A very important revelation of this chapter is that it was the Levites, and not the priests, who led Israel in this penitential

<p class="default">A very important revelation of this chapter is that  <b> it was the Levites, and not the priests, who led Israel in this penitential prayer of confession and praise of God.</b> From  the Book of Malachi, we learn of the near total apostasy of the Jewish priesthood; and in Zechariah, they are clearly revealed as the false shepherds who destroyed the nation. There is not a word in this chapter that even hints of any priestly participation in this great repentance, confession and prayer. Some of them were even traitors in the employ of Tobiah and had even conspired to murder Nehemiah.</p>