Nehemiah 5:9
in Nehemiah 5So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Also I said, The thing that ye do is not good: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?
KJV
Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
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This verse in Nehemiah 5
Commentary
7 notes on this verseOught ye not to walk in the fear of our God - If ye wish to accredit that religion ye profess which comes from the God of justice and mercy; should you not, in the sight of the heathen, abstain from injustice and cruelty? Can they credit your profession, when they see such practices? The inconsistent conduct of some professors of religion does much harm in the Church of God.
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.
This site's exposition
walk in the fear of our God
Clarke draws out the argument: the foreign enemies who mocked the wall in chapter 4 were watching how Jews treated Jews. Injustice inside the city would bring reproach on the God they served. Nehemiah calls them back to the fear of our God.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Certainly you ought, for you profess religion, and relation to him; and, if you do walk in the fear of God, you will not be either covetous of worldly gain or cruel towards your brethren." Those that walk in the fear of God will not dare to do a wicked thing, Job xxxi. That it was a great scandal, and a reproach to their profession.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Reproach - Who are round about you, and observe all your actions, and will reproach both you for such barbarous usage of your brethren, and religion for your sakes.
Also I said, it is not good that ye do,....
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
I, too, and my brothers and my servants I, too, and my colleagues lent them money, and we shall abandon and relinquish to them all these loans.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאוֹמַ֕ר | vaiyomer | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| ט֥וֹב | tov | [is] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| הַדָּבָ֖ר | hadavar | the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתֶּ֣ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עֹשִׂ֑ים | ʾosim | [are] doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הֲל֞וֹא | halo' | ¿ not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בְּיִרְאַ֤ת | beyirat | in [the] fear of | H3374 → | |
| אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ | ʾeloheinu | God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| תֵּלֵ֔כוּ | telekhu | are you walking | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| מֵחֶרְפַּ֖ת | mecherpat | from [the] reproach of | H2781 → | 73 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֥ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃ | ʾoyveinu | enemies our | H341 → | 282 times |
וָאוֹמַ֕רand I said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
ט֥וֹב[is] good
tovH2896 →538 times
הַדָּבָ֖רthe thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אַתֶּ֣םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
עֹשִׂ֑ים[are] doing
ʾosimH6213 →2628 times
הֲל֞וֹא¿ not
halo'H3808 →5168 times
בְּיִרְאַ֤תin [the] fear of
beyiratH3374 →
אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙God our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
תֵּלֵ֔כוּare you walking
telekhuH1980 →1546 times
מֵחֶרְפַּ֖תfrom [the] reproach of
mecherpatH2781 →73 times
הַגּוֹיִ֥םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃enemies our
ʾoyveinuH341 →282 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 2:24As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
it leads to
- Ezekiel 36:20–23
And wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.’
- Isaiah 52:5
And now what have I here? declares the LORD. For My people have been taken without cause; those who rule them taunt, declares the LORD, and My name is blasphemed continually all day long.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Peter 2:2
Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed.
- Ezekiel 36:20–23
Through
1 Peter 2:12Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:16
keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.
- Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
- Titus 2:7–8
In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity,
- Philippians 2:15–16
so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
- 2 Corinthians 8:21
For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.
- 1 Peter 3:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Nehemiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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.