Nehemiah 12:43 - Exposition

Also that day they offered great sacrifices . David had inaugurated the "tabernacle" which he made for the ark of the covenant at Jerusalem with sacrifice ( 2 Samuel 6:17 ), and had consecrated the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite in the same way ( 2 Samuel 24:25 ). Solomon, at his dedication of the temple, had sacrificed sheep and oxen "that could not be numbered for multitude" ( 1 Kings 8:5 ). Zerubbabel had followed this example at the dedication of the second temple ( Ezra 6:17 ); and we may presume that it was with victims that Eliashib and his brethren the priests had "sanctified" their portion of the wall soon after they completed it ( Nehemiah 3:1 ). Nehemiah now completed the dedication of the entire circuit of the walls by sacrifices on a large scale. God had made them rejoice with great joy . It is characteristic of Nehemiah to ascribe the universal joy, which another might well have claimed as his own work, to the Divine mercy and forethought, which had brought the matter of the wall to a prosperous and happy issue. The wives also and the children rejoiced . It is seldom that the Jewish women are mentioned as taking that prominent position in joy, which naturally belonged to them in sorrow ( 11:40 ; Jeremiah 31:15 ; Jeremiah 49:3 ; Joel 1:8 , etc.). There is, however, one remarkable example of the kind, besides the present one—the rejoicing of the women after the passage through the Red Sea, under the leadership of Miriam ( Exodus 15:20 ). The joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off . See Ezra 3:13 , and comp. 1 Kings 1:40 ; 2 Kings 11:13 .