Nehemiah 8 - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

The people called upon to be joyful.

It was a good sign that their hearts were tender, when they heard the words of the law. The people were to send portions to those for whom nothing was prepared. It is the duty of a religious feast, as well as of a religious fast, to draw out the soul to the hungry; God's bounty should make us bountiful. We must not only give to those that offer themselves, but send to those out of sight. Their strength consisted in joy in the Lord. The better we understand God's word, the more

comfort we find in it; the darkness of trouble arises from the darkness of ignorance. (Ne 8:13-18)