Ezra Reads the Law to the People

Gustave Doré · 1866 (designs for La Sainte Bible, Tours); this printing 1873–1874
National Library of Poland, Warsaw

Doré drew this plate for the Tours Bible of 1866; within a few years it was printed in Bibles across Europe and America, often with English captions in place of the French.

Ezra, an old man with a white beard and a striped headcloth, stands on a stone platform and points to the writing on a pair of round-topped tablets. Men stand beside and below him, some looking up, some bowing their heads. A bright wall behind throws his shadow and sets him off from the dark crowd.

From the text

“Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly” (Nehemiah 8:2)

“Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform” (Nehemiah 8:4)

“Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people” (Nehemiah 8:5)

The artist’s own

Two stone tablets in place of the book — the shape painters long used for the Ten Commandments

A stone platform with steps instead of a wooden one

A carved column capital behind the listeners

Details

Ezra

The old scribe stands on the platform and points to the text.

The tablets

Two round-topped tablets covered with writing.

Listeners

Men stand beside the platform and look up at him.

In the crowd

A figure in a striped cloak bows its head.

Gustave Doré, French, 1832–1883. National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa), Warsaw — «Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu», vol. 1, Warsaw: M. Glücksberg, 1873 (acc. 75.267 A), tabl. 106 · Wood engraving after Gustave Doré’s design · National Library of Poland (Polona): the record of the volume gives the licence «Domena Publiczna» (Public Domain), «copyrightProtected»: false; the scan was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by the library itself («Polona Upload», GLAM-Wiki partnership: “This file was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons as part of a GLAM-Wiki partnership between the National Library of Poland and Wikimedia Polska”), linking its Polona record.

The verses

Neh 8:1–6At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand. So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.