Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Nehemiah 9:1-3
The People Gather Spontaneously To Admit Their Sinfulness And Failures To God Separating Themselves From All Who Were Tainted With Idolatry (Nehemiah 9:1).
‘Now on the twenty fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upon them.'
The ‘eighth day' feast was on the twenty second day of the moon period (Leviticus 23:39). Thus the twenty third day, which would normally have been the day for packing up and returning home, had become a day when the people spontaneously came to their decision not to return to their homes, but to renew a solemn covenant with God. Thus on the following day, the twenty fourth day, they gathered, probably within the precincts of the Temple, having engaged in fasting for the day, and wearing sackcloth, with earth on their heads. These were expressions of deep mourning for sin (compare Ezra 8:26; Daniel 9:3; Jonah 3:5; Jonah 3:8; 1Ch 21:16; 1 Samuel 4:12; 2 Samuel 1:2; Job 2:12).
‘And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.'
It should be noted that this is a summary verse describing what is to follow. The idea here is not to describe a literal act of separation taken at that moment in any physical way (their very observance of the Feast would have involved such a separation), but of a separation which took place within them, a separation in their hearts. They were separating themselves in their hearts from all ‘foreigners', that is from all who did not worship YHWH wholly and uniquely (thus including syncretistic Jews). They were making clear that they would have nothing to do with syncretism. They were purging themselves from all that could displease YHWH, or could give any suggestion of compromise in their stance towards God as the only God.
The thought may well be included that they went into the court of Israel in the Temple, where such ‘foreigners' were not permitted, and did therefore make it impossible for ‘foreigners' to mingle with them, but the main emphasis is on the attitude of their hearts. It was uncompromisingly exclusive of all taint of idolatry.
It should be noted that there was no suggestion of racism involved. It was an act of purification for religious purposes. The ‘seed of Israel' were those who had proven to be his true seed, whether natural or adopted (Abraham's seed included all who had been ‘born in his house', whether blood descendants or members of the larger household - Genesis 17:12). In contrast the ‘foreigners' would include many syncretistic Jews. They too were excluded as ‘foreigners', because only those who worshipped YHWH wholly, uniquely and truly, were seen as true Jews and could take part in what was about to happen. Syncretistic Jews were excluded from the new Israel. They were being seen as no longer of the seed of Israel. Whereas any who had truly responded to YHWH from among those around were accepted as such (Ezra 6:21). And they were about to confess how they and their forefathers had failed Him again and again, bringing them to this situation that they were now in, still subject to the kings of Persia (Nehemiah 9:37). And in their hearts they were separating themselves from all taint of idolatry, and were looking to Him for deliverance as His people.
What follows is a description of the basis on which they were taking their stand (YHWH's overall sovereignty and His promises to Abraham), together with their admission of their sins and of the iniquities of their fathers. They were acknowledging corporate responsibility for the situation that they were now in. In their own sinfulness and failure to observe the full Law they recognised that they shared in the blame for all that their fathers had done. Note the continual emphasis on the fact that they ‘stood' (Nehemiah 9:2). It indicated their attentiveness towards God. (We may sit prayerfully, or kneel, in order to do the same).
‘And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of YHWH their God for a quarter of the day (a fourth part of the day); and for a quarter (fourth part) they confessed, and worshipped YHWH their God.'
Once again their attention turned towards God's words given through Moses. It had been read to them on the first day of the moon period (Nehemiah 8:2), brought to the attention of their leaders on the second day (Nehemiah 8:13), and then brought to them continually from the fifteenth to twenty first days (Nehemiah 8:18). Now they wanted to hear extracts from it again. They were hungry to know God's will. The reading would presumably be given by the Levites, (in marked contrast with earlier where it was by Ezra), or possibly by the leaders of the people, and carried on for around three hours. It was then followed by a period of confessing their sins and worshipping YHWH their God for the subsequent three hours as the Spirit of God moved among them. This then led up to what follows in Nehemiah 9:4, a reminding of God of both His own promises, and an acknowledging of how Israel had constantly sinned.