Nehemiah 5:15

15 But the first dukes, that were before me, grieved the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and money, each day forty shekels; and also their ministers oppressed the people. But I did not so, for the dread of God; (But the former governors, who were there before me, grieved the people, and took from them bread, and wine, and money, forty shekels worth, each day; and their servants, and their officers, also oppressed the people. But I did not do so, for the fear of God/because of my reverence for God;)

Nehemiah 5:15 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 5:15

But the former governors, that had been before me, were
chargeable to the people
Between him and Zerubbabel, for Ezra was no governor; according to the Jewish chronology ^F13, when Ezra came to Jerusalem, Zerubbabel returned to Babylon, and there died, and his son Methullam was in his stead, and after him succeeded Hananiah his son:

and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver;
which amounted to between four and five pounds, and this they had every day:

yea, even their servants bare rule over the people;
required a salary, or at least perquisites of them, which the governors connived at:

but so did not I, because of the fear of God;
neither took anything himself of the people, nor suffered his servants; because the fear of God was upon his heart, and before his eyes, and therefore could not allow himself to oppress the poor.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Seder Olam Zuta, p. 108, 109.

Nehemiah 5:15 In-Context

13 And furthermore I shook my bosom, and I said, So (may) God shake away each man from his house, and from his travails, that fulfilleth not this word; and be he shaken away, and be he made void. And all the multitude said, Amen; and they praised God. And the people did, as it was said (And all the people/And all the leaders did, as they had promised).

14 Forsooth from that day in which the king had commanded to me, that I should be duke in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes (the) king, that is, by twelve years, I and my brethren ate not the sustenances which were due to dukes. (And from the day in which the king had commanded me, that I should be the governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year unto the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, that is, for twelve years, I and my kinsmen did not take the sustenances, that is, the food allowances, which were due to the governor.)

15 But the first dukes, that were before me, grieved the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and money, each day forty shekels; and also their ministers oppressed the people. But I did not so, for the dread of God; (But the former governors, who were there before me, grieved the people, and took from them bread, and wine, and money, forty shekels worth, each day; and their servants, and their officers, also oppressed the people. But I did not do so, for the fear of God/because of my reverence for God;)

16 but rather I subjected myself, and I builded in the work of the wall (and I helped rebuild the wall), and I bought no field, and all my servants were gathered together with me to (do) the work.

17 Also [the] Jews and the magistrates of them, an hundred and fifty men, and they that came to me from heathen men, that be in our compass, were eating in my table. (And some of the Jews and their magistrates, a hundred and fifty men, and also some of the heathen, who came to me from all around us, ate at my table.)