Nehemiah 5

KJ3 Literal Translation — Chapter 5 of 13

1 ¶ And there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives, against their brothers the Jews.

2 For some were saying, With our sons and our daughters, we are many. And we take up grain for them, and we eat and live.

3 Some also were saying, We have mortgaged our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses; and we take up grain because of the famine.

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Chapter Summary

1 The Jews complain of their debt, mortgages, and bondage. 6 Nehemiah rebukes those lending at interest. 14 He forbears his own allowance, and keeps hospitality.

Key Hebrew Words

קְהִלָּ֥ה assembly H6952 · TWOT 1991b
מַשָּׁ֥א lending on interest H4855 · TWOT 1424a
שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים thirty H7970 · TWOT 2403d
כַּרְמֵי vineyard H3754 · TWOT 1040a
בְּשָׂרֵ֔ flesh H1320 · TWOT 291a

People & Context

Outcry Over Debt and Bondage

The people cry out because famine and taxes have forced them to mortgage their lands and sell their children into slavery to fellow Jews.

Nehemiah Rebukes the Nobles

Angry at the extortion, Nehemiah confronts the nobles and magistrates, holding an assembly to condemn their charging of interest and demanding restitu…

The Oath of Restitution

The leaders agree to restore the properties and stop charging interest. Nehemiah makes them swear an oath and pronounces a curse on any who break it.

Timeline

Outcry Over Debt and Bondage

The people cry out because famine and taxes have forced them to mortgage their lands and sell their children into slavery to fellow Jews.

Nehemiah 5:1-5
Nehemiah Rebukes the Nobles

Angry at the extortion, Nehemiah confronts the nobles and magistrates, holding an assembly to condemn their charging of interest and demanding restitution.

Nehemiah 5:6-11
The Oath of Restitution

The leaders agree to restore the properties and stop charging interest. Nehemiah makes them swear an oath and pronounces a curse on any who break it.

Nehemiah 5:12-13

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