Nehemiah 5:4

4 And still others were saying, "We are borrowing money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.

Nehemiah 5:4 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 5:4

There were also that said
Who though they were able to buy corn for their families without mortgaging their estates: yet, say they,

we have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands
and vineyards;
for though the priests, Levites, and Nethinims, were exempted from it, yet not the people in common; and some of these were so poor, that they could not pay it without borrowing upon their estates, and paying large usury for it, see ( Ezra 6:8 ) ( 7:24 )

Nehemiah 5:4 In-Context

2 Some of them were saying, "We have many sons and daughters in our families. To eat and stay alive, we need grain."
3 Others were saying, "We are borrowing money against our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain because there is not much food."
4 And still others were saying, "We are borrowing money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.
5 We are just like our fellow Jews, and our sons are like their sons. But we have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves. Some of our daughters have already been sold. But there is nothing we can do, because our fields and vineyards already belong to other people."
6 When I heard their complaints about these things, I was very angry.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.