Nehemiah 5:10

10 Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest.^[a]

Nehemiah 5:10 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 5:10

I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of
them money and corn
For our maintenance, in consideration of the services done by us, which would appear but reasonable, but this we decline for the sake of easing our poor brethren:

I pray you let us leave off this usury;
and not exact it, as has been too much and too long used.

Nehemiah 5:10 In-Context

8 and said, "We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back." They remained silent and could not say a word.

9 Then I said, "What you are doing isn't right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God [and not invite] the reproach of our foreign enemies?

10 Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest.

11 Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them."

12 They responded: "We will return [these things] and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say." So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or us forgive these debts