Berean Standard Bible
Nehemiah 5:7
7and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!”
So I called a large assembly against them
Nehemiah 5:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
- New International Version (NIV)I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them
- English Standard Version (ESV)I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, "You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them
- New King James Version (NKJV)After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them.
Context of Nehemiah 5:7
5We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” 6When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry, and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them 8and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say. 9So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
Read all of Nehemiah 5Nehemiah 5:7 word by word
וַיִּמָּלֵ֨ךְ לִבִּ֜י עָלַ֗י וָאָרִ֙יבָה֙ אֶת־הַחֹרִ֣ים וְאֶת־הַסְּגָנִ֔ים וָאֹמְרָ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם מַשָּׁ֥א אִישׁ־בְּאָחִ֖יו אַתֶּ֣ם נֹשְׂאִים וָאֶתֵּ֥ן עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם קְהִלָּ֥ה גְדוֹלָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- and after seriousלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- thoughtמָלַךְmâlak · to adviseH4427
- ·עַל‛al · uponH5921
- I rebukedרִיבrîyb rûb · to contendH7378
- ·אֵת'êth · withH854
- the noblesחֹרchôr chôr · nobleH2715
- and officialsסָגָןsâgân · rulerH5461
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Youאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- Youאַתֶּם'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.p.)H859
- are exactingנָשָׁאnâshâ' · to exactH5378
- usuryמַשָּׁאmashshâ' · interestH4855
- from your own brothersאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- So I calledנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- a largeגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- assemblyקְהִלָּהqehillâh · assemblyH6952
Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:7
- Psalms 4:4Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah
- Psalms 27:8My heart said, “Seek His face.” Your face, O LORD, I will seek.
- Leviticus 19:15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment.
- Psalms 82:1God presides in the divine assembly; He renders judgment among the gods:
- Proverbs 27:5Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
- Galatians 2:11When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
- 1 Timothy 5:20But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.
- Exodus 22:25If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
- Leviticus 25:36Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you.
- Deuteronomy 15:2This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed.
- Deuteronomy 23:19Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan.
- Deuteronomy 24:10When you lend anything to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect security.
- Psalms 15:1O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
- Ezekiel 22:12In you they take bribes to shed blood. You engage in usury, take excess interest, and extort your neighbors. But Me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Ye 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, when their land must have lain at rest without cultivation, and during which they were expressly commanded not to exact any debt. Deuteronomy 15:2. I set a great assembly against them…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Ye exact usury - The phrase is unique to Nehemiah, and is best explained by the context, which shows the practice of the rich Jews at the time to have been not so much to lend on usury as to lend on mortgage and pledge.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-13Verses 6-13 Nehemiah knew that, if he built Jerusalem's walls ever so high, so thick, or so strong, the city could not be safe while there were abuses. The right way to reform men's lives, is to convince their consciences. If you walk in the fear of God, you will not be either covetous of worldly gain, or cruel toward your brethren. Nothing exposes religion more to reproach, than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of the professors of it. Those that…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7Nehemiah was very angry, but he controlled himself. He thought it over and then spoke to resolve the conflict instead of worsening it (see James 1:19–20).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-196-12. I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words--When such disorders came to the knowledge of the governor, his honest indignation was roused against the perpetrators of the evil. Having summoned a public assembly, he denounced their conduct in terms of just severity. He contrasted it with his own in redeeming with his money some of the Jewish exiles who, through debt or otherwise, had lost their personal liberty in Babylon. He urged the…Read the comment
Topics related to Nehemiah 5:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Nehemiah 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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