12 Then said H559 they, We will restore H7725 them, and will require H1245 nothing of them; so will we do H6213 as thou sayest. H559 Then I called H7121 the priests, H3548 and took an oath H7650 of them, that they should do H6213 according to this promise. H1697
Then arose H6965 Ezra, H5830 and made the chief H8269 priests, H3548 the Levites, H3881 and all Israel, H3478 to swear H7650 that they should do H6213 according to this word. H1697 And they sware. H7650
And the king H4428 went up H5927 into the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and all the men H376 of Judah H3063 and all the inhabitants H3427 of Jerusalem H3389 with him, and the priests, H3548 and the prophets, H5030 and all the people, H5971 both small H6996 and great: H1419 and he read H7121 in their ears H241 all the words H1697 of the book H5612 of the covenant H1285 which was found H4672 in the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And the king H4428 stood H5975 by a pillar, H5982 and made H3772 a covenant H1285 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 to walk H3212 after H310 the LORD, H3068 and to keep H8104 his commandments H4687 and his testimonies H5715 and his statutes H2708 with all their heart H3820 and all their soul, H5315 to perform H6965 the words H1697 of this covenant H1285 that were written H3789 in this book. H5612 And all the people H5971 stood H5975 to the covenant. H1285
If a man H376 sin H2398 against his neighbour, H7453 and an oath H423 be laid H5375 upon him to make him swear, H422 and the oath H423 come H935 before H6440 thine altar H4196 in this house; H1004 Then hear H8085 thou from heaven, H8064 and do, H6213 and judge H8199 thy servants, H5650 by requiting H7725 the wicked, H7563 by recompensing H5414 his way H1870 upon his own head; H7218 and by justifying H6663 the righteous, H6662 by giving H5414 him according to his righteousness. H6666
That whosoever would not seek H1875 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 should be put to death, H4191 whether H4480 small H6996 or great, H1419 whether man H376 or woman. H802 And they sware H7650 unto the LORD H3068 with a loud H1419 voice, H6963 and with shouting, H8643 and with trumpets, H2689 and with cornets. H7782
So the armed men H2502 left H5800 the captives H7633 and the spoil H961 before H6440 the princes H8269 and all the congregation. H6951 And the men H582 which were expressed H5344 by name H8034 rose up, H6965 and took H2388 the captives, H7633 and with the spoil H7998 clothed H3847 all that were naked H4636 among them, and arrayed H3847 them, and shod H5274 them, and gave them to eat H398 and to drink, H8248 and anointed H5480 them, and carried H5095 all the feeble H3782 of them upon asses, H2543 and brought H935 them to Jericho, H3405 the city H5892 of palm trees, H8558 H5899 to H681 their brethren: H251 then they returned H7725 to Samaria. H8111
They clave H2388 to their brethren, H251 their nobles, H117 and entered H935 into a curse, H423 and into an oath, H7621 to walk H3212 in God's H430 law, H8451 which was given H5414 by H3027 Moses H4872 the servant H5650 of God, H430 and to observe H8104 and do H6213 all the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 our Lord, H113 and his judgments H4941 and his statutes; H2706
And if the people H5971 of the land H776 bring H935 ware H4728 or any victuals H7668 on the sabbath H7676 day H3117 to sell, H4376 that we would not buy H3947 it of them on the sabbath, H7676 or on the holy H6944 day: H3117 and that we would leave H5203 the seventh H7637 year, H8141 and the exaction H4853 of every debt. H3027
And I contended H7378 with them, and cursed H7043 them, and smote H5221 certain H582 of them, and plucked off their hair, H4803 and made them swear H7650 by God, H430 saying, Ye shall not give H5414 your daughters H1323 unto their sons, H1121 nor take H5375 their daughters H1323 unto your sons, H1121 or for yourselves.
This is the word H1697 that came unto Jeremiah H3414 from the LORD, H3068 after H310 that the king H4428 Zedekiah H6667 had made H3772 a covenant H1285 with all the people H5971 which were at Jerusalem, H3389 to proclaim H7121 liberty H1865 unto them; That every man H376 should let his manservant, H5650 and every man H376 his maidservant, H8198 being an Hebrew H5680 or an Hebrewess, H5680 go H7971 free; H2670 that none should serve H5647 himself of them, to wit, of a Jew H3064 his brother. H251 Now when all the princes, H8269 and all the people, H5971 which had entered H935 into the covenant, H1285 heard H8085 that every one H376 should let his manservant, H5650 and every one H376 his maidservant, H8198 go H7971 free, H2670 that none should serve H5647 themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, H8085 and let them go. H7971
Jesus G2424 said G5346 unto him, G846 If G1487 thou wilt G2309 be G1511 perfect, G5046 go G5217 and sell G4453 that thou G4675 hast, G5224 and G2532 give G1325 to the poor, G4434 and G2532 thou shalt have G2192 treasure G2344 in G1722 heaven: G3772 and G2532 come G1204 and follow G190 me. G3427 But G1161 when the young man G3495 heard G191 that saying, G3056 he went away G565 sorrowful: G3076 for G1063 he had G2192 G2258 great G4183 possessions. G2933
But G1161 Jesus G2424 held his peace. G4623 And G2532 the high priest G749 answered G611 and said G2036 unto him, G846 I adjure G1844 thee G4571 by G2596 the living G2198 God, G2316 that G2443 thou tell G2036 us G2254 whether G1487 thou G4771 be G1488 the Christ, G5547 the Son G5207 of God. G2316
And G1161 Zacchaeus G2195 stood, G2476 and said G2036 unto G4314 the Lord; G2962 Behold, G2400 Lord, G2962 the half G2255 of my G3450 goods G5224 I give G1325 to the poor; G4434 and G2532 if G1536 I have taken G4811 any thing G1536 from any man G5100 by false accusation, G4811 I restore G591 him fourfold. G5073
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).