Nehemiah 5 (NET)

Nehemiah Intervenes on behalf of the Oppressed

1 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.1 2 There were those who said, “With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain2 grain in order to eat and stay alive.” 3 There were others who said, “We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.” 4 Then there were those who said, “We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king3 on our fields and our vineyards. 5 And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen,4 and our children are just like their children,5 still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery.6 Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help,7 since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”8

6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.9 7 I considered these things carefully10 and then registered a complaint with the wealthy11 and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral12 from your own countrymen!”13 Because of them I called for14 a great public assembly. 8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews15 who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen,16 so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.

9 Then I17 said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong!18 Should you not conduct yourselves19 in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 10 Even I and my relatives20 and my associates21 are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral!22 11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest23 that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”

12 They replied, “We will return these things,24 and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials25 swear to do what had been promised.26 13 I also shook out my garment,27 and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out28 this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.29

14 From the day that I was appointed30 governor31 in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes – twelve years in all – neither I nor my relatives32 ate the food allotted to the governor.33 15 But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to34 forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God. 16 I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing35 a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work.

17 There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely,36 in addition to those who came to us from the nations37 all around us. 18 Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was demanding on this people.

19 Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.

1tn Heb “their brothers the Jews.” 2tn Heb “take” (so also in v. 3). 3tn Heb “for the tax of the king.” 4tn Heb “according to the flesh of our brothers is our flesh.” 5tn Heb “like their children, our children.” 6tn Heb “to become slaves” (also later in this verse). 7tn Heb “there is not power for our hand.” The Hebrew expression used here is rather difficult. 8sn The poor among the returned exiles were being exploited by their rich countrymen. Moneylenders were loaning large amounts of money, and not only collecting interest on loans which was illegal (Lev 25:36-37; Deut 23:19-20), but also seizing pledges as collateral (Neh 5:3) which was allowed (Deut 24:10). When the debtors missed a payment, the moneylenders would seize their collateral: their fields, vineyards and homes. With no other means of income, the debtors were forced to sell their children into slavery, a common practice at this time (Neh 5:5). Nehemiah himself was one of the moneylenders (Neh 5:10), but he insisted that seizure of collateral from fellow Jewish countrymen was ethically wrong (Neh 5:9). 9tn Heb “words.” 10tn Heb “my heart was advised upon me.” 11tn Heb “nobles.” 12tn Heb “taking a creditor’s debt.” The Hebrew noun מַשָּׁא (masha’) means “interest; debt” and probably refers to the collateral (pledge) collected by a creditor (HALOT 641-42 s.v.). This particular noun form appears only in Nehemiah (5:7, 10; 10:32); however, it is related to מַשָּׁאָה (masha’ah, “contractual loan; debt; collateral”) which appears elsewhere (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; cf. Neh 5:11). See the note on the word “people” at the end of v. 5. The BHS editors suggest emending the MT to מָשָׂא (masa’, “burden”), following several medieval Hebrew MSS; however, the result is not entirely clear: “you are bearing a burden, a man with his brothers.” 13tn Heb “his brothers.” 14tn Heb “I gave.” 15tn Heb “our brothers, the Jews.” 16tn Heb “your brothers.” 17tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”). 18tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite. 19tn Heb “[should you not] walk.” 20tn Heb “brothers.” 21tn Heb “lads.” 22tn Heb “this debt.” This expression is a metonymy of association: “debt” refers to the seizure of the collateral of the debt. 23tc The MT reads וּמְאַת (umÿ’at, “and the hundredth”) which is somewhat enigmatic. The BHS editors suggest emending to וּמַשַּׁאת (umasha’t, “and the debt”) which refers to the interest or collateral (pledge) seized by a creditor (Deut 24:10; Prov 22:26; see HALOT 641-42 s.v. מַשָּׁא). The term מַשַּׁאת (masha’t) is related to the noun מָשָּׁא (masha’, “debt”) in 5:7, 10. 24tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity. 25tn Heb “took an oath from them”; the referents (the wealthy and the officials, cf. v. 7) have been specified in the translation for clarity. 26tn Heb “according to this word.” 27tn Heb “my bosom.” 28tn Heb “cause to stand.” 29tn Heb “according to this word.” 30tc The BHS editors suggest reading צֻוֵּאתִי (tsuvve’ti, “and I was appointed”) rather than the reading of the MT, אֹתִי צִוָּה (tsivvah ’oti, “he appointed me”). 31tc The translation reads with one medieval Hebrew MS פֶּחָה (pekhah, “governor”) rather than פֶּחָם (pekham, “their governor”) of the MT. One would expect the form with pronominal suffix to have a tav (ת) before the suffix. 32tn Heb “brothers.” 33tn Heb “the food of the governor.” Cf. v. 18. 34tc The Hebrew term אַחַר (’akhar) is difficult here. It normally means “after,” but that makes no sense here. Some scholars emend it to אַחַד (’akhad) and supply the word “day,” which yields the sense “daily.” Cf. TEV “40 silver coins a day for food and wine.” 35tn Heb “we did not purchase.” 36tn Heb “who were gathered around us at my table.” 37tn Or “from the Gentiles.” The same Hebrew word can refer to “the Gentiles” or “the nations.” Cf. the phrase in 6:16.