that they understood. What searching of heart! The people wept when they heard the words of the law.
There is nothing which weakens us so much as does unrestrained remorse. Contriteness of heart is wholesome and helpful, but excessive grief incapacitates us for our duties. It is well therefore to cultivate holy joy; the joy of sin forgiven, of acceptance with God, of hope that anchors us to the unseen, and that cannot be ashamed. You may not be able to joy in yourself or your surroundings, but you may always rejoice in the Lord. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 8

1  The reverent manner of reading and hearing the law
9  They comfort the people
13  The eagerness of the people to hear and be instructed
16  They keep the feast of tabernacles

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 8:15 mean?

That they should announce and proclaim a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem saying go out to the mountain and bring branches olive and branches of oil trees and branches myrtle palm and branches of trees leafy to make booths as [it is] written -
וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר יַשְׁמִ֗יעוּ וְיַעֲבִ֨ירוּ ק֥וֹל בְּכָל־ עָרֵיהֶם֮ וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֣ם לֵאמֹר֒ צְא֣וּ הָהָ֗ר וְהָבִ֙יאוּ֙ עֲלֵי־ זַ֙יִת֙ וַעֲלֵי־ עֵ֣ץ שֶׁ֔מֶן וַעֲלֵ֤י הֲדַס֙ תְמָרִ֔ים וַעֲלֵ֖י עֵ֣ץ עָבֹ֑ת לַעֲשֹׂ֥ת סֻכֹּ֖ת כַּכָּתֽוּב פ

וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר  That 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יַשְׁמִ֗יעוּ  they  should  announce 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וְיַעֲבִ֨ירוּ  and  proclaim 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
ק֥וֹל  a  proclamation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
בְּכָל־  in  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עָרֵיהֶם֮  their  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֣ם  and  in  Jerusalem 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
לֵאמֹר֒  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
צְא֣וּ  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הָהָ֗ר  to  the  mountain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וְהָבִ֙יאוּ֙  and  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עֲלֵי־  branches 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עָלֶה  
Sense: leaf, leafage.
זַ֙יִת֙  olive 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זַיִת  
Sense: olive, olive tree.
וַעֲלֵי־  and  branches 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עָלֶה  
Sense: leaf, leafage.
שֶׁ֔מֶן  oil  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
וַעֲלֵ֤י  and  branches 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עָלֶה  
Sense: leaf, leafage.
הֲדַס֙  myrtle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֲדַס  
Sense: myrtle (tree).
תְמָרִ֔ים  palm 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: תָּמָר  
Sense: palm tree, date palm.
וַעֲלֵ֖י  and  branches 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עָלֶה  
Sense: leaf, leafage.
עֵ֣ץ  of  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
עָבֹ֑ת  leafy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָבֹות  
Sense: having interwoven foliage, leafy, dense with foliage.
לַעֲשֹׂ֥ת  to  make 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
סֻכֹּ֖ת  booths 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: סֻכָּה  
Sense: thicket, covert, booth.
כַּכָּתֽוּב  as  [it  is]  written 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation