Berean Standard Bible
Nehemiah 5:9
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?
Nehemiah 5:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
- New International Version (NIV)So 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 Gentile enemies?
- English Standard Version (ESV)So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
Context of Nehemiah 5:9
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 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. So 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? 10I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury. 11Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”
Read all of Nehemiah 5Nehemiah 5:9 word by word
וָאוֹמַ֕ר לֹא־ט֥וֹב הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲל֞וֹא בְּיִרְאַ֤ת אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ מֵחֶרְפַּ֖ת הַגּוֹיִ֥ם אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear
- So I continuedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Whatאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- youאַתֶּם'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.p.)H859
- are doingעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- is notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- rightטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- rightדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- you walkהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
- in the fearיִרְאָהyir'âh · fearH3374
- of our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- to avoid the reproachחֶרְפָּהcherpâh · reproachH2781
- of our foreignגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:9
- 1 Samuel 2:24No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.
- Proverbs 16:29A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.
- Proverbs 17:26It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
- Proverbs 18:5Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.
- Proverbs 19:2Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.
- Proverbs 24:23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
- Nehemiah 5:15The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people. But I did not do this, because of my fear of God.
- Genesis 20:11Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’
- Genesis 42:18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
- Leviticus 25:36Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you.
- Acts 9:31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
- Genesis 13:7And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.
- 2 Samuel 12:14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”
- Ezekiel 36:20And wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.’
- Romans 2:24As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
- 1 Timothy 5:14So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.
Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Ought 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 such practices? The inconsistent conduct of some professors of religion does much harm in the Church of God.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. 9walk in the fear of our God: See Leviticus 25:35–43. avoid the reproach: See also Nehemiah 1:3; 2:19; 4:1–3.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 5:9
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
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries