Nehemiah 5:14
in Nehemiah 5Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
KJV
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
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This verse in Nehemiah 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verseFrom the day on which he commanded me to be their leader, etc. Explaining this typologically, the Apostle says: "For the Lord has ordained that those who preach the Gospel should live by the Gospel; but I have used none of these things" (I Cor. …
This site's exposition
twelve years total
on Nehemiah 5:14-16
Nehemiah turns to his own twelve years in office: "neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor" (5:14). Former governors took "bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver," but Nehemiah gives his reason: "because of my fear of God" (5:15).
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah,....
Those that rigorously insist upon their right themselves will with a very ill grace persuade others to recede from theirs. He earnestly pressed them not only not to make their poor neighbours any more such hard bargains, but to restore that which they had got into their hands,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. - From what is related here, and in the following verse, we find that the table of the governor was always supplied by the people with bread and wine; and, besides, they had forty shekels per diem for their other expenses. The people were also greatly oppressed by the servants and officers of the governor; but, during the twelve years that Nehemiah had been with them, he took not this salary, and ate none of their bread.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Moreover from the time that I was appointed . . . I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor--We have a remarkable proof both of the opulence and the disinterestedness of Nehemiah.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Have not eaten the bread of the governor - i. e. “have not, like other Persian governors, lived at the expense of the people under my government.” See Ezr 4:14 note.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּ֞ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| מִיּ֣וֹם׀ | miyom | from [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֣ה | tzivah | someone appointed | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֹתִ֗י | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִהְי֣וֹת | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| פֶּחָם֮ | pecham | governor their | H6346 → | 28 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| יְהוּדָה֒ | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| מִשְּׁנַ֣ת | mishenat | from year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| עֶשְׂרִ֗ים | ʾesrim | twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| וְ֠עַד | vead | and until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| שְׁנַ֨ת | shenat | year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים | sheloshim | thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| וּשְׁתַּ֙יִם֙ | ushetayim | and two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣סְתְּא | leartachshast' | of Artaxerxes | H783 → | 15 times |
| הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שָׁנִ֖ים | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| שְׁתֵּ֣ים | sheteim | two [plus] | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֑ה | ʾesreh | ten | H6240 → | 338 times |
| אֲנִ֣י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| וְאַחַ֔י | veachai | and brothers my | H251 → | 630 times |
| לֶ֥חֶם | lechem | [the] food of | H3899 → | 298 times |
| הַפֶּ֖חָה | hapechah | the governor | H6346 → | 28 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָכַֽלְתִּי׃ | ʾakhalti | I ate | H398 → | 810 times |
גַּ֞םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
מִיּ֣וֹם׀from [the] day
miyomH3117 →2304 times
אֲשֶׁר־when
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֣הsomeone appointed
tzivahH6680 →494 times
אֹתִ֗י<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
לִהְי֣וֹתto be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
פֶּחָם֮governor their
pechamH6346 →28 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
יְהוּדָה֒Judah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
מִשְּׁנַ֣תfrom year
mishenatH8141 →877 times
עֶשְׂרִ֗יםtwenty
ʾesrimH6242 →315 times
וְ֠עַדand until
veadH5704 →1261 times
שְׁנַ֨תyear
shenatH8141 →877 times
שְׁלֹשִׁ֤יםthirty
sheloshimH7970 →172 times
וּשְׁתַּ֙יִם֙and two
ushetayimH8147 →768 times
לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֣סְתְּאof Artaxerxes
leartachshast'H783 →15 times
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
שָׁנִ֖יםyears
shanimH8141 →877 times
שְׁתֵּ֣יםtwo [plus]
sheteimH8147 →768 times
עֶשְׂרֵ֑הten
ʾesrehH6240 →338 times
אֲנִ֣יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
וְאַחַ֔יand brothers my
veachaiH251 →630 times
לֶ֥חֶם[the] food of
lechemH3899 →298 times
הַפֶּ֖חָהthe governor
hapechahH6346 →28 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אָכַֽלְתִּי׃I ate
ʾakhaltiH398 →810 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
Nehemiah 2:1Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad…
it leads to
- Ezra 7:1
Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
- Nehemiah 1:11
O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him…
- Nehemiah 1:1
These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,
- Ezra 7:1
Through
1 Corinthians 9:18What then is my reward? That in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not use up my rights in preaching it.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 11:7–9
Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8–9
nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:6
Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.
- 1 Corinthians 8:9
Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
- 1 Corinthians 10:33
as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.
- 2 Corinthians 11:7–9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Nehemiah

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
