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Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.
Verse 1. Cry. V. Bede (iii. 21) complains of some pastors who neglect the flock, but exacted revenues. May not the same complaint still be made? Worthington.
For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
Verse 2. Very. Syr. “and our brethren are too numerous” to find meat.—For, and so forth Hebrew Septuagint and so forth “by force.” Abenezra, and so forth—Yet most people explain it in the sense of the Vulg. It was permitted to sell children in extreme distress, Exodus 21:7. Grot. Calmet.
There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”
Verse 3. Let us. Prot. “We have mortgaged.”—Famine, or “hunger.” Bible.
There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.
Verse 4. Let us. Septuagint Mont. “We have borrowed” on usury, contrary to Exodus 22:25. The Jews were still obliged to pay tribute.
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
Verse 5. Brethren, who are still in captivity, or we are of the same nature as the rich, ( Calmet.) who so cruelly oppress us. Menochius.
“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.
Verse 7. Against them, as a private rebuke would not suffice. Tirinus.
I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.
Verse 8. Redeemed, by paying the ransom to the Babylonians, or by using all our endeavours to procure the releasement of our brethren. Calmet.—For us. Prot. “or shall they be sold unto us?” Bible.—A true pastor practises what he preaches to others. Worthington.
Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.
Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”
Verse 11. For them, to the Persian governors, verse 14. Bible.—Nehemias remits this pension, which was before paid by the people, and exacted by the rich. Wolphius.—Du Moulin asserts that there is no question of usury, which the Jews always abhorred, much less of that which the Romans called the 100th, ( Calmet.) consisting in the payment of 12 per cent, ( Tirinus.) or one every month. Menochius.—Hebrew “Give back to them,” ( Bible.) that they may enjoy those things.
Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.
Verse 12. Oath of them. Priests, in private, ( Menochius.) who were not innocent; ( Tirinus.) or these were witnesses of the oath taken by the rich. Piscator.
Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. The people did according to this promise.
Verse 13. Lap, or skirt of my robes. Tirinus.—Such figurative actions were very common. Thus a Roman ambassador at Carthage, folding up his garment, said he brought peace or war. Livy 21:18. Calmet.—Said. Behold how easily was that effected at Jerusalem, which the Romans could never perfectly bring about, after the most violent riots! Tirinus.
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor.
Verse 14. Not eat, out of pity for the poor. Menochius.—He was supported by the king, ( Calmet.) or by his own patrimony. Bible. verse 11.
But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.
A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.
Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work.
Verse 16. Wall, pleading no exemption, but making my servants work. Calmet.—Though no particular portion was assigned to him, he helped all. Tirinus.—No land, as I might have done, on advantageous terms. Bible.—Rare example of disinterestedness! He praises himself without vanity, only to induce others to follow the same course. So Moses, David, Saint Paul, and others acted. Numbers 12:3. and so forth
Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.
Verse 17. Men, my brethren, not ( Calmet.) Persians. Grot.—Them; ambassadors. Menochius.—If Nehemias behaved with such generosity for twelve years, he must have been very rich; or he received a great pension from the king, or voluntary and abundant contributions from the rich.
Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
Verse 18. Wines. This was only produced, in abundance, on extraordinary occasions; for the people of the East do not drink wine at every feast. Sirach 31:17. Calmet.—Yearly. Septuagint “Moreover, loaves of extortion I did not seek, because a hard servitude lay upon this people.” Bible.
Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.
Verse 19. Good. A good conscience confidently hopeth for a reward. Worthington.