Ezra the priest: Ezra was identified as a scribe above and here he is called a priest (see the comments at Ezra 7.6, 11).
Brought the law before the assembly: Ezra brought out the book of the Law to where the people had gathered together. His reading of the Law on this day when all the people gathered together in an assembly may have been in accordance with the regulation that every seventh year there was to be a proclamation of the Law during the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (see Deut 31.10-13). For assembly see the comments at Ezra 2.64; 10.1.
Both men and women and all who could hear with understanding gathered on that occasion. Because the gathering did not take place in the Temple, the women could also participate. The Hebrew words that are translated who could hear with understanding could also be translated “interpreters” and could refer to the Levites who interpreted the reading from the Law to the people (verse 8). But the words more naturally refer to “children” (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant). Children are specifically mentioned since their presence at religious gatherings was not usual. Children were, however, expected to attend the readings of the Law at the Feast of Tabernacles (see Deut 31.12; also Josh 8.35).
On the first day of the seventh month: The seventh month is the month of Tishri in the Jewish calendar. The first day of this month occurred at the autumnal equinox, which is usually September 21 in the Gregorian calendar and is the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere (see “Translating Ezra and Nehemiah,” pages 25-26). It was near this period that the Jewish New Year began to be observed on this date, but at this time it was probably observed as the most important of the New Moon days. The Hebrew text repeats the reference to the date (first in Neh 7.73b), but here it makes the date of the reading of the Law very specific. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible restructures the temporal phrase into a separate sentence: “It was the first day of the seventh month.” Good News Translation moves this time reference back into verse one, so it only occurs once. Other versions move it to the beginning of verse two (so New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible) and some restructure the first two verses to reflect a logical recounting of the event (so Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant). Translators should restructure if necessary to make the time factor clear and to ensure that the prose is natural.
Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .