SUMMARY
The joyful dedication of the walls complete with a ceremonial procession including both Ezra and Nehemiah brings the narrative of the restoration to a dramatic climax.
ANALYSIS
The most interesting piece of this text is the elaborate procession around the city on top of the rebuilt walls. It is depicted as a double procession to emphasize the shared contributions of Ezra and Nehemiah at this climactic moment in the narrative.
The climactic nature of the dedication is best seen in the parallels it draws with previous activities. The depiction of the ceremony as a “dedication” (hanukkah in Hebrew, v. 27) recalls the dedication of the templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... in Ezra 6:17, as does the offering of great sacrifices, which further recalls the reestablishment of the altar in Ezra 3:3-5. At that time the people’s rejoicing was heard far away (Ezra 3:13), as was the case now (12:43), and now their rejoicing is not mixed with weeping. In fact there is a pronounced emphasis upon joy throughout the passage (five times in verse 43!), and it is clearly indicated that this joy comes from God, which recalls God’s similar activity at the reading of the law in Nehemiah 8:2-6. As a final indicator of closure, the procession itself begins at the Valley GateGates are openings in walls or fences for entrance and departure. In the Bible (as in Ruth and the prophets) the city gate was a commercial center where business and social transactions took place. In Amos the gate is the location of the law court... where Nehemiah’s midnight inspection of the walls had begun (Nehemiah 2:13).
