So 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 street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
So the people went out and gathered branches, and made temporary shelters for themselves. They built them on their rooftops, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God's house, in the open area by the Water Gate, and in the open area by the Gate of Ephraim.
The writer is describing how the Jewish people joyfully obeyed God's command by building temporary shelters everywhere throughout Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Booths.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred around 445 BC when Ezra read the Law to the Jews who had returned from Babylonian exile. They discovered they were supposed to celebrate the Festival of Booths (Sukkot), a harvest festival where families lived in temporary shelters for seven days to remember how God provided for their ancestors in the wilderness. This was the first time in generations that the people had properly observed this forgotten festival.
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