THEOSISBeda Venerabilis
While Nehemiah was occupied with determining the residents of the reconstructed city, the seventh month approached swiftly, only five days after the completion of the wall on the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month. This seventh month, stretching from the first to the twenty-second day, was set aside for the festivals ordained by the law. Once the celebrations were honorably observed, Nehemiah convened with the leaders and the general populace to deliberate on who would inhabit the renewed city. What stands out is the devotion and unity of the people, who came together as one—sharing a single faith and love—at the temple of the Lord.
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The community implored their high priest to bring forth the sacred texts and proclaim the commandments of the law, aiming to ensure that, with the city restored, they could perform good deeds pleasing to God and prevent the neglect of their faith from leading to the city's demise. It was vital for the city's construction to conclude in the sixth month, while the people gathered to hear the law in the seventh, for the law stipulates six days for work and the seventh for rest (See Exodus 24:18). Following our good deeds, the most delightful and acceptable rest to the Lord lies in refraining from servile labor—that is, sin—and dedicating ourselves to listening to and acting upon His commandments with earnestness. This is why the Feast of Trumpets commenced the seventh month, intended to rouse the people's minds, amidst prayers and sacrifices, to the law of God through the sound of trumpets. Even today, the spiritual edification of the holy city requires divine reading and the call of trumpets, as the faithful, already engaged in heavenly practices, need careful guidance in divine teachings about righteous living when required. Thus, Nehemiah notes that the people gathered in the square before the Water Gate, which likely refers to the gate in the priest's courtyard that encircled the temple, especially on the eastern side. This area housed the brazen sea for the washing of hands and feet, ten brazen basins for sacrificial washings, and the altar of burnt offerings, where Zacharias the son of Barachiah was martyred (See Matt. 23:35; cf. Luke 11:51 and 2 Chronicles 24:20-21). The general populace was not permitted to enter the inner courtyard gate—only the priests and ministers of the Lord could do so. Typically, the people stood outside the gate, particularly in the eastern square, to listen to the Word or to offer prayers. Therefore, it was appropriate for the people to gather at the Water Gate, as it was there that they could receive spiritual nourishment from the Scriptures through their high priest.