Nehemiah 5:15
in Nehemiah 5The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But the former governors that were before me were chargeable unto the people, and took of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
KJV
But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
⋯
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)
Forty shekels of silver - A daily sum from the entire province. For such a table as that kept by Nehemiah Neh 5:18, this would be a very moderate payment.
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).
This site's exposition
because of my fear of God
Barnes reads the forty shekels as a daily levy. Wesley notes that the harshness of the governors' servants is charged to the governors who allowed it. Nehemiah names his reason in one phrase, his fear of God, the fear he pressed on the nobles in verse 9.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Beside, &c. - Which they required of the people every day to defray their other expenses. Their servants - Ruled them with rigor and cruelty; which fault of the servants is charged upon their masters, because they did not restrain them. He had an awe of God's mercy, and a fear of offending him.
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
But the former governors, that had been before me, were chargeable to the people,....
He does not name them, because what he had to say of them was not to their honour, and in such a case it is good to spare names; but the people knew how chargeable they had been, and how dearly the country paid for all the benefit of their government.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the former governors . . . had taken . . . bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver--The income of Eastern governors is paid partly in produce, partly in money. "Bread" means all sorts of provision.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַפַּחוֹת֩ | vehapachot | and the governors | H6346 → | 28 times |
| הָרִאשֹׁנִ֨ים | harishonim | <the> former | H7223 → | 182 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לְפָנַ֜י | lefanai | [were] <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הִכְבִּ֣ידוּ | hikhbidu | they made heavy | H3513 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָעָ֗ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיִּקְח֨וּ | vaiyikchu | and they took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מֵהֶ֜ם | mehem | from them | ||
| בְּלֶ֤חֶם | belechem | <in> food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וָיַ֙יִן֙ | vayayin | and wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| אַחַר֙ | ʾachar | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| כֶּֽסֶף־ | kesef- | silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| שְׁקָלִ֣ים | shekalim | shekels | H8255 → | |
| אַרְבָּעִ֔ים | ʾarbaim | forty | H705 → | 136 times |
| גַּ֥ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| נַעֲרֵיהֶ֖ם | naareihem | servants their | H5288 → | 239 times |
| שָׁלְט֣וּ | shaltu | they domineered | H7980 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָעָ֑ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַאֲנִי֙ | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עָשִׂ֣יתִי | ʾasiti | I did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כֵ֔ן | khen | thus | H3651 → | 771 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֖י | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יִרְאַ֥ת | yirat | [the] fear of | H3374 → | |
| אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
וְהַפַּחוֹת֩and the governors
vehapachotH6346 →28 times
הָרִאשֹׁנִ֨ים<the> former
harishonimH7223 →182 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לְפָנַ֜י[were] <to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
הִכְבִּ֣ידוּthey made heavy
hikhbiduH3513 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָעָ֗םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַיִּקְח֨וּand they took
vaiyikchuH3947 →966 times
מֵהֶ֜םfrom them
mehem
בְּלֶ֤חֶם<in> food
belechemH3899 →298 times
וָיַ֙יִן֙and wine
vayayinH3196 →141 times
אַחַר֙after
ʾacharH310 →715 times
כֶּֽסֶף־silver
kesef-H3701 →403 times
שְׁקָלִ֣יםshekels
shekalimH8255 →
אַרְבָּעִ֔יםforty
ʾarbaimH705 →136 times
גַּ֥םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
נַעֲרֵיהֶ֖םservants their
naareihemH5288 →239 times
שָׁלְט֣וּthey domineered
shaltuH7980 →
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָעָ֑םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַאֲנִי֙and I
vaaniH589 →874 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
עָשִׂ֣יתִיI did
ʾasitiH6213 →2628 times
כֵ֔ןthus
khenH3651 →771 times
מִפְּנֵ֖י<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
יִרְאַ֥ת[the] fear of
yiratH3374 →
אֱלֹהִֽים׃God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 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
Isaiah 50:10Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him…
it leads to
- John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.
- Isaiah 26:3–4
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
- Micah 7:7–9
But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
- John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
- Psalms 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
- John 12:46
Through
Proverbs 16:6By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:16
A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Proverbs 14:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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); 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.