Helge S. Kvanvig"penitential prayer."^11 The plots in these prayers consist of two equally sig
nificant elements that constitute the overall narrative. There is a story part
where the history of the people is recalled under the perspective of guilt, and
there is the actual confession of sin, or penitence, where the one who en
treats or the people appeal to the mercy of God. The intention is to create a
turning point in history where the people are freed from the guilt of the past
and given a new future of grace.
Some important accents in this presentation of history link the recall
of history to the present situation of ceremonial commitment. The first is
the role of the Torah. The Torah is central in all parts of the narrative: in the
first part in the reading of the Torah and the celebration of Sukkoth (7:72b-
8:18), in the prayer (9:3,13-14, 26, 29,34), and in the ceremonial commitment
(10:29-30). In the obligations toward the temple the Torah is referred to
twice (10:35, 37)- This is especially important, because here what became the
two most important institutions in postexilic Judah are brought together in
one unity, the Torah and the temple.
The second accent is the berit, the covenant. There are two important
observations to be made here. First, the covenant is made with the people
through Abraham, it is not linked to Sinai. Therefore the covenant is a bind
ing promise from God (Neh 9:8). Second, the content of the covenant is the
land. Even though the berit is mentioned only twice, about Abraham in 9:8
and in the appeal in 9:32, the promise of the land is a theme through the
whole recall of history. Thus in this historical configuration two basic foun
dations from the past are lifted up as the conditions for the people's survival,
the promise of the land, the berit, and the commitment to the Torah.
As a whole, Neh 8-10 is the story about the rebirth of the people of
God. They were once born through the sacred history of God leading from
Abraham to Sinai. Then followed a long, dark history of rebellion where
they were kept alive only through the grace of God. Now the people are at
the turning point of their history again. Through the commitment to the
Torah they will again enter into the history of grace, freed from their present
oppressors, cf. 9:34; 10:1. As a story about rebirth, this is also a story about
identity. It lines out what kind of people from now on belong to the people
of God, and what characterizes the people of God. These characteristics con
cern both the past and the present. The new identity embraces both the his
tory and the present commitment. From now on a true Judean is a person
formed through the history of berit and Torah; he is separated from other
- Boda, Praying the Tradition, 26-32.