Nehemiah 5:1

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

There was a great cry of the people ... against their brethren. Such a crisis in the condition of the Jews in Jerusalem-fatigued with hard labour, and harassed by the machinations of restless enemies, the majority of them poor, and the bright visions which hope had painted, of pure happiness on their return to the land of their fathers, being unrealized-must have been very trying to their faith and patience. But, in addition to these vexatious oppressions, many began to sink under a new and more grievous evil. The poor made loud complaints against the rich for taking advantage of their necessities, and grinding them by usurious exactions. Numbers of them had, in consequence of these oppressions, been driven to such extremities that they had to mortgage their lands and houses to enable them to pay the taxes to the Persian government, and, ultimately, even to sell their children for slaves to procure the means of subsistence. The condition of the poorer inhabitants was indeed deplorable; because, besides the deficient harvests caused by the great rains (Ezra 10:9; also Haggai 1:6), a dearth was now threatened by the enemy keeping such a multitude pent up in the city and preventing the country people bringing in provisions.