Nehemiah 5:4

Nehemiah 5:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
• New International Version (NIV)Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.
• New King James Version (NKJV)There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.

Context of Nehemiah 5:4

2Many of them said, ‘We are big families, with many sons and daughters. We need to have food to eat so that we can stay alive.’ 3Other people said, ‘People have to lend us money to buy food. We have to give them our fields, our vineyards and our homes until we can pay them back.’ Other people said, ‘We have to pay taxes to the king for our fields and our vineyards. People had to lend us money to pay the taxes. 5Now we have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves so that we can pay back the money. But we are from the same human family as those other Jews. Our children are not different from their children. Already some of our daughters have become slaves. Our fields and vineyards now belong to other people, so we are helpless to do anything.’ 6When I heard what they were complaining about, I was very angry.

Nehemiah 5:4 word by word

וְיֵשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֹמְרִ֔ים לָוִ֥ינוּ כֶ֖סֶף לְמִדַּ֣ת הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ שְׂדֹתֵ֖ינוּ וּכְרָמֵֽינוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• There wereיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• also that saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• We have borrowedלָוָהlâvâh · to borrowH3867
• moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• for the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• tributeמִדָּהmiddâh · tributeH4060
• our landsשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• and vineyardsכֶּרֶםkerem · vineyardH3754

Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:4

• Nehemiah 9:37But because of our sins you have caused foreign kings to rule over us. They take the food that grows in our fields. They use us and our animals in any way that they like. So we are very upset!’
• Deuteronomy 28:47The Lord has given you many good things. But you have not agreed to serve the Lord your God with joy.
• Joshua 16:10But the tribe of Ephraim did not chase out the Canaanite people who lived in Gezer. Canaanite people still live there with the people of Ephraim, but they have to work as their slaves.
• 1 Kings 9:21The Israelites had not been able to remove all of these people, so their descendants remained in the land. So Solomon made them do hard work as his slaves. They are still slaves of the Israelites today.
• Ezra 4:13So you should know that there will be trouble. If they build this city again, with its walls, they will not pay any more taxes to you. You will not receive any more money from them as their king.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4We have borrowed money - This should be read, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute on our lands and vineyards. They had a tax to pay to the Persian king in token of their subjection to him, and though it is not likely it was heavy, yet they were not able to pay it.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The king‘s tribute - The tax payable to the Persian monarch (compare Ezra 4:13; Esther 10:1). In ancient times, heavy taxation was often productive of debt and distress.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4pay the king’s tax: Despite the famine, the Persians did not cancel the heavy royal taxes due at harvest time.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-51-5. there was a great cry of the people ... against their brethren--Such a crisis in the condition of the Jews in Jerusalem--fatigued with hard labor and harassed by the machinations of restless enemies, the majority of them poor, and the bright visions which hope had painted of pure happiness on their return to the land of their fathers being unrealized--must have been very trying to their faith and patience. But, in addition to these vexatious…Read the comment

Topics related to Nehemiah 5:4

• Borrowing
• Country
• Covetousness
• Creditor
• Debt
• Debtor
• Interest
• Land
• Lending
• Money
• Poor
• Repentance
• Rich, the
• Tax
• Usury

In the dictionaries

• Jubilee
• Shake
• Lend, Loan
• Malachi
• Poverty
• Salvation
• Surety
• Tax; Taxing
• Toll
• Tribute

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