English Standard Version
Nehemiah 5:11
11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them."
Nehemiah 5:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
- New International Version (NIV)Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.”
Context of Nehemiah 5:11
9So 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? 10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them." 12Then they said, "We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. 13I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
Read all of Nehemiah 5Nehemiah 5:11 word by word
הָשִׁיבוּ֩ נָ֨א לָהֶ֜ם כְּהַיּ֗וֹם שְׂדֹתֵיהֶ֛ם כַּרְמֵיהֶ֥ם זֵיתֵיהֶ֖ם וּבָתֵּיהֶ֑ם וּמְאַ֨ת הַכֶּ֤סֶף וְהַדָּגָן֙ הַתִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֖ם נֹשִׁ֥ים בָּהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Restoreשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- I pray you, to them, even this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- their landsשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- their vineyardsכֶּרֶםkerem · vineyardH3754
- their oliveyardsזַ֫יִתzayith · oliveH2132
- and their housesבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- also the hundredthמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- of the moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- and of the cornדָּגָןdâgân · grainH1715
- the wineתִּירוֹשׁtîyrôsh tîyrôsh · new wineH8492
- and the oilיִצְהָרyitshâr · oilH3323
- that ye exactנָשָׁהnâshâh · to lendH5383
Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:11
- Leviticus 6:4if he has sinned and has realized his guilt and will restore what he took by robbery or what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the lost thing that he found
- 1 Samuel 12:3Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you."
- 2 Samuel 12:6and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
- Isaiah 58:6"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
- Luke 3:8Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
- Nehemiah 5:3There were also those who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine."
Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Also the hundredth part of the money - Houbigant contends, That the word מאת meath, which we and the Vulgate translate one hundredth part, never means so anywhere; and That it would have answered no end to have remitted to people so distressed merely the one hundredth part of the money which had been taken from them by usury. He understands מאת meath as signifying the same as את מן min eth, contracted into מאת meeth, a preposition and demonstrative…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11The hundredth part of the money - i. e. the interest. It is conjectured that the 100th part was payable monthly, or, in other words, that interest was taken at the rate of twelve per cent. The Law altogether disallowed the taking of interest from Israelites (see Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36, etc.).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. 11Nehemiah demanded that the wealthy lenders return the fields and repay the interest (literally the hundredth part), which they should not have collected (see also Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35–37). The term hundredth part suggests the interest was one percent per month. This was lower than the 20 percent annual rate found in some documents of that time, or the 60 percent annual rate charged at Elephantine in Egypt. However, even a low interest rate…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 5:11
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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Commentaries