Nehemiah 5:8
in Nehemiah 5and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, that were sold unto the nations; and would ye even sell your brethren, and should they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found never a word.
KJV
And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
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This verse in Nehemiah 5
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Nehemiah contrasts his own example with that of the rich Jews. He had spent money in redeeming some countrymen in servitude among the pagan; they were causing others to be sold into slavery among the Jews.
This site's exposition
they could find nothing to say
on Nehemiah 5:8-9
Nehemiah sets his own record against theirs. His hearers "could find nothing to say" (5:8). Verse 9 names the standard, "the fear of our God," and "the reproach of our foreign enemies," so the watching nations testify against usury.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Those whom God by his grace has made free ought not to be again brought under a yoke of bondage, Gal. v. 1; That it was a great sin thus to oppress the poor (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Be sold - Do you expect that we should pay you a price for them, as we did to the Babylonians?. Or, must we use as much importunity to solicit you for their redemption, as we did to their enemies?
And I said unto them,....
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.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֹמְרָ֣ה | vaomerah | and I said ! | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶ֗ם | lahem | to them | ||
| אֲנַ֣חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| קָ֠נִינוּ | kaninu | we have bought | H7069 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַחֵ֨ינוּ | ʾacheinu | countrymen our | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים | haiyehudim | the Jews | H3064 → | 75 times |
| הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤ים | hanimkarim | who sold themselves | H4376 → | 80 times |
| לַגּוֹיִם֙ | lagoyim | to the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| כְּדֵ֣י | kedei | according to [the] sufficiency | H1767 → | |
| בָ֔נוּ | vanu | in us | ||
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אַתֶּ֛ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תִּמְכְּר֥וּ | timkeru | you sold | H4376 → | 80 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲחֵיכֶ֖ם | ʾacheikhem | countrymen your | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְנִמְכְּרוּ־ | venimkeru- | and they were sold | H4376 → | 80 times |
| לָ֑נוּ | lanu | to us | ||
| וַֽיַּחֲרִ֔ישׁוּ | vaiyacharishu | and they were silent | H2790 → | |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מָצְא֖וּ | matzeu | they found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| דָּבָֽר׃ ס | davar | a word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
וָאֹמְרָ֣הand I said !
vaomerahH559 →5305 times
לָהֶ֗םto them
lahem
אֲנַ֣חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
קָ֠נִינוּwe have bought
kaninuH7069 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַחֵ֨ינוּcountrymen our
ʾacheinuH251 →630 times
הַיְּהוּדִ֜יםthe Jews
haiyehudimH3064 →75 times
הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤יםwho sold themselves
hanimkarimH4376 →80 times
לַגּוֹיִם֙to the nations
lagoyimH1471 →561 times
כְּדֵ֣יaccording to [the] sufficiency
kedeiH1767 →
בָ֔נוּin us
vanu
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
אַתֶּ֛םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
תִּמְכְּר֥וּyou sold
timkeruH4376 →80 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲחֵיכֶ֖םcountrymen your
ʾacheikhemH251 →630 times
וְנִמְכְּרוּ־and they were sold
venimkeru-H4376 →80 times
לָ֑נוּto us
lanu
וַֽיַּחֲרִ֔ישׁוּand they were silent
vaiyacharishuH2790 →
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
מָצְא֖וּthey found
matzeuH4672 →455 times
דָּבָֽר׃ סa word
davarH1697 →1440 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
Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:10
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- Galatians 3:22–23
But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
- Romans 2:12–18
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
- Romans 3:9
What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.
- Galatians 5:18
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
- Galatians 3:10
Through
1 Corinthians 8:11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.
it leads to
- Romans 14:15
If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.
- Romans 15:1–3
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
- Romans 14:15
Through
Matthew 25:15To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.
it leads to
- Matthew 18:24
As he began the settlements, a debtor was brought to him owing ten thousand talents.
- Matthew 18:24
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 and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.
