After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
Parallel translations
- WEB The priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
- KJV And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
- NKJV Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
- NASB The priests and the Levites purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
- NLT The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The priests and Levites purified themselves, then the people, the gates, and the wall. It matters because holiness and consecration had to precede joyful celebration before a holy God.
Overview
Ceremonial purification prepared both the ministers and the city for the dedication, underscoring that approach to God requires cleansing. The order, starting with the leaders, shows that those who lead worship must first be made clean. These rituals point forward to the perfect cleansing accomplished by Christ, whose blood purifies His people inwardly to draw near to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Job 1:5And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
- Exod 19:10Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
- Ezra 6:21The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.
- 2 Chr 29:5“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.
- Neh 13:30Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
- Neh 13:22Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.
- Heb 5:3That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
- Num 19:2–20“This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red heifer that has no defect and has never been placed under a yoke.
- 2 Chr 29:34However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had been consecrated. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.
- Gen 35:2So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.
- Heb 5:1Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
- Exod 19:15“Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 12:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.