Nehemiah 5:7
in Nehemiah 5and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I held a great assembly against them.
KJV
Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
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This verse in Nehemiah 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Ye exact usury - The phrase is unique to Nehemiah, and is best explained by the context, which shows the practice of the rich Jews at the time to have been not so much to lend on usury as to lend on mortgage and pledge.
This site's exposition
very angry when I heard
on Nehemiah 5:6-7
Nehemiah's anger is not impulsive: he hears the cry, and then he consults with himself before he rebukes the nobles and rulers, deliberation placed between the provocation and the act. He charges them plainly, ye exact usury every one of his brother, and answers a private wrong with a public remedy, a great assembly set against them. Wesley sets the moment beside Ezra's earlier response to a like sin, one leader reforming his people by tears and another by direct confrontation, both serving the same God by different tempers.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And he rebuked the nobles and magistrates, etc. As the best leader of the heavenly army, and a wise architect of the city of God, what he wanted the nobles and magistrates of the people to do, he first declared that he himself had done; …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Ezra was a man of a mild tender spirit, and when told of the sin of the rulers, rent his clothes and wept: Nehemiah forced them to reform, being of a warm and eager spirit. So God's work may be done, and yet different methods taken in doing it; which is a good reason why we should not arraign the management of others, nor make our own standard.
Then I consulted with myself,....
By this it appears that his anger was not excessive, but kept within bounds, that, though his spirit was provoked, he did not say or do any thing unadvisedly.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words--When such disorders came to the knowledge of the governor, his honest indignation was roused against the perpetrators of the evil.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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. Deu 15:2. I set a great assembly against them - Brought all these delinquents before the rulers of the people.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ | vaiyimalekh | and it considered | H4427 → | |
| לִבִּ֜י | libi | heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| עָלַ֗י | ʾalai | with me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙ | vaarivah | and I contended ! | H7378 → | 67 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| הַחֹרִ֣ים | hachorim | the nobles | H2715 → | 13 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and with | H854 → | 929 times |
| הַסְּגָנִ֔ים | haseganim | the officials | H5461 → | 17 times |
| וָאֹמְרָ֣ה | vaomerah | and I said ! | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶ֔ם | lahem | to them | ||
| מַשָּׁ֥א | masha' | usury | H4855 → | 3 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בְּאָחִ֖יו | beachiv | on brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
| אַתֶּ֣ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| נֹשְׂאִים | nosim | [are] lending | H5375 → | 656 times |
| וָאֶתֵּ֥ן | vaeten | and I made | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| קְהִלָּ֥ה | kehilah | an assembly | H6952 → | |
| גְדוֹלָֽה׃ | gedolah | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
וַיִּמָּלֵ֨ךְand it considered
vaiyimalekhH4427 →
לִבִּ֜יheart my
libiH3820 →595 times
עָלַ֗יwith me
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙and I contended !
vaarivahH7378 →67 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
הַחֹרִ֣יםthe nobles
hachorimH2715 →13 times
וְאֶת־and with
veetH854 →929 times
הַסְּגָנִ֔יםthe officials
haseganimH5461 →17 times
וָאֹמְרָ֣הand I said !
vaomerahH559 →5305 times
לָהֶ֔םto them
lahem
מַשָּׁ֥אusury
masha'H4855 →3 times
אִישׁ־each
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
בְּאָחִ֖יוon brother his
beachivH251 →630 times
אַתֶּ֣םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
נֹשְׂאִים[are] lending
nosimH5375 →656 times
וָאֶתֵּ֥ןand I made
vaetenH5414 →2011 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֖םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
קְהִלָּ֥הan assembly
kehilahH6952 →
גְדוֹלָֽה׃great
gedolahH1419 →526 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 15:5who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
it leads to
- Exodus 22:25
If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 18:8
He does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 23:19–20
Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 16:19
Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
- Ezekiel 22:12
In you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But Me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.
- Exodus 22:25
Through
Leviticus 19:15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I…
- Deuteronomy 27:19
‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
- Deuteronomy 1:17
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.