And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. A deep sense of their national sins, impressively brought to their remembrance by the reading of the law and its denunciations, affected the hearts of the people with penitential sorrow; but notwithstanding the painful remembrances of their national sins which the reading of the law awakened, the people were exhorted to cherish the feelings of joy and thankfulness associated with a sacred festival-namely, the feast of trumpets (see the notes at Leviticus 23:23-25), and by sending portions of it to their poorer brethren (Deuteronomy 16:11; Deuteronomy 16:14; Esther 9:19), a usual custom on occasions of great joy and festivity (cf. Esther 9:19-23; Revelation 11:10), enable them to participate in the public rejoicings.