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nehemiah 5:1-13

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Nehemiah 5:1-13

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”

— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

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.

Nehemiah 5:1-13 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Nehemiah 5:1

Theological / Devotional

A great cry. It is uncertain when some of the events described in this chapter took place. Not all of them can have occurred during the building of the wall, since verse 14 carries the record to the close of Nehemiah’s 12 years as governor. At most only verses 1-13 can be assigned to the time of building the wall. It is true that labor on the wall without pay would take many away from their ordinary means of livelihood. On the other hand, the work was completed in too short a time to occasion serious economic distress, especially of the kind here described. There is no hint in the narrative that the distress was connected with the work of reconstruction. The grievances lay much deeper, and had been developing over a long period of time, but came to a crisis during the building of the wall (see PK 646). In verses 14-19 Nehemiah gives an account of his personal conduct while in office as governor of Judea (see 1 Samuel 12:3-5).

The cry was one of dire distress. The plaintiffs were the poor among the people, and the defendants their more well-to-do brethren (see 2 Kings 24:14).

By SdaBc

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