Nehemiah 5:11

11 Give back their fields, vineyards, olive trees, and houses right now. Also give back the extra amount you charged -- the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine, and oil."

Nehemiah 5:11 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 5:11

Restore, I pray you, even this day, their lands, their
vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses
Which they had made over to them for corn they had had, or money they borrowed of them; it is entreated that an immediate restitution be made, and the rather, if what Aben Ezra observes is true, that this was the year of release, when debts were not to be exacted, but forgiven, ( Deuteronomy 15:1-3 ) ,

also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and
the oil, that ye exact of them;
the hundredth part of the money might be what they took for usury, as the Romans did in later times, even so much a month; so that if the loan was one hundred pounds, a pound was given every month for it, and so one hundred and twelve pounds in the year; and the hundredth part of the corn, wine, and oil, might be the hundredth part of those fruits of the earth which the rulers demanded for their salary, see ( Nehemiah 5:15 ) .

Nehemiah 5:11 In-Context

9 Then I said, "What you are doing is not right. Don't you fear God? Don't let our foreign enemies shame us.

10 I, my brothers, and my men are also lending money and grain to the people. But stop charging them so much for this.

11 Give back their fields, vineyards, olive trees, and houses right now. Also give back the extra amount you charged -- the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine, and oil."

12 They said, "We will give it back and not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say." Then I called for the priests, and I made the important men and leaders take an oath to do what they had said.

13 Also I shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out everyone who does not keep his promise. May God shake him out of his house and out of the things that are his. Let that person be shaken out and emptied!" Then the whole group said, "Amen," and they praised the Lord. So the people did what they had promised.