Nehemiah 5:18

Nehemiah 5:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
• New International Version (NIV)Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

Context of Nehemiah 5:18

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. Preparing one ox and six choice sheep was necessary every day. Poultry was prepared for me. Once every ten days a supply of wine was ordered. Yet, in spite of all this, I never demanded anything from the governor’s food allowance, because these people were already carrying a heavy load. 19Remember me, my God. Consider everything that I have done for these people.

Nehemiah 5:18 word by word

וַאֲשֶׁר֩ הָיָ֨ה נַעֲשֶׂ֜ה לְי֣וֹם אֶחָ֗ד שׁ֣וֹר אֶחָ֞ד צֹ֠אן שֵׁשׁ־בְּרֻר֤וֹת וְצִפֳּרִים֙ נַֽעֲשׂוּ־לִ֔י וּבֵ֨ין עֲשֶׂ֧רֶת יָמִ֛ים בְּכָל־יַ֖יִן לְהַרְבֵּ֑ה וְעִם־זֶ֗ה לֶ֤חֶם הַפֶּחָה֙ לֹ֣א בִקַּ֔שְׁתִּי כִּֽי־כָֽבְדָ֥ה הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה עַל־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• which was preparedעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• dailyיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
• sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
• choiceבָּרַרbârar · to purifyH1305
• sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• also fowlsצִפּוֹרtsippôr tsippôr · birdH6833
• for me, and once in tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• storeרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• of all sorts of wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
• yet for allעִם‛im · withH5973
• this requiredבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• not I the breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: allowanceH3899
• of the governorפֶּחָהpechâh · governorH6346
• because the bondageעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · serviceH5656
• was heavyכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: heavyH3513
• upon this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971

Cross-references for Nehemiah 5:18

• 1 Kings 4:22Solomon’s food supply for one day was 180 bushels of flour, 360 bushels of coarse flour,
• Nehemiah 5:14During 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.
• Psalms 37:21A wicked person borrows, but he does not repay. A righteous person is generous and giving.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 5:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18One ox, and six choice sheep - This was food sufficient for more than two hundred men. Once in ten days store of all sorts of wine - It is supposed that every tenth day they drank wine; at all other times they drank water; unless we suppose the meaning of the phrase to be, that his servants laid in a stock of wine every ten days. Though the Asiatics drank sparingly of wine, yet it is not very likely that, in a case such as that above, wine was tasted only…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Compare the far grander provision for Solomon‘s table (see the marginal reference).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. 14-19This section explains Nehemiah's steady approach to servant leadership and his personal generosity.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 5:18

• Country
• Example
• Integrity
• Kindness
• Unselfishness

In the dictionaries

• Jubilee
• Shake
• Bondage
• Daily
• Demand
• Food
• Fowl
• Malachi
• Versions, Georgian, Gothic, Slavonic
• Governor

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