Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the purpose: Pulpit here means a “platform” (Good News Translation) that Ezra and thirteen other men stood on top of. Sometimes this is called a “dais” in English (so New Jerusalem Bible). The platform had been made, that is, “built” (Good News Translation) or “erected” (New Jerusalem Bible). The platform may have been similar in dimensions to the one made of bronze for Solomon for the dedication of the Temple. Solomon’s platform was five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, that is, eight feet square and five feet high according to the American edition of Good News Translation, or 2.2 meters square and 1.3 meters high according to the British edition of Good News Translation (see 2 Chr 6.13). The platform had been specially made for the purpose (Nouvelle version Segond révisée “occasion”) of this event.

Those who stood with Ezra on the platform are not identified except by their names. They seem to be laymen who were community leaders. Anaiah, Maaseiah, Hashum, and Meshullam are named in Neh 10.18, 20, 22, 25 as leaders of the people who signed the agreement to live according to God’s Law. Their role on the platform is not defined. They evidently were there to give support to Ezra. The significance of there being thirteen men here and thirteen Levites in verse 7 below is not known.

Beside him stood … on his right hand … on his left hand: The men who stood beside Ezra are listed in two separate groups, first those who were beside him on the right side and then those who were on the left side. The important point is that Ezra was in the middle and the men who stood with him were divided into two groups on either side of him. This does not mean that those who stood on one side were more favored than those who stood on the other side.

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 .