Nehemiah 5:15

Nehemiah 5:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
• New International Version (NIV)But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

Context of Nehemiah 5:15

13I shook my coat so that everything fell out of its pockets. I said, ‘You must all do what you have promised to do. If not, I pray that God will shake you out like that! He will take away your homes and all your things. You will be left with nothing!’ Everyone at the meeting said, ‘Amen, we agree!’ They praised the Lord. All the people did what they had promised to do. 14All the time that I ruled the land of Judah, I did not eat the government officer's special food. I was the ruler from the 20th year of King Artaxerxes until his 32nd year as king. For all those 12 years, I and my relatives refused to eat the special food. The officers who ruled there before I came made much trouble for the people. They took food and wine from the people, as well as 40 silver coins every day. Their servants also gave the people much trouble. But I did not live like them, because I wanted to please God. 16I worked hard to help the work on the city's walls. I did not take any land for myself. All my servants also had to join with me in the work. 17150 Jews and their officers ate meals with me. There were also people who came to visit from countries that were near to us.

Nehemiah 5:15 word by word

וְהַפַּחוֹת֩ הָרִאשֹׁנִ֨ים אֲשֶׁר־לְפָנַ֜י הִכְבִּ֣ידוּ עַל־הָעָ֗ם וַיִּקְח֨וּ מֵהֶ֜ם בְּלֶ֤חֶם וָיַ֙יִן֙ אַחַר֙ כֶּֽסֶף־שְׁקָלִ֣ים אַרְבָּעִ֔ים גַּ֥ם נַעֲרֵיהֶ֖ם שָׁלְט֣וּ עַל־הָעָ֑ם וַאֲנִי֙ לֹא־עָשִׂ֣יתִי כֵ֔ן מִפְּנֵ֖י יִרְאַ֥ת אֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But the formerרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · first: previousH7223
• governorsפֶּחָהpechâh · governorH6346
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• me were chargeableכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: heavyH3513
• unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and had takenלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• of them breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: allowanceH3899
• and wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• besideאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• fortyאַרְבָּעִים'arbâ‛îym · fortyH705
• shekelsשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
• of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• yea, evenגַּםgam · alsoH1571
• their servantsנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• bare ruleשָׁלַטshâlaţ · to domineerH7980
• but so didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• not I, becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face: becauseH6440
• of the fearיִרְאָהyir'âh · fearH3374
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:15

• 1 Samuel 2:15Their servant would even come before the fat was removed from the meat to be burned as a sacrifice. He would say to the person who had brought the sacrifice, ‘Give me some of the meat for the priest to bake. He will not accept meat that has already boiled. He will only accept meat that is fresh.’
• 1 Samuel 8:15He will take a tenth part of all your seeds and grapes. He will give them to his officers and servants.
• Proverbs 29:12When a ruler listens to lies, all his officers will be wicked.
• Matthew 5:47If you are only kind to your friends, then you are not doing anything special. Even people who do not believe in God do that.
• 2 Corinthians 11:9When I was there with you, I never made you help me. Even when I needed something, I did not cause trouble to anyone. Instead, the believers who came from Macedonia gave me everything that I needed. I was very careful never to cause you to have trouble. And I will continue to be careful like that.
• 2 Corinthians 12:13I worked among you in the same way as I did with the other churches. You were never less important to me than they are. The only difference is that I did not ask you to help me with money. So perhaps I should ask you to forgive me for that!
• Nehemiah 5:9Then I said to them, ‘You are doing something that is completely wrong. Instead, you should obey God and live in a good way. Then the foreign people who are our enemies will not have a chance to insult us.
• Job 31:23I was afraid of the trouble that God might bring to me. So I could not do these bad things, because God is so great and powerful.
• Psalms 112:1Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! When someone respects the Lord with fear, God has blessed that person! He is happy to obey the Lord's commands.
• Psalms 147:11Who does make the Lord happy? People who respect him and serve him well. People who trust him because they know he loves them.
• Proverbs 16:6If you love the Lord faithfully, he will forgive your sins. If you respect and obey him, you will not do evil things.
• Ecclesiastes 12:13Now I have heard everything and this is what I have decided: Respect God and obey his commands. That is God's purpose for all people.
• Isaiah 50:10Do any of you respect the Lord with fear? Do any of you obey his servant's message? Are you walking in a place that is completely dark, where there is no light? Then you should trust in the Lord as the God who will help you.
• Luke 18:2He said to them, ‘In a certain city, there was a judge. He was not afraid of God. He did not respect people.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:15

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Forty shekels of silver - A daily sum from the entire province. For such a table as that kept by Nehemiah Nehemiah 5:18, this would be a very moderate payment.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-19Verses 14-19 Those who truly fear God, will not dare to do any thing cruel or unjust. Let all who are in public places remember that they are so placed to do good, not to enrich themselves. Nehemiah mentions it to God in prayer, not as if he had merited any favour from God, but to show that he depended upon God only, to make up to him what he had lost and laid out for his honour. Nehemiah evidently spake and acted as one that knew himself to be a sinner…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The former governors were likely Nehemiah’s immediate predecessors, not Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8, around 90 years earlier) or Zerubbabel (Haggai 1:1, around 80 years earlier).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. the former governors ... had taken ... bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver--The income of Eastern governors is paid partly in produce, partly in money. "Bread" means all sorts of provision. The forty shekels of silver per day would amount to a yearly salary of £1800 sterling.Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 5:15

• Civil Service
• Conscience
• Country
• Example
• Fear of God
• Integrity
• Kindness
• Love
• Unselfishness

In the dictionaries

• God
• Jubilee
• Shake
• Charge; Chargeable
• Malachi
• Money
• Tax; Taxing
• Versions, Georgian, Gothic, Slavonic
• Taxes

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