Nehemiah 8:17 - Exposition

Jeshua the son of Nun . " Jeshua " and "Joshua" are two modes of contracting the full name of Jehoshua, the latter prevalent in early, the former in later times. The Grecised form of Jeshua was "Jesus" (see Acts 7:45 ; Hebrews 4:8 ). When it is said that since the days of Jeshua had not the children of Israel done so , we must understand, not that there had been no celebration of the feast of tabernacles since that time—not even that there had been no celebration accompanied by "dwelling in booths," but only that there had been no such joyous and general celebration of the festival (comp. what is said in 2 Kings 23:22 and 2 Chronicles 35:18 of the passover kept in Josiah's eighteenth year). It is the very great gladness that is especially insisted upon.