This generalization refers to those who were at the the feast in Jerusalem, not necessarily to every person who lived in Israel. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole]])
Lebo Hamath was north of Israel, and the brook of Egypt was south of Israel. These are used together to emphasize that people from every part of Israel were at the festival. AT: "from Lebo Hamath in the north to the brook of Egypt in the south" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-merism]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])
Here "kept the dedication" is an idiom meaning "celebrated the dedication." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
# the twenty-third day of the seventh month
This is the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. The twenty-third day is near the middle of October on Western calendars. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-hebrewmonths]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal]])
# with glad and joyful hearts
The words "glad" and "joyful" mean basically the same thing. Together they emphasize the intensity of joy. AT: "with very glad hearts" or "and they were very joyful" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet]])
# because of the goodness that Yahweh had shown
"because Yahweh had shown wonderful goodness" or "because Yahweh had been so good"
See in Reader
