As they had listened from day to day to the words of the law, the people had been convicted of their transgressions, and of the sins of their nation in past generations. They saw that it was because of a departure from God that His protecting care had been withdrawn and that the children of Abraham had been scattered in foreign lands, and they determined to seek His mercy and to pledge themselves to walk in His commandments. Before entering upon this solemn service, held on the second day after the close of the Feast of Tabernacles, they separated themselves from the heathen among them.

Da folket hørte lovens ord dag efter dag, blev de overbevist om deres synder og de lovbrud, som var blevet begået i tidligere slægtled. De blev klar over, at det skyldtes deres frafald fra Gud, at han havde fjernet sin beskyttelse fra dem, så at Abrahams børn var blevet bortført til fremmede lande, og de besluttede nu at bede Gud om nåde og at forpligte sig til at efterleve hans bud. Denne højtidelige dage efter løvhyttefestens afslutning, men forinden skilte israelitterne sig ud fra de hedninger, som boede iblandt dem.