13 Also I shook H5287 my lap, H2684 and said, H559 So God H430 shake out H5287 every man H376 from his house, H1004 and from his labour, H3018 that performeth H6965 not this promise, H1697 even thus be he shaken out, H5287 and emptied. H7386 And all the congregation H6951 said, H559 Amen, H543 and praised H1984 the LORD. H3068 And the people H5971 did H6213 according to this promise. H1697
And the Levites H3881 shall speak, H6030 and say H559 unto all the men H376 of Israel H3478 with a loud H7311 voice, H6963 Cursed H779 be the man H376 that maketh H6213 any graven H6459 or molten image, H4541 an abomination H8441 unto the LORD, H3068 the work H4639 of the hands H3027 of the craftsman, H2796 and putteth H7760 it in a secret H5643 place. And all the people H5971 shall answer H6030 and say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that setteth light H7034 by his father H1 or his mother. H517 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that removeth H5253 his neighbour's H7453 landmark. H1366 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that maketh the blind H5787 to wander H7686 out of the way. H1870 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that perverteth H5186 the judgment H4941 of the stranger, H1616 fatherless, H3490 and widow. H490 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his father's H1 wife; H802 because he uncovereth H1540 his father's H1 skirt. H3671 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with any manner of beast. H929 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his sister, H269 the daughter H1323 of his father, H1 or the daughter H1323 of his mother. H517 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his mother in law. H2859 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that smiteth H5221 his neighbour H7453 secretly. H5643 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that taketh H3947 reward H7810 to slay H5221 an innocent H5355 person. H5315 H1818 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that confirmeth H6965 not all the words H1697 of this law H8451 to do H6213 them. And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543
And it came to pass at that time H6256 when Jeroboam H3379 went out H3318 of Jerusalem, H3389 that the prophet H5030 Ahijah H281 the Shilonite H7888 found H4672 him in the way; H1870 and he had clad H3680 himself with a new H2319 garment; H8008 and they two H8147 were alone in the field: H7704 And Ahijah H281 caught H8610 the new H2319 garment H8008 that was on him, and rent H7167 it in twelve H8147 H6240 pieces: H7168 And he said H559 to Jeroboam, H3379 Take H3947 thee ten H6235 pieces: H7168 for thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of Israel, H3478 Behold, I will rend H7167 the kingdom H4467 out of the hand H3027 of Solomon, H8010 and will give H5414 ten H6235 tribes H7626 to thee:
Then said H559 he unto me, This is the curse H423 that goeth forth H3318 over the face H6440 of the whole earth: H776 for every one that stealeth H1589 shall be cut off H5352 as on this side according H3644 to it; and every one that sweareth H7650 shall be cut off H5352 as on that side according H3644 to it. I will bring it forth, H3318 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 and it shall enter H935 into the house H1004 of the thief, H1590 and into the house H1004 of him that sweareth H7650 falsely H8267 by my name: H8034 and it shall remain H3885 in the midst H8432 of his house, H1004 and shall consume H3615 it with the timber H6086 thereof and the stones H68 thereof.
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).