Nehemiah 5:9

9 And I said to them, It is not (a) good thing, that ye do; why go ye not in the dread of our God, and reproof be not said to us of heathen men, our enemies? (And I said to them, It is not good what ye have done; why do ye not go in the fear of our God? and then rebuke would not be said to us by our enemies, the heathen.)

Nehemiah 5:9 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 5:9

Also I said, it is not good that ye do
The meaning is, that it was very bad; it is a "meiosis", by which more is intended than is expressed:

ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God;
in reverence of him and his law, and according to that:

because of the reproach of the Heathen our enemies?
whose mouths will be open to reproach the true religion, and the good ways of God; and say, these are the men that pretend to fear God, and serve him, and yet break his law, and use their brethren ill, see ( Romans 2:24 ) .

Nehemiah 5:9 In-Context

7 And mine heart thought with(in) me, and I blamed the principal men, and magistrates; and I said to them, Ask ye not usuries, or increase, each man of your brethren (And I thought in my heart within me, and I rebuked the leaders, and the magistrates; and I said to them, Ye should not ask for usury, or unfair interest, from your kinsmen). And I gathered together a great company against them,

8 and I said to them, As ye know, we have by our power again-bought our brethren Jews, that were sold to heathen men; and ye now sell your brethren, and shall we again-buy them of you? And they held silence, and found not what they should answer. (and I said to them, As ye know, by our power we have bought back our fellow Jews, who were sold to the heathen; but now your own kinsmen must sell themselves to you, and so now do we have to buy them back from you? And they held their peace, and found not what they should answer.)

9 And I said to them, It is not (a) good thing, that ye do; why go ye not in the dread of our God, and reproof be not said to us of heathen men, our enemies? (And I said to them, It is not good what ye have done; why do ye not go in the fear of our God? and then rebuke would not be said to us by our enemies, the heathen.)

10 Both I, and my brethren, and my servants, have lent to full many men money and wheat; in common, ask we not (for) this again; but forgive we alien money, or usury, which is due to us. (I, and my kinsmen, and my servants, have lent money and corn to a great many people; let us agree together that we shall not ask for any of this back; and let us forget about the interest, which is due to us.)

11 And again yield ye to them to day their fields, and their vineries, their olive places, and their houses; and rather, give ye for them the hundred part of money, and of wheat, of wine, and of oil, which ye were wont to take of them. (And today, give ye back to them their fields, and their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses; and give ye back to them the money, and the corn, the wine, and the oil, which ye were wont to take from them.)