Nehemiah 5:1-13

Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor

1 Now there arose ¹a great outcry of the people and of their wives ²against their Jewish brothers.

2 For there were those who said, "With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive."

3 There were also those who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine."

4 And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for ³the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.

5 Now ⁴our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet ⁵we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."

6 I was very angry when I heard ⁶their outcry and these words.

7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, ⁷"You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them

8 and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, ⁸have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!" They were silent and could not find a word to say.

9 So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk ⁹in the fear of our God ¹⁰to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?

10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.

11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them."

12 Then they said, "We will restore these and ¹¹require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests and ¹²made them swear ¹³to do as they had promised.

13 ¹⁴I also shook out the fold^[a] of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied."¹⁵And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

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Nehemiah 5:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 5

In this chapter is a complaint of the poor against the rich for oppression of them, Ne 5:1-5 for which Nehemiah being angry, reproved them, and made them promise, and swear to it, to make restitution, Ne 5:6-13 and set them an example himself, taking nothing of them during his twelve years' government, supporting himself and his at his own expenses, Ne 5:14-19.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 15

1. [Exodus 3:9; Isaiah 5:7]
2. Leviticus 25:35, 37; Deuteronomy 15:7
3. Ezra 4:13, 20; Ezra 7:24
4. Isaiah 58:7; [Genesis 29:14]
5. [Exodus 21:7; Leviticus 25:39; 2 Kings 4:1]
6. [See ver. 1 above]
7. [Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36; Psalms 15:5; Ezekiel 22:12]
8. Leviticus 25:48, 49
9. Leviticus 25:36
10. Nehemiah 4:4; [2 Samuel 12:14]
11. [Nehemiah 10:31]
12. Ezra 10:5
13. [Jeremiah 34:8, 9]
14. [Acts 18:6]
15. Nehemiah 8:6; [Deuteronomy 27:15]; 1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalms 106:48

Footnotes 1

[a]. Hebrew bosom

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.