8 And I said H559 unto them, We after our ability H1767 have redeemed H7069 our brethren H251 the Jews, H3064 which were sold H4376 unto the heathen; H1471 and will ye even sell H4376 your brethren? H251 or shall they be sold H4376 unto us? Then held they their peace, H2790 and found H4672 nothing H1697 to answer.
And if a sojourner H1616 or stranger H8453 wax rich H5381 by thee, H3027 and thy brother H251 that dwelleth by him wax poor, H4134 and sell H4376 himself unto the stranger H1616 or sojourner H8453 by thee, or to the stock H6133 of the stranger's H1616 family: H4940 After H310 that he is sold H4376 he may be redeemed again; H1353 one H259 of his brethren H251 may redeem H1350 him: Either his uncle, H1730 or his uncle's H1730 son, H1121 may redeem H1350 him, or any that is nigh H7607 of kin H1320 unto him of his family H4940 may redeem H1350 him; or if he be able, H5381 he may redeem H1350 himself. H3027
And he that stealeth H1589 a man, H376 and selleth H4376 him, or if he be found H4672 in his hand, H3027 he shall surely H4191 be put to death. H4191
If a man H376 be found H4672 stealing H1589 any H5315 of his brethren H251 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and maketh merchandise H6014 of him, or selleth H4376 him; then that thief H1590 shall die; H4191 and thou shalt put H1197 evil H7451 away H1197 from among H7130 you.
The nobles H5057 held H2244 their peace, H6963 and their tongue H3956 cleaved H1692 to the roof of their mouth. H2441
And G2532 unto one G3739 G3303 he gave G1325 five G4002 talents, G5007 G1161 to another G3739 two, G1417 and G1161 to another G3739 one; G1520 to every man G1538 according G2596 to his several G2398 ability; G1411 and G2532 straightway G2112 took his journey. G589
For G1063 unto every one G3956 that hath G2192 shall be given, G1325 and G2532 he shall have abundance: G4052 but G1161 from G575 him G846 that hath G2192 not G3361 shall be taken away G142 G575 even G2532 that which G3739 he hath. G2192
Now G1161 we know G1492 that G3754 what things soever G3745 the law G3551 saith, G3004 it saith G2980 to them who are under G1722 the law: G3551 that G2443 every G3956 mouth G4750 may be stopped, G5420 and G2532 all G3956 the world G2889 may become G1096 guilty G5267 before God. G2316
But G1161 if G1487 thy G4675 brother G80 be grieved G3076 with G1223 thy meat, G1033 now G3765 walkest thou G4043 not G3765 charitably. G26 G2596 Destroy G622 not G3361 him G1565 with thy G4675 meat, G1033 for G5228 whom G3739 Christ G5547 died. G599
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Nehemiah 5
Commentary on Nehemiah 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
Ne 5:1-5. The People Complain of Their Debt, Mortgage, and Bondage.
1-5. there was a great cry of the people … against their brethren—Such a crisis in the condition of the Jews in Jerusalem—fatigued with hard labor and harassed by the machinations of restless enemies, the majority of them poor, and the bright visions which hope had painted of pure happiness on their return to the land of their fathers being unrealized—must have been very trying to their faith and patience. But, in addition to these vexatious oppressions, many began to sink under a new and more grievous evil. The poor made loud complaints against the rich for taking advantage of their necessities, and grinding them by usurious exactions. Many of them had, in consequence of these oppressions, been driven to such extremities that they had to mortgage their lands and houses to enable them to pay the taxes to the Persian government, and ultimately even to sell their children for slaves to procure the means of subsistence. The condition of the poorer inhabitants was indeed deplorable; for, besides the deficient harvests caused by the great rains (Ezr 10:9; also Hag 1:6-11), a dearth was now threatened by the enemy keeping such a multitude pent up in the city, and preventing the country people bringing in provisions.
Ne 5:6-19. The Usurers Rebuked.
6-12. I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words—When such disorders came to the knowledge of the governor, his honest indignation was roused against the perpetrators of the evil. Having summoned a public assembly, he denounced their conduct in terms of just severity. He contrasted it with his own in redeeming with his money some of the Jewish exiles who, through debt or otherwise, had lost their personal liberty in Babylon. He urged the rich creditors not only to abandon their illegal and oppressive system of usury, but to restore the fields and vineyards of the poor, so that a remedy might be put to an evil the introduction of which had led to much actual disorder, and the continuance of which would inevitably prove ruinous to the newly restored colony, by violating the fundamental principles of the Hebrew constitution. The remonstrance was effectual. The conscience of the usurious oppressors could not resist the touching and powerful appeal. With mingled emotions of shame, contrition, and fear, they with one voice expressed their readiness to comply with the governor's recommendation. The proceedings were closed by the parties binding themselves by a solemn oath, administered by the priests, that they would redeem their pledge, as well as by the governor invoking, by the solemn and significant gesture of shaking a corner of his garment, a malediction on those who should violate it. The historian has taken care to record that the people did according to this promise.
14. Moreover from the time that I was appointed … I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor—We have a remarkable proof both of the opulence and the disinterestedness of Nehemiah. As he declined, on conscientious grounds, to accept the lawful emoluments attached to his government, and yet maintained a style of princely hospitality for twelve years out of his own resources, it is evident that his office of cup-bearer at the court of Shushan must have been very lucrative.
15. the former governors … had taken … bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver—The income of Eastern governors is paid partly in produce, partly in money. "Bread" means all sorts of provision. The forty shekels of silver per day would amount to a yearly salary of £1800 sterling.
17. Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews—In the East it has been always customary to calculate the expense of a king's or grandee's establishment, not by the amount of money disbursed, but by the quantity of provisions consumed (see 1Ki 4:22; 18:19; Ec 5:11).