Nehemiah 5:9-19

9 So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk ¹in the fear of our God ²to 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 ³require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests and ⁴made them swear ⁵to do as they had promised.

13 ⁶I 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."⁷And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

Nehemiah's Generosity

14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from ⁸the twentieth year to ⁹the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, ¹⁰neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.

15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration^[b] forty shekels^[c] of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, ¹¹because of the fear of God.

16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

17 Moreover, there were ¹²at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.

18 ¹³Now what was prepared at my expense^[d] for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this ¹⁴I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.

19 ¹⁵Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

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Nehemiah 5:9-19 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. Leviticus 25:36
2. Nehemiah 4:4; [2 Samuel 12:14]
3. [Nehemiah 10:31]
4. Ezra 10:5
5. [Jeremiah 34:8, 9]
6. [Acts 18:6]
7. Nehemiah 8:6; [Deuteronomy 27:15]; 1 Chronicles 16:36; Psalms 106:48
8. Nehemiah 2:1
9. Nehemiah 13:6
10. [2 Thessalonians 3:8]
11. ver. 9
12. [2 Samuel 9:7, 10]; 1 Kings 18:19
13. [1 Kings 4:22, 23]
14. [See ver. 14 above]
15. Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 31

Footnotes 4

[a]. Hebrew bosom
[b]. Compare Vulgate; Hebrew took from them with food and wine afterward
[c]. A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
[d]. Or prepared for me

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