Nehemiah 5:18 - Exposition

Once in ten clays store of all sorts of wine . Literally, "all sorts of wine in abundance." Wine was probably drunk every day, but laid in every ten days. Yet for all this. Or, " with all this"—notwithstanding this great expenditure, I took no allowance as governor. Because the bondage was heavy upon this people . The bondage intended must be that under the Persian crown, since neither the labour at the wall nor the oppression of the creditors lasted during the twelve years that Nehemiah was governor. It would seem that the tribute, already complained of in verse 4, must have been felt as a heavy burthen at this period.