Nehemiah 5:8-12 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 5:6-13

It should seem the foregoing complaint was made to Nehemiah at the time when he had his head and hands as full as possible of the public business about building the wall; yet, perceiving it to be just, he did not reject it because it was unseasonable; he did not chide the petitioners, nor fall into a passion with them, for disturbing him when they saw how much he had to do, a fault which men of business are too often guilty of; nor did he so much as adjourn the hearing of the cause or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:8

And I said unto them ,.... The nobles, and rulers, and other rich persons that exacted usury of the poor: we after our ability ; speaking of himself in the plural number, which now obtained in the court of Persia; or of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and others, who, according as their worldly circumstances, having been captives, would admit of: have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the Heathen ; not that they had given a ransom for them to Cyrus, or any other king of Persia,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:9

Also I said, it is not good that ye do ,.... The meaning is, that it was very bad; it is a "meiosis", by which more is intended than is expressed: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God ; in reverence of him and his law, and according to that: because of the reproach of the Heathen our enemies ? whose mouths will be open to reproach the true religion, and the good ways of God; and say, these are the men that pretend to fear God, and serve him, and yet break his law, and use... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:10

I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn ,.... For our maintenance, in consideration of the services done by us, which would appear but reasonable, but this we decline for the sake of easing our poor brethren: I pray you let us leave off this usury ; and not exact it, as has been too much and too long used. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:11

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, Deuteronomy 15:1 , also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:12

Then said they, we will restore them ,.... The lands, vineyards, oliveyards, and houses: and will require nothing of them ; not the hundredth part of the fruits of the earth by way of salary: so will we do as thou sayest ; they approved of his proposal, and readily agreed to it: then I called the priests, and took an oath of them that they should do according to this promise ; not that the priests were delinquents, they were not charged with anything of this kind, nor were they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 5:9

Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God - If ye wish to accredit that religion ye profess which comes from the God of justice and mercy; should you not, in the sight of the heathen, abstain from injustice and cruelty? Can they credit your profession, when they see such practices? The inconsistent conduct of some professors of religion does much harm in the Church of God. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 5:11

Also the hundredth part of the money - Houbigant contends, That the word מאת meath , which we and the Vulgate translate one hundredth part, never means so anywhere; and 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 את מן min eth , contracted into מאת meeth , a preposition and demonstrative... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 5:1-13

1. Over-population (verse 2); 2. A recent famine (verse 3); and, 3. The weight of taxation, arising from the large amount annually demanded from the province by the Persians in the way of tribute (verse 4). As there is no reason to suppose that the tribute had been augmented recently, this cause must be viewed as constant. The over-population may have arisen, in part, from the influx of immigrants, in part from the narrow extent of the territory which the returned tribes had... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 5:1-13

Extortion rebuked. Rulers of men have no easy task. No sooner have they provided a remedy for one evil than another presents itself. Nehemiah found this to be the case. He had preserved the city from the enemies outside, and was fast proceeding with the fortifications which would be a permanent protection; but before they were completed a cry arose within which called his attention to dangers quite as threatening. Of what avail to have secured the people from the foreign foe if they were... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Nehemiah 5:6-13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Nehemiah 5:12

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 5:9

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Nehemiah 5:11

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 5:1-13

The Pulpit Commentary - Nehemiah 5:1-13

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