Nehemiah 5:8-18

8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, ¹have 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 ²in the fear of our God ³to 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 ⁴require nothing from them. We will do as you say. ” And I called the priests and ⁵made them swear ⁶to do as they had promised.

13 ⁷I 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. ” ⁸And 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 ⁹the twentieth year to ¹⁰the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, ¹¹neither 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, ¹²because 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 ¹³at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.

18 ¹⁴Now 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 ¹⁵I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.

Nehemiah 5:8-18 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.

Cross References

• 1. 5:8 Lev. 25:48, 49
• 2. 5:9 Lev. 25:36
• 3. 5:9 ch. 4:4; [2 Sam. 12:14]
• 4. 5:12 [ch. 10:31]
• 5. 5:12 Ezra 10:5
• 6. 5:12 [Jer. 34:8, 9]
• 7. 5:13 [Acts 18:6]
• 8. 5:13 ch. 8:6; [Deut. 27:15]; 1 Chr. 16:36; Ps. 106:48
• 9. 5:14 ch. 2:1
• 10. 5:14 ch. 13:6
• 11. 5:14 [2 Thess. 3:8]
• 12. 5:15 ver. 9
• 13. 5:17 [2 Sam. 9:7, 10]; 1 Kgs. 18:19
• 14. 5:18 [1 Kgs. 4:22, 23]
• 15. 5:18 [See ver. 14 above]

Footnotes

• [a] 5:13 Hebrew 'bosom'
• [b] 5:15 Compare Vulgate; Hebrew 'took from them with food and wine afterward'
• [c] 5:15 A 'shekel' was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
• [d] 5:18 Or 'prepared for me'