CHAPTER V _The people complain that they are oppressed and enthralled by_ _their richer brethren_, 1-3. _Nehemiah calls them to account; upbraids them for their cruelty;_ _and obliges them to swear that they will forgive the debts,_ _restore the mortgaged estates, and free their servants_, 4-13... [ Continue Reading ]
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 necessitous situation, and oppress us. The details which are given in the next verse are sufficiently plain.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Nehemiah 5:3. _BECAUSE OF THE DEARTH._] About the time of Zerubbabel, God had sent a judicial dearth upon the land, as we learn from _Haggai_, Haggai 1:9, c., for the people it seems were more intent on building houses for themselves than on rebuilding the house of the Lord: "Ye looked for mu... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Nehemiah 5:4. _WE HAVE BORROWED MONEY_] This should be read, _We have_ _borrowed money for the king's tribute on our lands and vineyards_. They had a tax to pay to the Persian king in token of their subjection to him, and though it is not likely it was heavy, yet they were not able to pay it.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Nehemiah 5:5. _WE BRING IN TO BONDAGE OUR SONS_] The law permitted parents to sell their children in times of extreme necessity, Exodus 21:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Nehemiah 5:7. _YE EXACT USURY_] This was expressly contrary to the law of God; and was doubly cruel at this time, when they were just returning out of the land of their captivity, and were suffering from the effects of a _dearth_. Some think that it was about the time of a Sabbatical year, whe... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Nehemiah 5:9. _OUGHT 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... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Nehemiah 5:11. _ALSO THE HUNDREDTH PART OF THE MONEY_] _Houbigant_ contends, 1. That the word מאת _meath_, which _we_ and the _Vulgate_ translate one _hundredth_ part, never means so anywhere; and 2. That it would have answered no end to have remitted to people so distressed merely the _one... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Nehemiah 5:13. _ALSO I SHOOK MY LAP_] This was a significant action frequent among the Hebrews; and something of the same nature was practised among other nations. "When the Roman ambassadors entered the senate of Carthage, they had their toga gathered up in their bosom. They said, We carry he... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 14. _I AND MY BRETHREN HAVE NOT EATEN THE BREAD OF THE_ _GOVERNOR._] From what is related here, and in the following verse, we find that the table of the governor was always supplied by the people with _bread_ and _wine_; and, besides, they had _forty shekels_ per diem for their other expenses... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 16. _NEITHER BOUGHT WE ANY LAND_] Neither he nor his officers took any advantage of the necessities of the people, to buy their lands, c. He even made his own servants to work at the wall.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 17. _A HUNDRED AND FIFTY OF THE JEWS_] He kept _open house_, entertained _all comers_; besides having _one hundred and fifty_ Jews who had their food constantly at his table, and at his expense. To be able to bear all these expenses, no doubt Nehemiah had saved money while he was cup-bearer to... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 18. _ONE OX_, AND _SIX CHOICE SHEEP_] This was food sufficient for more than _two hundred_ men. _ONCE IN TEN DAYS STORE OF ALL SORTS OF WINE_] It is supposed that every _tenth_ day they drank wine; at all other times they drank _water_; unless we suppose the meaning of the phrase to be, that... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Nehemiah 5:19. _THINK UPON ME, MY GOD, FOR GOOD_] Nehemiah wishes for no reward from _man_; and he only asks _mercy_ at the hand of his God for what his _providence_ enabled him to do; and which, according to the good hand of his God upon him, he had done _faithfully_. He does not offer his _g... [ Continue Reading ]