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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Nehemiah 5:2-3

NEHEMIAH—NOTE ON Nehemiah 5:2 let us get grain. Perhaps the men who are working full time on the building project cannot do their usual work to feed their families. Some of them were mortgaging their fields and houses to pay the heavy tax charged by the Persians.

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See also Nehemiah 5:2-3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Nehemiah 5:2. _WE, OUR SONS, AND OUR DAUGHTERS, ARE MANY_] Our families are larger than we can provide for; we are obliged to go in debt; and our richer brethren take advantage of our necessitou...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    ARE MANY - A slight emendation brings this verse into exact parallelism with the next, and gives the sense - “We have pledged our sons and our daughters, that we might get corn, and eat and live.” Com...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The complaint of oppression (Nehemiah 5:1)_ 2. Nehemiah's rebuke and demands (Nehemiah 5:6) 3. Nehemiah's generosity (Nehemiah 5:14)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    DISTRESS AMONG THE JEWS. Neither this nor the next section, Nehemiah 5:14 (the two belong closely together) can be in their right place. Nehemiah 5:1 deals with the economic straits to which the Jews...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _For there were that said_ This and the two following verses describe the people's complaint. Their misfortunes were brought to a climax by the condition of hostilities, which put an end to trade and...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT AND VERSE-BY-VERSE COMMENT E. Internal difficulties arise and are overcome. 1. Selfishness and greed create a problem. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 5:1-5 1 Now there was a great outcry of the people and of...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _FOR THERE WERE THAT SAID, WE, OUR SONS, AND OUR DAUGHTERS, ARE MANY: THEREFORE WE TAKE UP CORN FOR THEM, THAT WE MAY EAT, AND LIVE._ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THESE VERSES....

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    5:2 procure (e-17) Or 'let us procure.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    NEHEMIAH'S MEASURES IN ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY 1. The people] i.e. the commons (as contrasted with the nobles and rulers, Nehemiah 5:7). These had neglected their own interests to labour gratuitously...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THEREFORE WE TAKE UP CORN] better, 'we must get corn.' The language is that of desperate men, compelled by necessity to accept the harsh conditions imposed by those to whom they had recourse for the c...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Nehemiah had organised the work well. He had selected guards to protect the people from their enemies. But there were other problems too. The wealthy *Jews thought that they saw an opportunity to make...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE *JEWS BUILD JERUSALEM’S CITY WALL AGAIN NEHEMIAH _ROBERT BRYCE AND ROBERT BETTS_ CHAPTER 5 V1 At this time, some men and their wives became angry. They complained about some other *Jews. V2 Th...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WE TAKE UP. — _Let us receive._ This is a general appeal for the governor’s help....

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ יֵשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֹמְרִ֔ים בָּנֵ֥ינוּ וּ בְנֹ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    USURY Nehemiah 5:1 WE open the fifth chapter of Nehemiah with a shock of pain. The previous chapter described a scene of patriotic devotion in which nearly all the people were united for the prosecut...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SECURING JUSTICE FOR THE POOR Nehemiah 5:1 The prospects of the poor people among the returned exiles were deplorable. There had been deficient rains and poor harvests, Haggai 1:6. They had mortgaged...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    A new difficulty now presented itself. This time it arose among the people themselves. The rich among them exacted usury from their poorer brethren to such an extent as to oppress and impoverish them....

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, [are] many: therefore we take up (b) corn [for them], that we may eat, and live. (b) This is the complaint of the people, showing the extrem...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Very. Syriac, "and our brethren are too numerous" to find meat. --- For, &c. Hebrew, Septuagint, &c., "by force." (Abenezra, &c.) --- Yet most people explain it in the sense of the Vulgate. It was pe...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) В¶ And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. (2) For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn fo...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    Liberty or Bondage? I. INTRODUCTION A. Galatians 5:1 (NKJV) Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 1. 1 Corinthia...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 2, 3, 4, 5, AND 6. The time in which Nehemiah laboured for the good of his people was not one of those brilliant phases which, if faith be there, awaken even...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, [are] many: therefore we take up corn [for them], that we may eat, and live. Ver. 2. _We, our sons, and our daughters are many_] That is a m...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _We, our sons, and our daughters, are many_ Which indeed is in itself a blessing, but to us is turned into a curse. The families that were most necessitous were most numerous. Those who have great fam...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The Iewes complaine of their debt, morgage, and bondage. 6 Nehemiah rebuketh the vsurers, and causeth them to make a couenant of restitution. 14 Hee forbeareth his owne allowance, and keepeth hosp...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Nor there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore we take up corn for them that we may eat and live. The more exact rendering of this sentence seems to be: We have mortgage...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE COMPLAINT OF THE PEOPLE ADJUSTED BY NEHEMIAH...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE GREED OF RULERS REBUKED (vv. 1-13) At a time when many were laboring unselfishly for the Lord, it is distressing to hear that others, and in fact those who were nobles and rulers, were guilty of...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-5 Men prey upon their fellow-creatures: by despising the poor they reproach their Maker. Such conduct is a disgrace to any, but who can sufficiently abhor it when adopted by professing Christians? W...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    WE, OUR SONS, AND OUR DAUGHTERS, ARE MANY; which is in itself a blessing, but to us is turned into a curse. WE TAKE UP CORN FOR THEM, i.e. we are forced by our and their necessities to take up corn, t...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Nehemiah 5:2 were H3426 said H559 (H8802) sons H1121 daughters H1323 many H7227 get H3947 (H8799) grain...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ONE UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCE OF THE CONCENTRATION ON THE BUILDING OF THE WALL PROVES NEHEMIAH'S WORTH (NEHEMIAH 5:1). Nehemiah is now revealed, not only as a great leader, but as a man of compassion. Li...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PROBLEMS FACING THE POORER PEOPLE (NEHEMIAH 5:1). The three examples that follow are representative of a whole range of problems rather than being specific, but underlying them are the problems th...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Opposition by greed and heartlessness. Nehemiah's example of unselfishness. CHARACTERS: God, Nehemiah. CONCLUSION: Nothing exposes Christianity more to the reproaches of its enemies than t...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Nehemiah 5:3. _Because of the dearth,_ specially inflicted by reason of the people's wickedness, after their return from Babylon. See more on Haggai 1:9. Nehemiah 5:5. We bring into bondage our sons a...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And there was a great cry of the people._ THE FRIEND OF THE POOR I. The complaint of the poor. It is sometimes alleged the poor have a morbid disposition to complain of their indigence and suffering...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    EXPLANATORY NOTES.] NEHEMIAH 5:1. AGAINST THEIR BRETHREN] _i. e._ the richer portion (Nehemiah 5:7). NEHEMIAH 5:2. THERE WERE THAT SAID] Keil divides into three classes. (_a_) The workers, who had no...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION INTERNAL DIFFICULTIES, AND NEHEMIAH'S MODE OF MEETING THEM (Nehemiah 5:1). While the building of the wall was in progress, but not, so far as it is stated, in direct connection with the emp...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in chapter 5, further problems arose, and this time from within. If Satan can't defeat you from his forces from without, then he seeks to wreck you from the forces within. Many times the greatest...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Genesis 41:57; Genesis 42:2; Genesis 43:8; Malachi 2:2; Psalms 127:3;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Many — Which is in itself a blessing, but to us is turned into a curse. Take up — We are forced to take up corn, upon unreasonable terms....

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