And I was very angry when I heard their cry, and these words. Their complaint expressed in this manner; it not only raised pity and compassion in his breast towards these poor distressed people, but indignation at the rich that oppressed them. read more
Then I consulted with myself ,.... What was to be done, what method to be taken to redress such grievances: and I rebuked the nobles and the rulers ; who were the men that monopolized the corn in this dear season, and sold it at an extravagant price, and had got the lands, vineyards, and houses of the poor mortgaged to them, and to whom they had lent money on usury: and said unto them, you exact usury everyone of his brother ; which was contrary to the express law of God, Exodus... read more
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
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
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
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
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
Also I shook my lap ,.... The fore skirts of his garment, shaking the dust out of them, as a symbol of what follows; a like rite was used in the case of peace and war, the choice of either, by the Romans, as proposed by their ambassadors to the Carthaginians, as having either in their bosom to shake out F12 Florus, l. 2. c. 6. Liv. l. 21. c. l8. : and said, so God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour ; what he has got by his labour: that performeth not his... read more
Ye exact usury - This was expressly contrary to the law of God; and was doubly cruel at this time, when they were just returning out of the land of their captivity, and were suffering from the effects of a dearth. Some think that it was about the time of a Sabbatical year, when their land must have lain at rest without cultivation, and during which they were expressly commanded not to exact any debt. Deuteronomy 15:2 . I set a great assembly against them - Brought all... read more
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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