Nehemiah 12 43

Nehemiah 12:43 kjv

Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

Nehemiah 12:43 nkjv

Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

Nehemiah 12:43 niv

And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

Nehemiah 12:43 esv

And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

Nehemiah 12:43 nlt

Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.

Nehemiah 12 verses

Nehemiah 12 43 Meaning

Nehemiah 12:43 describes the climax of the dedication of the newly rebuilt wall of Jerusalem. It details a moment of profound, pervasive, and divinely-originated joy experienced by the entire community—men, women, and children. The people expressed their overwhelming gratitude and delight through abundant sacrifices. This joy was so great and manifest that its sounds resonated far beyond the city limits, serving as a powerful testimony to God's hand in their restoration and blessing. The verse emphasizes that their rejoicing was not self-generated, but rather a direct gift from God, who orchestrated their happiness.

Nehemiah 12 43 Context

Nehemiah 12:43 is positioned at the peak of the dedication ceremony for the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem. Following years of hardship, opposition, and painstaking labor, the walls were finally completed and formally dedicated to the Lord. The chapter details the genealogical lists of priests and Levites who participated, the purification rites, and the grand procession involving two large choirs moving in opposite directions along the wall. This verse acts as the culmination and emotional crescendo of this entire national and spiritual event. It signifies the success of Nehemiah's leadership in physical rebuilding and Ezra's in spiritual renewal. The celebration solidifies Jerusalem's restoration not only as a city with secure walls but as a community consecrated to God, reflecting a polemic against pagan practices where such celebrations might be self-congratulatory; here, the joy is explicitly attributed to God, demonstrating Yahweh's active hand in their triumph over adversity. It underscores that true peace and security come from divine blessing and communal devotion, not merely military strength or human effort.

Nehemiah 12 43 Word analysis

• And on that day (ūvbayyōm hahū): Signifies a specific, monumental occasion, emphasizing its historical and spiritual importance. It marks the culmination of the arduous rebuilding project and covenant renewal. This was not just any day but a divinely ordained time for great celebration and worship.
• they offered (wayyaʿalû): A verbal form of the verb "to ascend" or "bring up," commonly used for presenting sacrifices on an altar. It indicates a formal, purposeful act of worship.
• great sacrifices (zəvāḥîm gedōlîm): Zevahim refers generally to peace offerings or thank offerings, often involving communal feasting and sharing with God and fellow worshipers. "Great" (gedôlîm) indicates abundance and generosity, signifying profound gratitude and joy, not merely a dutiful obligation. This was a super-abundant expression of thanks to God.
• and rejoiced (wayyiśməḥû): This Hebrew verb (śāmaḥ) describes deep, outward, and often physical expression of joy and gladness. It's a spontaneous, hearty form of happiness.
• for God (kî hā’ĕlōhîm): Emphatically attributes the source of their joy. It's not born from their own achievements or mere relief, but divinely initiated. This highlights God's sovereignty and benevolent involvement in their lives.
• had made them rejoice (śiməḥām śimḥâ gĕdôlâ): The Hiphil causation form "made them rejoice" paired with the cognate noun "joy" and "great" is a strong Hebrew idiom, conveying a double emphasis on the intensity and divine origin of their gladness. It implies God directly infused them with this profound happiness, orchestrating the circumstances that elicited it.
• with great joy (śimḥâ gĕdôlâ): Reinforces the earlier point; the repetition underscores the extraordinary nature of their joy. It implies an overflowing, abundant happiness that filled their hearts.
• and the women and the children also rejoiced (wəhannāšîm wəhayyəlādîm gam śāmēḥû): This clause stresses the inclusivity of the celebration. The joy was not limited to the adult males who had primarily done the heavy labor, but permeated every demographic of society, symbolizing communal solidarity and divine blessing on the whole people. It speaks to a shared experience of deliverance and thanksgiving.
• so that the joy of Jerusalem (waśśimḥa Yərûšālāyim): This refers to the collective joy of the entire city and its inhabitants, personifying Jerusalem itself as joyous.
• was heard (nišmāʿâ): A passive verb indicating that the sound was not merely made but actively perceived, highlighting its volume and reach. It implies an auditory testimony.
• even afar off (mērāḥôq): Emphasizes the wide radius over which their exultation was audible, testifying to the Lord's work not just within the city, but also to surrounding regions. This sound was a declaration to all, friend and foe alike, of God's blessing and power.

Nehemiah 12 43 Bonus section

The intense and widespread joy described in Nehemiah 12:43 resonates with prophetic visions of a restored Jerusalem, where sounds of joy and gladness will replace wailing and sorrow (Jer 33:10-11). It serves as a foretaste of the ultimate joy to be experienced in God's completed kingdom. This verse implicitly counters any notion that hardship or sacrifice inevitably leads to sadness, instead demonstrating that obedience, perseverance, and God's active blessing culminate in an unparalleled spiritual gladness. The external, audible nature of the joy was not for show, but a genuine overflow, a public act of worship that effectively re-established Jerusalem as a center of vibrant Yahweh-worship for all to see and hear, inviting inquiry and even challenging skepticism from outside observers.

Nehemiah 12 43 Commentary

Nehemiah 12:43 serves as the climactic expression of God's faithfulness and the people's grateful response to His restoring hand. The pervasive joy described is divinely bestowed, highlighting that true, deep happiness is not merely circumstantial or humanly manufactured, but originates from God's redemptive work. The "great sacrifices" offered were likely thank-offerings and peace-offerings, signifying reconciliation with God and communal fellowship, where they joyously shared their bounty, emphasizing a covenant renewed through celebratory worship. The inclusion of "women and children" underscores that this restoration and joy permeated every level of society, creating a holistic and inclusive community devoted to the Lord. The sound of their rejoicing "heard even afar off" functioned as a public, undeniable testimony to the surrounding nations—a powerful declaration of Yahweh's strength and blessing to a world that had witnessed Jerusalem's desolation. This scene portrays a restored nation, vibrant in its worship, publicly affirming its identity and trust in God amidst all former adversities.

Examples of such joyous celebration might be seen when:

• A family celebrates a difficult journey successfully completed, filled with thanks to God.
• A community rejoices together after overcoming a prolonged hardship through shared faith and effort.
• A church celebrates a significant milestone, like debt elimination or building completion, with exuberant worship attributed to God.