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Nehemiah 5:5

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5 Now 1our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet 2we 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."
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Nehemiah 5:5 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 5:5

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren
We are of the same nature, nation, stock, and religion: our children as their children; are circumcised as they, and have a right to the same privileges in church and state:

and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and daughters to be servants;
shall be obliged to it, unless relieved:

and some of our daughters are brought into bondage already;
sold to be servants, as they might in case of the poverty of parents, ( Exodus 21:7 ) , and some were sometimes taken to be bondmen in payment of their parents' debts, ( 2 Kings 4:1 )

neither is it in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands
and vineyards;
as pledges for money borrowed.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Nehemiah 5:5 In-Context

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 the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.
5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we 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 their outcry and these words.
7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, "You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them

Cross References 2

  • 1. Isaiah 58:7; [Genesis 29:14]
  • 2. [Exodus 21:7; Leviticus 25:39; 2 Kings 4:1]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.