Nehemiah 5:10-12 sits inside this longer paragraph.
6I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them. 8I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say. 9Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies? 10I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury. 11Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”
12Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv10–11 Or, usury.
Or, usury.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv10–12 Neh 5:10 I likewise, [and] my brethren, and my…
Neh 5:10 I likewise, [and] my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
Ver. 10. I likewise, and my brethren … might exact money] To wit, for money we have lent them; or as a recompense of our public employments. But posse et nolle, nobile est to be able and willing is noble. (Seneca).
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I pray you, leave off this usury] Who can resist this sweet and sovereign admonition? See Neh 5:9. They had somewhat to say, no doubt, in defence of their usury; as also many have at this day. But let them consider, that usury is here and elsewhere cried down without distinction, Psa 15:5 Eze 18:8; Eze 18:13. That the lender dealeth not as he would be dealt withal; that St Luke maketh him worse than other sinners, when he saith, Sinners lend to sinners to receive the like, but these to receive more, Luk 6:34. That heathens condemned usury, as Aristotle in his Ethics, and Agis, the general of the Athenians, Agesilaus, king of Spartans; who, when he saw the usurers’ bills and bonds set on fire by Agis, said, That he never saw a clearer fire burn (Plut. in Solone). And lastly, that at Rome itself usurers are excommunicated monthly.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv10–12 My brethren, to wit, in office; those who are…
My brethren, to wit, in office; those who are employed with me in the government of this people.
My servants; in my name, and for my use.
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Might exact of them money and corn, as a just recompence for our pains and care for the public good, to which we wholly devote ourselves, even to the neglect of all our private concerns. But I will not rigorously exact, but do freely remit my own right, which, in those circumstances, it is my duty to do; and therefore you also ought to do so, seeing I lay no burden upon you but what I am willing to bear a part of upon my own shoulders.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv10–12 Restore, I pray you, even this day, their lands,…
Restore, I pray you, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses,.... Which they had made over to them for corn they had had, or money they borrowed of them; it is entreated that an immediate restitution be made, and the rather, if what Aben Ezra observes is true, that this was the year of release, when debts were not to be exacted, but forgiven, Deu 15:1,
also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them; the hundredth part of the money might be what they took for usury, as the Romans did in later times, even so much a month; so that if the loan was one hundred pounds, a pound was given every month for it, and so one hundred and twelve pounds in the year; and the hundredth part of the corn, wine, and oil, might be the hundredth part of those fruits of the earth which the rulers demanded for their salary, see Neh 5:15.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv10–12 Brethren - In office; these who are employed with…
Brethren - In office; these who are employed with me in the government of this people. Servants - In my name, and for my use. Exact - As a just recompense for our pains and care for the publick good, to which we wholly devote ourselves, even to the neglect of all our private concerns. But I freely remit my own right, and therefore you also ought to do so, seeing I lay no burden upon you, but what I am willing to bear a part of upon my own shoulders.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v11 Verse 11. Also the hundredth part of the money]…
Verse 11. Also the hundredth part of the money] Houbigant contends,
1. That the word מאת meath, which we and the Vulgate translate one hundredth part, never means so anywhere; and
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2. That it would have answered no end to have remitted to people so distressed merely the one hundredth part of the money which had been taken from them by usury.
He understands מאת meath as signifying the same as מן את min eth, contracted into מאת meeth, a preposition and demonstrative particle joined together, also a part FROM THE money. Neither the Syriac, Septuagint, nor Arabic acknowledges this hundredth part. Some think that the hundredth part is that which they obliged the poor debtors to pay each month, which would amount to what we would call twelve per cent. interest for the money lent, or the debt contracted. See the introduction.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv10–12 Neh 5:10. I likewise, and my brethren — In…
Neh 5:10. I likewise, and my brethren — In office; who are employed with me in the government of this people; and my servants — In my name and for my use; might exact of them money and corn — As a just recompense for our pains and care for the public good, to which we wholly devote ourselves, even to the neglect of all our private concerns. But I freely remit my own right, and therefore you also ought to remit yours, seeing I lay no burden upon you but what I am willing to bear a part of upon my own shoulders.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv10–11 I ... might exact - Nehemiah had lent, but…
I ... might exact - Nehemiah had lent, but not upon pledge.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv11–12 For them, to the Persian governors, ver. 14. (Haydock)…
For them, to the Persian governors, ver. 14. (Haydock) --- Nehemias remits this pension, which was before paid by the people, and exacted by the rich. (Wolphius) --- Du Moulin asserts that there is no question of usury, which the Jews always abhorred, much less of that which the Romans called the 100th, (Calmet) consisting in the payment of 12 per cent, (Tirinus) or one every month. (Menochius) --- Hebrew, "Give back to them, " (Haydock) that they may enjoy those things.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv10–12 10. I likewise — Nehemiah, like the true God-fearing…
10. I likewise — Nehemiah, like the true God-fearing ruler, conscious of integrity and honour, pleads his own example as one worthy of his people’s notice.
