Table of Contents
Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah 5
1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.
14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.
17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.
18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Notes
Cross Reference
Concordance
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 1
<html><b>Now the cry of the people and their wives was great</b> The poor people were crying exceedingly. <b>about their brothers, the Jews</b> about their brothers, the rich Jews.</html>
Verse 2
<html><b>There were some who were saying</b> He gives a reason for his words: Why were they crying? Some of the poor people were saying, “We are many with our sons and daughters and have to buy corn. Now we will have to sell our sons and daughters in order to buy corn in order to live.” So were they crying about the rich Jews who did not wish to support them.</html>
Verse 3
<html><b>And there were some who were saying “Our fields, etc.”</b> And there were some among the poor who were complaining and saying “Our fields, vineyards and houses we shall give to others as a pledge and as security to buy corn for our food.” <b>for the hunger</b> since the rich do not give any of their property up to us for our support.</html>
Verse 4
<html><b>And there were some who were saying, “We have borrowed money”</b> And there were some who were saying, “We have already borrowed money from others on our fields and our vineyards to pay the king’s tax, and now we have nothing for our support.” <b>for the king’s tax</b> Heb. לְמִדַּת, for the king’s tax, like (Ezra 4:13): “…the king’s due (מִנְדָּה), the head tax, and the meal tax.”</html>
Verse 5
<html><b>And now, like the flesh of our brethren is our flesh</b> And now, we are as esteemed and distinguished as our brethren who are rich. <b>like their children are our children</b> Like their children, who are esteemed and distinguished, so are our children distinguished. <b>and behold, we are subjecting</b> And now we have to subject and deliver our sons and daughters to others for the sake of our sustenance. <b>and some of our daughters are subjected</b> And already there are some of our daughters who are subjected to others in slavery. <b>and we have no power</b> We do not have the ability to redeem them. <b>and others have our fields and vineyards</b> We have even delivered our fields and vineyards to others for our sustenance. From now on, what shall we eat? We have nothing with which to sustain ourselves.</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>And I thought this over to myself</b> Heb. וַיִמָלֵךְ לִבִּי עָלַי, and my heart took counsel within myself. <b>and I contended</b> I contended with the nobles and the prefects, who were the rich people. <b>“Are you demanding each other’s loans?”</b> Why are you doing this? You should have supported these poor people, but you are lending them money in order to appropriate their sons and daughters, their fields, vineyards and houses. <b>and I gathered a large assembly around them</b> I congregated and gathered a large assembly around them to shout at them in order to embarrass them.</html>
Verse 8
<html><b>And I said to them</b> And so I said to them: We already bought our Jewish brethren who were in captivity from the heathens to whom they were sold. <b>with as much as we could afford</b> with as much money as was in our hands. <b>and you too</b> And you too will sell to the heathens your brethren who are subjected to you as slaves? <b>and they will be sold to us</b> And the result will be that they will be sold to us by the heathens (and if so, why should you sell them, since we will be compelled to redeem them? This is found in certain editions). <b>and they remained silent</b> They were silent and ashamed, and they did not know what to answer.</html>
Verse 9
<html><b>The thing…is not good</b> The thing is evil in the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He. <b>because of the reproach</b> because of the reproach of the heathens who are our enemies.</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>I, too, and my brothers and my servants</b> I, too, and my colleagues lent them money, and we shall abandon and relinquish to them all these loans. <b>have lent</b> Heb. נֹשִׁים, like (II Kings 4:1): “…and the creditor (וְהַנֹשֶּׁה) has come to take.”</html>
Verse 11
<html><b>give back</b> And you shall also do as I do, to relinquish all their debts to them. <b>and the hundred silver pieces</b> and the large amount of money that they owe you with the corn and the wine, etc.</html>
Verse 12
<html><b>And they said, “We shall return”</b> And they said [that they were willing] to return and to relinquish all. <b>to do according to this promise</b> that they too should relinquish.</html>
Verse 13
<html><b>I also shook out my garment</b> Heb. חָצְנִי, I also shook out my garment. חָצְנִי is like (Isa. 49: 22): “…and they shall bring your sons on the skirt of their garments (בְּחֹצֶן).” <b>my garment</b> is escrol(l)e in Old French, I shook out, like (ibid. 52:2): “Shake yourself (הִתְנַעֲרִי) from the dust.” <b>So shall…shake out</b> So shall the Holy One, blessed be He, shake out from the world and from their property those who do not relinquish their debts. <b>shake out and empty</b> without property.</html>
Verse 14
<html><b>that he commanded me</b> i.e., the king. <b>governor</b> Heb. פֶּחָם, like פֶּחָה, ruler, after the pattern of רֵיקָם, empty, like רֵֵֵיקָה. <b>from the twentieth year</b> of King Darius, for then he ascended from Babylon, as it is stated (2:1): “Now it came to pass in the month of Nissan in the twentieth year, etc.” <b>twelve years</b> which equal twelve years. <b>my brethren and I</b> I and my colleagues who came with me. <b>have not eaten the food allotted to the governor</b> the food that was fit for the governor, which the people give the governor from the tax.</html>
Verse 15
<html><b>burdened the people</b> Heb. הִכְבִּידוּ, lit. made heavy. They made the tax heavy upon the people. <b>and took</b> They would take bread and wine from them for the tax after they had already given forty silver shekels, and they were accustomed to doing this every year. <b>also their servants</b> [i.e., the servants] of the governors.</html>
Verse 16
<html><b>wall</b> the wall of the city. <b>I adhered</b> I busied myself to engage in it constantly. <b>and we did not buy a field</b> But neither I nor my associates bought the fields of the Jews who were building the wall because of their poverty; they were engaged in building the wall, but I gave them money in order to build the wall. <b>over the work</b> to build constantly.</html>
Verse 17
<html><b>one hundred and fifty men</b> were eating at my table, in addition to the proselytes who came to us from the gentiles, for they too were eating at my table.</html>
Verse 18
<html><b>And what was prepared</b> And every day they ate at my table one ox, six sheep and many birds. <b>prepared</b> Heb. בְּרֻרוֹת. Its interpretation is according to the context: six prepared sheep, like the matter that is stated (I Sam. 25:18): “…five prepared (עֲשׂוּיוֹת) sheep.” <b>were prepared for me</b> Heb. נַעֲשּׂוּ, an expression of preparation, like (Gen. 18:8): “…and the calf that he had prepared (עָשָּׂה).” <b>and as much as ten days’ supply</b> Heb. וּבֵין עֲשֶּׂרֶת יָמִים, lit. and between ten days. And every day they drank much wine, the amount that suffices for ten days. <b>and for this</b> Heb. וְעִם זֶה ; and this procedure, for which I used to make such big expenditures. <b>food</b> of the tax, which is fit for the governor, I did not seek, and I did not request it of the people, for the work of the building of the wall was heavy and strong upon them.</html>