Nehemiah 5:5 - Forerunner Commentary

Nehemiah 5:5

3 There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.”

4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.

5 Yet now ^aour flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we ^bare forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”

6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, ^a“Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I² called a great assembly against them.

8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have ^aredeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.

9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk ^ain the fear of our God ^bbecause of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this¹ usury!

11 Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”

12 So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, ^aand required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.

13 Then ^aI shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. ^bThen the people did according to this promise.

The Generosity of Nehemiah

14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year ^auntil the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ^bate the governor’s provisions.

15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but ^aI did not do so, because of the ^bfear of God.

Verse Comparison: Nehemiah 5:5

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American Standard Version
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 into bondage `already': neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

Amplified® Bible
Although our flesh is the same as that of our brethren and our children are as theirs, yet we are forced to sell our children as slaves; some of our daughters have already been thus sold, and we are powerless to redeem them, for others have our lands and vineyards.

Contemporary English Version
We are Jews just as they are, and our children are as good as theirs. But we still have to sell our children as slaves, and some of our daughters have already been raped. We are completely helpless; our fields and vineyards have even been taken from us."

Darby English Version
yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

Good News Bible
We are of the same race as the other Jews. Aren't our children just as good as theirs? But we have to make slaves of our children. Some of our daughters have already been sold as slaves. We are helpless because our fields and vineyards have been taken away from us."

King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
"Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage {already,} and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others."

New International Version
Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others."

New King James Version
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards."

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
"Now our flesh resembles the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children Yet behold, we have forced our sons and our daughters to become slaves, and some of our daughters have become forced into bondage already, and we feel helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others."

Revised Standard Version
Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children are as their children; yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved; but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."

Young's Literal Translation
and now, as the flesh of our brethren `is' our flesh, as their sons `are' our sons, and lo, we are subduing our sons and our daughters for servants, and there are of our daughters subdued, and our hand hath no might, and our fields and our vineyards `are' to others.'

New English Translation
And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen,¹ and our children are just like their children,² still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery.³ Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help,⁴ since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”⁵

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