My brethren, and my servants — See notes on chap. Neh_4:16; Neh_4:23.
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Might exact — Nehemiah and those whom he associates with himself had the same opportunity to oppress their poor brethren by usury as they, but he assumes that such action would grossly unfit him and them for the position they occupied.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv10–12 10. I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants]…
10. I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants] R.V. And I likewise, my brethren and my servants. We must conclude from this verse that Nehemiah himself lent ‘on usury’ to his countrymen. The words are not, as A.V., ‘I … and my brethren, &c.’, but ‘I, my brethren, &c.’ Nehemiah takes the reply out of the mouth of his opponents. He confesses he is himself not free from blame. For ‘his own kinsfolk and dependants’ lent ‘on usury,’ and he their head and representative was responsible for them. They may have been generous and forbearing, but they had violated the principle, which he was upholding: and in so far, Nehemiah accepted the blame of his house. Some suppose that Nehemiah in lending did not require a pledge, and thus differed from the regular money-lenders. ‘Brethren,’ ‘servants.’ See note on Neh_4:23.
might exact of them money and corn] R.V. do lend them money and corn on usury. The rendering of the A.V. ‘might exact’ seems to be dictated by the desire to save the honour of Nehemiah and of his house. But the clause does not claim a privilege, but states a fact. By diplomatically accepting the responsibility of a share in the general guilt, he conciliates his hearers and disarms them of a retort. Nevertheless we gather from the clause that it was not so much ‘usury’ as the abuse of usury, the excessive and tyrannical rate of interest exacted from the poor, which excited his indignation against the rich.
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I pray you] These words render a Hebrew particle adding urgency to the request, without introducing the idea of supplication, cf. Neh_1:5. It might be rendered ‘Come now, let us leave off, &c.’
let us leave off this usury] Nehemiah invites his hearers to join with him in abandoning a custom which had been productive of such evil results. ‘This usury,’ i.e. requiring of interest or of pledges. LXX. ἀπαίτησιν. Not the lending but the plan of making a gain out of loans to the poor, whether by demanding interest upon loans or seizing the pledge which had been the security for an advance, is condemned.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv10–12 (10) Might exact.—We have lent them money and corn.…
(10) Might exact.—We have lent them money and corn. By his own example the governor pleads with them: not “let us leave off this usury,” but let us all and together “remit the loans.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv10–12 I likewise... might exact of them. Rather, "have lent…
I likewise... might exact of them. Rather, "have lent them." I and mine have advanced to the poorer classes, in this period of their distress, money and corn; but not as you have, not upon security. Let us then, all of us, you as well as I, henceforth relinquish this practice of mortgaging and pledge-taking.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v10 Let us leave off this usury.
Neh_5:10
Let us leave off this usury.
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Wise rebuke
He did not stand on a pedestal and look down on them with scorn and contempt; he rather placed himself alongside of the offenders, that he might lift them to a higher level. Let us learn from this beautiful example how best to rebuke and restore an erring brother or sister. (W. P. Lockhart.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v12 Then they said
Then they said
Here "they" refers to the Jewish leaders.
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We will return what we took from them
The Jewish leaders are saying they will return the money which the poorer Jews paid in interest charges.
made them swear
Here the word "them" refers to the Jewish leaders.
Then I called
"I" refers to Nehemiah.
I shook out the fold of my robe
"I shook out the pockets of my robe." Many times in the Old Testament, oaths were physically demonstrated as a witness to what was promised. Nehemiah is demonstrating to the Jewish leaders what will happen if they break the promise they had made. (See: Symbolic Action)
So may God shake out of his house ... So may he be shaken out and emptied
Here Nehemiah speaks of God taking away all of a man's possessions as if God were shaking him out of his home and possessions like Nehemiah shook out his robe. AT: "So may God take away from every man who does not keep his promise all of his possessions and his home like I have taken everything out of the fold of my robe" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
priest
oath
promise
robe
God
possess
promise
assembly
amen
praise
Yahweh
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv10–12 5:10 I myself . . . have been lending:…
5:10 I myself . . . have been lending: Nehemiah and his associates were evidently making loans without burdening people. Nehemiah’s example was the solution: to give financial help without pushing people further into debt by charging interest (see Deut 15:7-11).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.