God’s Word Translation
Nehemiah 5:15
15Those who were governors before me had made life difficult for the people by taking from them food and wine plus one pound of silver. Even the governors’ servants took advantage of their power over the people. But I didn’t do that, because I feared God.
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 brushed off my clothes and said, “In the same way, may God brush off from home and work everyone who refuses to keep this promise. In the same way, may everyone be brushed off and left with nothing.” Then the whole congregation said amen and praised the Lord. The people did what they had promised. 14During the 12 years that I was governor of Judah, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign to the thirty-second year of his reign, my brothers and I never ate any food that was paid for by the governor’s food allowance. Those who were governors before me had made life difficult for the people by taking from them food and wine plus one pound of silver. Even the governors’ servants took advantage of their power over the people. But I didn’t do that, because I feared God. 16Instead, I put my best effort into the work on this wall, and we bought no land. All my men gathered here for work. 17I fed 150 Jewish leaders and their people who came to us from the surrounding nations.
Read all of Nehemiah 5Nehemiah 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 2:15But ⌞in the case of Eli’s sons,⌟ even before the people burned the fat, their servants would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the meat to the priest to roast. He doesn’t want boiled meat from you. He wants it raw.”
- 1 Samuel 8:15He will take a tenth of your grain and wine and give it to his aids and officials.
- Proverbs 29:12If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked.
- Matthew 5:47Are you doing anything remarkable if you welcome only your friends? Everyone does that!
- 2 Corinthians 11:9When I was with you and needed something, I didn’t bother any of you for help. My friends from the province of Macedonia supplied everything I needed. I kept myself from being a financial burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do that.
- 2 Corinthians 12:13How were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I didn’t bother you for help? Forgive me for this wrong!
- Nehemiah 5:9I added, “What you’re doing is wrong. Shouldn’t you live in the fear of our God to keep our enemies from ridiculing us?
- Job 31:23“A disaster from God terrifies me. In the presence of his majesty I can do nothing.
- Psalms 112:1Hallelujah! Blessed is the person who fears the Lord and is happy to obey his commands.
- Psalms 147:11The Lord is pleased with those who fear him, with those who wait with hope for his mercy.
- Proverbs 16:6By mercy and faithfulness, peace is made with the Lord. By the fear of the Lord, evil is avoided.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13After having heard it all, this is the conclusion: Fear God, and keep his commands, because this applies to everyone.
- Isaiah 50:10Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? Let those who walk in darkness and have no light trust the name of the Lord and depend upon their God.
- Luke 18:2He said, “In a city there was a judge who didn’t fear God or 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
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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