Nehemiah 5:11

11 Cancel all the debts they owe you - money or grain or wine or olive oil. And give them back their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses right now!"

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 wrong! You ought to obey God and do what's right. Then you would not give our enemies, the Gentiles, any reason to ridicule us.

10 I have let the people borrow money and grain from me, and so have my companions and those who work for me. Now let's give up all our claims to repayment.

11 Cancel all the debts they owe you - money or grain or wine or olive oil. And give them back their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses right now!"

12 The leaders replied, "We'll do as you say. We'll give the property back and not try to collect the debts." I called in the priests and made the leaders swear in front of them to keep the promise they had just made.

13 Then I took off the sash I was wearing around my waist and shook it out. "This is how God will shake any of you who don't keep your promise," I said. "God will take away your houses and everything you own, and will leave you with nothing." Everyone who was present said, "Amen!" and praised the Lord. And the leaders kept their promise.

Footnotes

• [a]. [One ancient translation] debts; [Hebrew unclear.]