C. Covenant Renewal (9:1-10:39)
Two days after the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles the Israelites reassembled, this time in a state of mourning (9:1-2). The ceremony included reading the Book of the Law for three hours followed by another three hours confessing their sins and the sins of their ancestors.
The prayer of confession (9:5b-37) has a poetic quality and is set out as verse in some versions. It shares features with several types of OT literature. The initial doxology (vv.5b-6) evokes the hymn form, but the tone of penitence is more characteristic of the laments. The overall thrust is exhortation: instruction through a review of the great themes in Israel’s salvation history. The Hebrew verb for confession, yād̠āh, has a dual meaning. It can refer to the confession of sins, but it can also be translated, “to praise,” that is, to acknowledge God’s greatness and power. Both aspects of the verb are incorporated here.
It is impossible to comment fully on the content of this prayer, but several observations can be made. Its structure is straightforward, following an outline of Israel’s history. The prayer draws upon parallels throughout the Pentateuch and historical books, some extending even to the exact choice of words. (For an extensive list of parallels see Myers, 167-69). The recurring theme is the contrast between God’s mercy and grace and the stiff-necked obstinacy and disobedience of the Israelites. At every turn God provided for their needs, defeated their enemies, and was faithful to the covenant; yet the Israelites turned their backs and rebelled. Therefore their present state of virtual slavery under the Persian kings is acknowledged as just.
The final verse of ch. 9 serves as a literary link between the prayer of confession and the binding agreement into which the Jews enter in ch. 10. The Hebrew expression translated, “making a binding agreement,” is unique, but the verb employed (kārat̠) immediately brings to mind the idiom of covenant making. The restoration and reordering of the community can be complete only as the people renew their covenantal relationship with God.
Although a religious document, it also has a legal character, as seen in the fact that it was put in writing and sealed by the leadership. The list of those who sealed the agreement is headed by the governor, Nehemiah, followed by priests, Levites, and lay leaders (10:1-27). But the covenant is not restricted to the hierarchy. All true Israelites, male and female, adult and children, are able to enter into a renewed relationship with God (v.28). Therefore all segments of society “bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God” (v.29).
The stipulations of the covenant spelled out in the rest of the chapter (vv.30-39) include mixed marriages (v.30), Sabbath and Year of Jubilee regulations (v.31), temple taxes (vv.32-33), and other offerings (vv.34-39). These stipulations parallel the catalogue of problems with which Nehemiah dealt in ch. 13. This cannot be accidental and suggests that the list may be a synopsis based on problems encountered in real life. The emphasis is on the cult and cultic personnel. Deprived of political autonomy under the Persian Empire, the Jews discovered their identity in the religious institutions which served as symbols of their relationship with and election by God.