Nehemiah 9:37

Yieldeth much increase. That is, the Persian monarchs derived a large revenue from Judea. The amount paid by the small province of Judea is not known, but the satrapy “Beyond the River,” to which Judea belonged, paid annually 350 talents of silver (Herodotus iii. 91), or about 11.6 (10.9 metric) tons if in light talents, plus a large contribution in kind.

Dominion over our bodies. The Persians exercised the right to draft their subjects into military service, to fight on land and sea. Jews had no doubt taken part in the expeditions of Darius and Xerxes against Greece, and many may have been killed in some of the disastrous defeats the Persian armies suffered there.

Over our cattle. This refers to the fact that the foreign rulers took what they wanted, and the nominal owners had to be content with what was left. Though a man possessed great herds he could never know how much benefit would accrue to him from them. Beasts of burden were probably commandeered for military service.

Great distress. Since the rulers appropriated Jewish property at will, the yield of both the soil and the herd, this distress probably included dire poverty. The term also included the anguish of soul of a liberty-loving people as they suffered galling servitude on the land which was theirs by divine gift. Yet there is no murmur against God. His hand is plainly seen in all the suffering, and their bitterness is only self-reproach.